How to read California School Dashboard results
California does not give schools letter grades. The California School Dashboard, run by the California Department of Education (CDE), rates each school on several indicators with five colors, from lowest to highest: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green and Blue. The color combines the current result and the change from the year before.
- English and math are shown as "distance from standard": the average number of points students scored above (+) or below (-) the grade-level standard on state tests in grades 3 to 8 and 11.
- Graduation rate is the combined four- and five-year cohort rate for high schools.
- Chronic absenteeism is the share of K-8 students absent 10% or more of the school year. Lower is better.
All figures on this page come from the CDE's 2025 Dashboard data files (the fall 2025 release, covering the 2024-25 school year), downloaded in October 2026. The 2026 Dashboard is normally released in December, so check the live site for newer results.
Oceanside-area school districts compared
| District | English (distance from standard) | Math | Graduation rate | Chronic absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceanside Unified | -25.4 (Yellow) | -56.3 (Yellow) | 91.6% (Green) | 23.1% (Red) |
| Vista Unified | -17.0 (Yellow) | -49.4 (Yellow) | 88.8% (Green) | 17.5% (Orange) |
| Bonsall Unified | +7.4 (Green) | -27.9 (Orange) | 89.1% (Green) | 11.3% (Yellow) |
| State of California | -8.1 | -42.4 | 87.8% | 17.1% |
Source: CDE, 2025 California School Dashboard data files, all students. District averages hide wide differences between schools, shown below. Oceanside Unified's English and math results both improved on the year before (by 4.4 and 5.1 points).
Oceanside high schools
Oceanside High School (Oceanside Unified)
Oceanside High, at 1 Pirates Cove in 92054, scored 30.4 points below standard in English (Yellow, up 19.1 points) and 101.5 below in math (Yellow, up 15.4) on the 2025 Dashboard. Its graduation rate was 93.6% (Green), above the state's 87.8%.
El Camino High School (Oceanside Unified)
El Camino High, at 400 Rancho del Oro Drive in 92057, scored 5.1 points above standard in English (Green, up 19.1 points) and 69.5 below in math (Yellow, up 11.7). Its graduation rate was 95.9%, rated Blue, the top color.
Mission Vista High School (Vista Unified)
Mission Vista High, at 1306 Melrose Drive in 92057, is a Vista Unified school with an Oceanside address. Vista Unified runs it as a magnet school, so students apply through the district magnet lottery rather than being assigned by address. It had the strongest results of any high school with an Oceanside address: 104.0 points above standard in English (Blue), 3.3 above in math (Green) and a 98.3% graduation rate (Blue). Vista Unified's other comprehensive high schools are in Vista; Rancho Buena Vista High, for example, scored 30.1 above standard in English (Green) with a 90.4% graduation rate.
Oceanside middle schools
Oceanside Unified middle schools
Oceanside Unified runs four middle schools. On the 2025 Dashboard, Senda Middle (listed under its former name, Cesar Chavez Middle) scored 16.4 below standard in English and 70.3 below in math, both Yellow and both up more than 17 points. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle, the largest with over 1,000 students tested, scored 21.5 below in English and 43.9 below in math (both Orange). Lincoln Middle scored 46.4 below in English (Orange) and 74.3 below in math (Yellow). Jefferson Middle scored 81.4 below in English and 136.6 below in math, both Red.
Vista Unified middle schools in Oceanside
Two Vista Unified middle schools have Oceanside addresses. Madison Middle, at 4930 Lake Boulevard in 92056, scored 37.3 below standard in English (Yellow) and 85.3 below in math (Orange). Roosevelt Middle, at 850 Sagewood Drive in 92057, scored 57.6 below in English and 94.3 below in math (both Orange). Vista Magnet Middle School of Technology, in Vista, scored 3.8 below in English (Yellow) and is a choice option for Vista Unified students.
