By type
Public high schools in Santa Barbara
The public high schools serving Santa Barbara are run by the Santa Barbara Unified School District and are free to attend. They are also the only schools in the area with published state academic data (CAASPP and graduation rates).
Three large comprehensive campuses anchor the district — Santa Barbara High School, San Marcos High School, and Dos Pueblos High School (in Goleta) — and longtime athletic rivals in the Channel League. Alongside them are smaller alternative and continuation options, Alta Vista Alternative High School and La Cuesta Continuation High School.
The schools5
Public · Grades 9-12 · Est. 1875
Santa Barbara High School
Santa Barbara Unified School District
Founded in 1875, Santa Barbara High School ('SBHS') is the oldest public high school in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. The downtown campus is known for its century-old performing-arts theater and its three career academies (Computer Science, Multimedia Arts and Design, and Visual Arts and Design). It is one of Santa Barbara's three comprehensive public high schools and a longtime athletic rival of San Marcos and Dos Pueblos.
Public · Grades 9-12 · Est. 1958
San Marcos High School
Santa Barbara Unified School District
Opened in 1958, San Marcos High School serves the western Santa Barbara/Goleta-edge community along Hollister Avenue. It is known for its academic and career academies, including the Health Careers Academy, the Accelerated Academic Program for Leadership and Enrichment (AAPLE), and an Entrepreneurship Academy. The Royals compete in the CIF Southern Section Channel League alongside the district's other two comprehensive highs.
Public · Grades 9-12 · Est. 1966
Dos Pueblos High School
Santa Barbara Unified School District
Established in 1966, Dos Pueblos High School is part of the Santa Barbara Unified School District but sits just west of the city in Goleta. It is best known for the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy, a competitive four-year program founded by MacArthur Fellow Amir Abo-Shaeer, and for offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. Its Mock Trial team has won state (2016) and world (2015) championships.
Continuation · Grades 9-12
La Cuesta Continuation High School
Santa Barbara Unified School District
La Cuesta Continuation High School is the Santa Barbara Unified School District's continuation high school, serving students (generally ages 16-18) who need an alternative pathway to a high-school diploma. It operates under the district's Alternative Education umbrella alongside Alta Vista. Enrollment is small and fluctuates as students transfer in and out.
Public · Grades 9-12
Alta Vista Alternative High School
Santa Barbara Unified School District
Alta Vista Alternative High School is Santa Barbara Unified's alternative high school, providing a smaller, more individualized setting than the comprehensive campuses while still offering a standard 9-12 diploma path. It is administered together with La Cuesta under the district's Alternative Education program.
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