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Public high school · Santa Barbara Unified · Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara Senior High

Santa Barbara Senior High rates 6.6, right at the middle of Santa Barbara Unified's high schools, whose rated median is 6.6.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.6this school

6.6 on a one-to-ten scale; the Santa Barbara Unified median is 6.6.

#4,243 of 9,557 schools in California · Santa Barbara Unified: 5 high schools rated, median 6.6

The brief

A Santa Barbara Unified high school where students score 10 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 4,243 of 9,557 schools in California and 15 of 19 in Santa Barbara Unified.

Santa Barbara Senior High is listed in Santa Barbara Unified, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math19%15 points below the California average of 34%2025 CAASPP
Reading45%8 points below the California average of 53%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 17 points since 2018, to 32% in 2025, across a 15-year record (2011–2025).2025 CAASPP; 26 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.1
25% of the rating
Academics
5.0
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2011-2025) · reading/ELA 53% (multi-year average, 2011-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 93103; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2011-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Santa Barbara Senior High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$118,118
Median home value
$1,555,600
Median rent
$2,407/mo
College educated
46%
Homeownership
46%
Poverty rate
10.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 93103; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
77
Very Walkable
Transit Score
44
Some Transit
Bike Score
87
Very Bikeable
City reported crime
2,303/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Santa Barbara. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Santa Barbara), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
2 AP courses
12.7% participation · state average 2.6 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
3 sports
2 boys' · 1 girls' · 7 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
60.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Santa Barbara Senior Highthis school
    6.6
  2. 5.8Compare →
  3. 5.8Compare →
  4. 5.1Compare →
  5. 4.7Compare →
  6. 4.4Compare →
  7. 3.6Compare →
  8. not ratedCompare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Santa Barbara Senior High among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Santa Barbara Senior High serve?

Santa Barbara Senior High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Santa Barbara Senior High?

Santa Barbara Senior High has an enrollment of approximately 2,046 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Barbara Senior High?

The student-teacher ratio at Santa Barbara Senior High is 21.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Santa Barbara Senior High rank in CA?

Santa Barbara Senior High ranks #4,243 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Santa Barbara Senior High's MySchoolScout rating?

Santa Barbara Senior High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Santa Barbara Senior High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Santa Barbara Senior High has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2011-2025) and 53% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2011-2025).

Is Santa Barbara Senior High a charter school?

No, Santa Barbara Senior High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Santa Barbara Senior High a Title I school?

No, Santa Barbara Senior High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Santa Barbara Senior High?

60.4% of students at Santa Barbara Senior High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
2,046
Student-teacher ratio
21.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
96
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Santa Barbara County
4-year graduation
93.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#15 of 19
Schools in district
21
District spending per student
$18,094
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
11.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 93103)
19,803
Area average commute
17.2 min
Area median age
39.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.