San Dieguito Union High, CA

Original Research by School Decision on San Dieguito Union High

San Dieguito Union High School District serves roughly mid-sized middle and high school grades across the affluent coastal communities of North San Diego County, including Encinitas, Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, and parts of unincorporated San Diego. The district's academic profile is strong. On state testing, students in grades seven and eight showed solid proficiency in English language arts; math performance sat lower than ELA but remained respectable, while science proficiency was the softest of the three measured subjects. Across all tested subjects and grades, the district placed in the top quartile among San Diego County's districts for overall proficiency. Chronic absenteeism ran below the county median, a sign of good student engagement.

Housing in the district's territory is expensive, with home values and rents among the highest in the region. The neighborhood includes some of the most costly zip codes in San Diego County, particularly Rancho Santa Fe, mixed with more moderate coastal communities. Rents and home prices have ticked upward modestly in the past year. A family considering a move into the district's area faces affordability challenges well above state and national norms.

The district operates two middle schools (Earl Warren, Oak Crest, Diegueno, Carmel Valley, and Pacific Trails), three traditional high schools (San Dieguito HS Academy, Torrey Pines, La Costa Canyon), plus a continuation school for students needing an alternative path. Total enrollment is substantial for a suburban district, spanning from seventh grade through twelfth.

A significant pedagogical shift is underway. The district has rolled out an "enhanced math" initiative that makes general math instruction more rigorous for all students without using honors or accelerated labels. At the same time, the district has cut classes specifically for gifted students and reduced gifted-program enrollment. District officials have stated they are wary of labels like "honors" and "advanced" that might exclude students of color; some families have pushed back, arguing the district is removing programs that serve students with different academic needs and learning styles. For families prioritizing acceleration or gifted pathways in math and STEM, this detracking approach represents a meaningful change worth understanding directly with individual schools.

The district is also implementing ethnic studies curriculum. California law requires high school districts to offer ethnic studies by 2025-26, and San Dieguito developed a course embedded in ninth-grade English. After the state proposed budget allocated no funding for 2025-26, the board voted in February to offer it as an optional pilot for freshmen in that school year, with a full graduation requirement scheduled to begin with students graduating in 2029-30. The course's development drew considerable community engagement and scrutiny, including multiple listening sessions in 2024. This is a lasting curriculum change that will shape how ninth-grade English is structured and, eventually, what graduation requires.

Per-pupil spending in the district is in the lower-middle range among county districts, and the district does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch counts in its data, which is typical for smaller and more affluent districts where the measure may be less reflective of the overall population's economic profile.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

12,364

Grades

07–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 17%

Black 1%

White 54%

Asian 20%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

62%

—

Gr 7

62%

86%

Gr 8

58%

82%

Gr 11

65%

—

Math

Gr ALL

47%

—

Gr 7

53%

81%

Gr 8

47%

74%

Gr 11

41%

—

Science

Gr ALL

39%

—

Gr 8

44%

69%

Gr 11

40%

—

Gr 12

—

Gr HS

41%

—

Gr UG_SEC

39%

—

Schools in this District

10 schools are officially reported under this district.

Earl Warren Middle

Oak Crest Middle

San Dieguito HS Academy

Sunset High (Continuation)

Pacific Trails Middle

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

2 grades reported

76%

Grade 7

69%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

2 grades reported

82%

Grade 7

77%

Grade 8

Science

1 grade reported

65%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

83%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$2.72M

Year-over-year change+1.3%

Range across 14 ZIP codes$1.0M to $4.8M

vs. state typical3.51x

vs. national typical7.40x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (14 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
92067	Rancho Santa Fe	$4.8M	+4.7%	25.1%
92024	Encinitas	$1.9M	+0.8%	21.9%
92130	San Diego	$2.1M	-1.0%	21.0%
92014	San Diego	$2.9M	+0.7%	7.7%
92009	Carlsbad	$1.6M	-0.9%	7.4%
92029	Escondido	$1.2M	-0.2%	5.2%
92075	Solana Beach	$2.3M	+3.0%	4.2%
92007	Encinitas	$2.1M	+4.6%	2.8%
92127	San Diego	$1.7M	-4.9%	2.7%
92091	Rancho Santa Fe	$3.3M	+2.7%	1.6%
92121	San Diego	$1.1M	-4.9%	0.4%
92078	San Marcos	$1.0M	-2.7%	0.0%
92008	Carlsbad	$1.2M	+15.2%	0.0%
92037	San Diego	$2.4M	+4.3%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$4,208/mo

Year-over-year change+4.5%

Range across 12 ZIP codes$2,596 to $5,875/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (12 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
92024	Encinitas	$4,166	+4.5%	21.9%
92130	San Diego	$4,074	+1.0%	21.0%
92014	San Diego	$5,875	+15.9%	7.7%
92009	Carlsbad	$3,683	+0.6%	7.4%
92029	Escondido	$2,596	+2.7%	5.2%
92075	Solana Beach	$5,196	+4.3%	4.2%
92007	Encinitas	$4,359	+14.8%	2.8%
92127	San Diego	$3,699	+4.6%	2.7%
92121	San Diego	$4,079	—	0.4%
92078	San Marcos	$3,207	+2.4%	0.0%
92008	Carlsbad	$3,177	+4.8%	0.0%
92037	San Diego	$4,230	+2.7%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$13,740/mo

Home price / national median income32.5x

Annual rent / national median income60.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$9,532/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.