Head to head
Providence School (Providence, A Santa Barbara Christian School)vs
San Marcos High School
Providence School (Providence, A Santa Barbara Christian 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.
| Metric | Providence School (Providence, A Santa Barbara Christian School) | San Marcos High School |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Private | Public |
| District / affiliation | Non-denominational Christian | Santa Barbara Unified School District |
| Grades served | PreK-12 (Upper School grades 9-12) | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 379 | 1,943● |
| Founded | 1959 | 1958● |
| Student–teacher ratio | ~9:1 | 20.82:1 |
| Mascot | Patriots | Royals (Lancelot the Lion) |
| Tuition | Up to $23,975 for Upper School; $17,200 base K-2 (2025-26 / 2026-27 cycle, PrivateSchoolReview & providencesb.org) | Free (public) |
| Academics | ||
| Graduation rate | — | 96% (2023, U.S. News; CA avg 87%) |
| CAASPP ELA proficiency | — | 59% met/exceeded (2023, PublicSchoolReview via CDE) |
| CAASPP Math proficiency | — | 36% met/exceeded (2023, PublicSchoolReview via CDE) |
| College-going rate | — | 82.7% 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 rate | — | 37% (2024, U.S. News) |
| AP courses (listed) | — | 22 |
| Programs & life | ||
| Academies / signature programs | 0 | 3● |
| Sports offered | 9 | 20● |
| Clubs & activities | 8 | 23● |
| Notable facilities | 6 | 8● |
| Has PTA | Yes | Yes |
| Athletic boosters | No | Yes |
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.