Best traditional public schools in Santa Barbara (2025)
District-run public schools. Ranked by the Success Index (US) from official American data; 23 schools in Santa Barbara, California. Rank positions shown on each profile are within United States and California.
- 195Montecito UnionSanta Barbara · Public Elementary85% Math proficiency · 353 students
- 292Cold Spring ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary92% Math proficiency · 188 students
- 379Mountain View ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary75% Math proficiency · 351 students
- 479Foothill ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary74% Math proficiency · 413 students
- 574Monte Vista ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary62% Math proficiency · 267 students
- 673Washington ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary71% Math proficiency · 477 students
- 769Vieja Valley ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary62% Math proficiency · 313 students
- 868La Colina Junior HighSanta Barbara · Public Middle64% Math proficiency · 832 students
- 963Hope ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary57% Math proficiency · 279 students
- 1057Hollister ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary52% Math proficiency · 393 students
- 1149Adams ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary49% Math proficiency · 469 students
- 1249San Marcos Senior HighSanta Barbara · Public High43% Math proficiency · 1,926 students
- 1345Roosevelt ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary45% Math proficiency · 463 students
- 1444El Camino ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary42% Math proficiency · 350 students
- 1544Santa Barbara Senior HighSanta Barbara · Public High37% Math proficiency · 1,924 students
- 1644Franklin ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary49% Math proficiency · 424 students
- 1738Santa Barbara Junior HighSanta Barbara · Public Middle39% Math proficiency · 512 students
- 1836La Cumbre Junior HighSanta Barbara · Public Middle35% Math proficiency · 426 students
- 1929Harding University PartnershipSanta Barbara · Public Elementary35% Math proficiency · 364 students
- 2029Santa Barbara Community AcademySanta Barbara · Public Elementary32% Math proficiency · 221 students
- 2125Monroe ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary22% Math proficiency · 315 students
- 2220Cleveland ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary17% Math proficiency · 254 students
- 2315McKinley ElementarySanta Barbara · Public Elementary9% Math proficiency · 293 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index (US) | Key result | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montecito Union Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 94.8 Top 5% | 85% Math proficiency | 353 |
| 2 | Cold Spring Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 92.0 Top 5% | 92% Math proficiency | 188 |
| 3 | Mountain View Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 78.9 Top 25% | 75% Math proficiency | 351 |
| 4 | Foothill Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 78.6 Top 25% | 74% Math proficiency | 413 |
| 5 | Monte Vista Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 73.8 Top 25% | 62% Math proficiency | 267 |
| 6 | Washington Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 72.5 Top 25% | 71% Math proficiency | 477 |
| 7 | Vieja Valley Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 68.5 Top 25% | 62% Math proficiency | 313 |
| 8 | La Colina Junior High Santa Barbara · Middle · Grades 7–8 | Public | 67.6 Top 25% | 64% Math proficiency | 832 |
| 9 | Hope Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 63.0 Top 50% | 57% Math proficiency | 279 |
| 10 | Hollister Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 57.4 Top 50% | 52% Math proficiency | 393 |
| 11 | Adams Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 49.1 Lower 50% | 49% Math proficiency | 469 |
| 12 | San Marcos Senior High Santa Barbara · High · Grades 9–12 | Public | 49.0 Lower 50% | 43% Math proficiency | 1,926 |
| 13 | Roosevelt Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 44.9 Lower 50% | 45% Math proficiency | 463 |
| 14 | El Camino Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 44.2 Lower 50% | 42% Math proficiency | 350 |
| 15 | Santa Barbara Senior High Santa Barbara · High · Grades 9–12 | Public | 44.1 Lower 50% | 37% Math proficiency | 1,924 |
| 16 | Franklin Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 43.7 Lower 50% | 49% Math proficiency | 424 |
| 17 | Santa Barbara Junior High Santa Barbara · Middle · Grades 7–8 | Public | 37.5 Lower 50% | 39% Math proficiency | 512 |
| 18 | La Cumbre Junior High Santa Barbara · Middle · Grades 7–8 | Public | 35.6 Lower 50% | 35% Math proficiency | 426 |
| 19 | Harding University Partnership Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 29.4 Lower 50% | 35% Math proficiency | 364 |
| 20 | Santa Barbara Community Academy Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 29.1 Lower 50% | 32% Math proficiency | 221 |
| 21 | Monroe Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 24.9 Lower 50% | 22% Math proficiency | 315 |
| 22 | Cleveland Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 19.7 Lower 50% | 17% Math proficiency | 254 |
| 23 | McKinley Elementary Santa Barbara · Elementary · Grades K–6 | Public | 15.4 Lower 50% | 9% Math proficiency | 293 |
Montecito Union in Santa Barbara leads the 2025 list of traditional public schools in Santa Barbara with a Success Index (US) of 94.8. Of the 23 schools shown, 23 are public.
For the full picture see the wider California traditional public schools rankings, every school on the Santa Barbara page, or the comparison tool to put a shortlist side by side.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best public school in Santa Barbara?
Montecito Union in Santa Barbara, California ranks first among traditional public schools in Santa Barbara with a Success Index (US) of 94.8 out of 100 (Enrollment: 353).
How are traditional public schools in Santa Barbara ranked?
Each school's Success Index (US) combines 4 factors: math proficiency (30%), reading proficiency (30%), community advantage (fewer free/reduced-price lunch) (25%), students per teacher (15%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type across United States. Schools with fewer than 60 students are excluded from rankings.
Are these 2025 rankings official?
No. They are computed by Success Tutoring from official American data (Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES CCD, EDFacts); NCES Common Core of Data). States set their own assessments and proficiency cut scores, so proficiency rates are most comparable within a state. Use the state rankings for like-for-like comparisons.