Oceanside elementary schools
Oceanside Unified elementary schools
Two Oceanside Unified elementary schools scored above the state standard in English on the 2025 Dashboard: Ivey Ranch Elementary (+17.6 in English and +6.6 in math, both Green) and North Terrace Elementary (+14.9 in English, Blue, up 18.1 points; 13.6 below in math, Green). Stuart Mesa Elementary was close to standard at 6.4 below in English (Yellow). Most other district elementary schools scored between 15 and 50 points below standard in English. Chronic absenteeism was above 20% at most of them, against 17.1% statewide.
Vista Unified elementary schools in Oceanside
Several Vista Unified elementary schools have Oceanside addresses. Empresa Elementary (4850 Avenida Empresa, 92056) scored 28.6 above standard in English and 24.8 above in math, both Green. Alamosa Park Elementary (5130 Alamosa Park Drive, 92057) scored 8.2 above in English (Yellow) and 8.4 above in math (Green). Lake Elementary (4950 Lake Boulevard, 92056) scored 7.9 above in English and 6.1 below in math, both Green. T.H.E. Leadership Academy (1550 Temple Heights Drive, 92056) scored 2.2 above in English (Green). Mission Meadows Elementary (5657 Spur Avenue, 92056) scored 20.8 below in English (Yellow).
Bonsall West Elementary (Bonsall Unified)
Bonsall West Elementary, at 5050 El Mirlo Drive in 92057, is a Bonsall Unified school with an Oceanside address. It scored 30.2 points above standard in English and 9.2 above in math (both Green), with chronic absenteeism of 8.1%. Bonsall Unified's district-wide graduation rate was 89.1% (Green).
School choice in Oceanside: magnets, charters and transfers
Oceanside Unified magnet academies
Oceanside Unified lists four magnet academies: Del Rio STEM Academy, Foussat Language Academy (with a two-way bilingual immersion program), Nichols Leadership Academy and Pablo Tac School of the Arts (music, dance, theater and visual arts, plus dual immersion). Students whose school of residence is one of these are assigned there; others apply through the district's intradistrict transfer process. On the 2025 Dashboard, Del Rio scored 32.0 below standard in English, Nichols 30.3 below, Pablo Tac 43.8 below and Foussat 50.8 below, all with gains or small changes on the year before except Pablo Tac.
Charter schools serving Oceanside
Coastal Academy Charter (4096 Calle Platino, 92056), authorized by Oceanside Unified, scored 29.8 above standard in English and 5.8 below in math (both Green), with a 92.6% graduation rate. Scholarship Prep - Oceanside (4070 Mission Avenue, 92057), a K-8 charter authorized by the San Diego County Office of Education, scored 19.8 above in English and 2.6 below in math (both Green). Pacific View Charter (Ocean Ranch Boulevard) scored 29.8 below in English with a 60.3% graduation rate (Red). Guajome Park Academy, a Vista Unified charter in Vista, had a 99.1% graduation rate (Blue). Charters admit by application and, when full, by lottery.
Transfers between districts need a release from your home district and acceptance by the receiving one. Ask each district for its transfer deadlines and criteria before you plan around a transfer.
How to check which schools serve an Oceanside address
We never state that a home is zoned for a school. Attendance areas follow district lines, not ZIP codes or city limits, and they change. A home with an Oceanside mailing address can be in Oceanside Unified, Vista Unified or Bonsall Unified, and listing descriptions are often wrong. Before you buy:
- Oceanside Unified: enter the address and school year in the district's school boundaries locator, linked from the OUSD website, or call the district at 760-966-4000.
- Vista Unified: contact the district's enrollment office through vistausd.org with the exact address.
- Bonsall Unified: check with the district at bonsallusd.com.
- Look up any school's full report on the California School Dashboard, and its address and grades in the CDE's public schools directory.
- Ask for the district's answer in writing, and remember that a school of residence can still be full.
For other parts of the city, see the Oceanside neighborhoods and Oceanside ZIP codes pages.