Head to head

Anacapa School logoAnacapa SchoolvsSan Marcos High School logoSan Marcos High School

Anacapa School is a private high school and San Marcos High School is a public high school, both in Santa Barbara, CA. The table below sets them side by side on enrollment, published academic figures, AP participation, and the breadth of their sports and clubs.

MetricAnacapa School logoAnacapa SchoolSan Marcos High School logoSan Marcos High School
Overview
TypePrivatePublic
District / affiliationSanta Barbara Unified School District
Grades served7-12 (high-school grades 9-12)9-12
Enrollment521,943
Founded19811958
Student–teacher ratio~6:120.82:1
MascotIsland FoxRoyals (Lancelot the Lion)
Tuition$29,000 (upper grades) / $28,000 (lower) (2025-26, PrivateSchoolReview)Free (public)
Academics
Graduation rate96% (2023, U.S. News; CA avg 87%)
CAASPP ELA proficiency59% met/exceeded (2023, PublicSchoolReview via CDE)
CAASPP Math proficiency36% met/exceeded (2023, PublicSchoolReview via CDE)
College-going rate82.7% college-going (393 of 475 completers enrolled in college within 12 months) (2022-23, CDE DataQuest College-Going Rate); CA Dashboard College/Career Indicator 'Prepared' 57.7% (Class of 2024, caschooldashboard.org, Green)
U.S. News national rank#4,695 nationally; 605th in California (2024, U.S. News)
AP participation rate37% (2024, U.S. News)
AP courses (listed)22
Programs & life
Academies / signature programs03
Sports offered620
Clubs & activities623
Notable facilities38
Has PTANoYes
Athletic boostersNoYes

A clay marker (●) flags the stronger reported figure on objective, comparable measures only. A dash (—) means the figure isn't published for that school — private schools generally don't sit the state CAASPP tests, so their academic cells are often blank.