San Marcos Senior High: Top Public School in Santa Barbara, CA (2026 List)

About San Marcos Senior High

San Marcos Senior High is one of the best schools in Santa Barbara, California. It serves about 1,980 students in grades 9–12 and provides a full public education. The campus has a student-to-teacher ratio of 23:1 and is known as one of the best schools for its Health Careers and AAPLE Academies. There are a lot of different types of students at the school. 67% of them are minorities, and 57% of them are low-income. Academic data shows that 56% of students are good at reading and 32% are good at math. As one of the best schools in the area, it has a 37% Advanced Placement participation rate. Students have an average SAT score of 1190 and an ACT score of 26. San Marcos Senior High is known as one of the best schools because it has a lively extracurricular culture and a strong focus on preparing students for college. It is located in an area where the median home price is $2.2 million, and it is one of the best high schools in California.

Academic Performance

Subject Proficiency

Mathematics 32%

Reading 56%

State average proficiency is 32% in Math and 56% in Reading.

93

Full-time Teachers

21 : 1

Student-Teacher Ratio

1943

Total Students

$58409

Avg. Teacher Salary

Student Demographics

White 32.78%

Asian 2.73%

Hispanic 59.34%

Black 0.31%

Two+ Races 4.48%

Native Am. 0.1%

White

32.78%

Asian

2.73%

Hispanic

59.34%

Black

0.31%

Two+ Races

4.48%

Native Am.

0.1%

Gender Distribution

Total Students: 1943

52.39%

1018 Female

47.5%

923 Male

Student Population

1943 Students

With a student-teacher ratio of 21 : 1

Minority Enrollment

25%

Percentage of minority students

Students per Counselor

194 : 1

Student to counselor ratio

San Marcos Senior High Contact Information

Address

4750 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara, CA, 93110

View on Map

Phone

(805) 967-4581

Call Now

Website

http://www.sbunified.org

Recent News & Updates

New Playground Name

We are so excited to announce the name of our new playground! Following a school-wide and Robinson community vote we narrowed a large list of names down to four. Since our students will be using the playground on a daily basis, we gave them the final vote! 476.....

School Timings

Regular School Hours

All Grades: 8:30 AM to 3:32 PM

Early Dismissal Days

Dismissal Time: 12:15 PM

Note: Doors open at 8:15 AM for student arrival. Please refer to the school calendar for specific early dismissal dates.

After School Activities

Information coming soon

School Session Dates

September to June

School session starts in September 1st week and ends in June 3rd week. For exact dates, please contact the school.

Remarkable Alumni

Being Updated

Map

Latest News

San Marcos Senior High School is currently working on its Health Careers Academy. They plan to build a new mini-campus with a simulation lab, modern science rooms, and specialized sports medicine facilities. Students also benefit from a one-of-a-kind 4x4 block schedule that matches that of Santa Barbara City College. This lets them take up to eight classes a year and easily enroll in college at the same time. Recent efforts on campus include making classrooms more welcoming and taking part in the district-wide Science of Reading program to improve reading skills for students of all ages.

FAQ

Q1. Are students able to look into STEM options?

Ans. Yes, for sure! There are science, technology, engineering, and math programs that let students learn through practical activities.

Q2. Are there any programs that are creative?

Ans. Yes, students can be creative through practical activities music, drama, and visual arts.

Q3. What is the goal of San Marcos Senior High?

Ans. San Marcos Senior High wants to give students a challenging academic program while also encouraging them to be responsible, involved, and lifelong learners.

Q4. How does San Marcos Senior High keep things positive?

Ans. A safe and productive learning environment is built on respect, accountability, and inclusion.

Q5. Do students get help getting ready for college?

Ans. Yes, of course! Students can take the SAT and ACT and get help planning for college.

Games & Extracurricular Activities

Sports

Soccer Club Grades 1-3 | Mon/Wed 3:30-4:30pm
Basketball Grades 2-4 | Tue/Thu 3:30-4:45pm
Track & Field Grades 3-5 | Fri 3:30-5:00pm

Arts

Art Club Grades K-2 | Mon 3:00-4:00pm
Drama Club Grades 3-5 | Wed 3:30-5:00pm
Choir Grades 2-5 | Thu 3:15-4:15pm

Clubs

Chess Club Grades 2-5 | Fri 3:15-4:15pm
Garden Club All Grades | Tue 3:15-4:00pm
Robotics Club Grades 3-5 | Thu 3:30-5:00pm

Note: Schedules may change during school holidays. Please contact School for exact Schedule.

Summer Suggested Reading

Horn Book Selections

Vocabulary.com +3 Horn Book +3 What to Read to Your Kids +3

ML

Maggie Lou, Firefox

by Arnolda Dufour Bowes

PS

The Puppets of Spelhorst

by Kate DiCamillo

MLV

The Mona Lisa Vanishes

by Nicholas Day

Vocabulary.com Top Picks

Penguin Random House +10 Vocabulary.com +10 Wikipedia +10

F

Frindle

by Andrew Clements

WR

The Wild Robot

by Peter Brown

JGP

James and the Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Penguin Random House Features

Horn Book +2 Penguin Random House +2 The Guardian +2

SLB

The Secret Language of Birds

by Lynne Kelly

S

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

by Beth Lincoln

Free Robotics and Stem In-person Workshop in Your Neighbourhood for 7-14 Years Tech Enthusiasts.

Local kids are transforming ideas into real-world.

See the projects happening right in your neighborhood

What Parents Say