Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Capistrano Unified

This page covers 13 middle schools in Capistrano Unified. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

13
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 13
1
rank
Esencia Middle
Grades 06–08229 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
56
/100
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
20%
Low economic need
2
rank
Las Flores Middle
Grades 06–08571 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
55
/100
Student:Teacher
18.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
22%
Low economic need
3
rank
Vista del Mar Middle
Grades 06–08549 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
52
/100
Student:Teacher
20.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
51/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
17%
Low economic need
4
rank
Niguel Hills Middle
Grades 06–08721 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
19.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
55/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
43%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Carl Hankey Middle
Grades 06–08190 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
52%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Newhart Middle
Grades 06–081,038 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
19.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
34%
Low economic need
7
rank
Don Juan Avila Middle
Grades 06–08916 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
22.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
25%
Low economic need
8
rank
Aliso Viejo Middle
Grades 06–08819 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
21.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
34%
Low economic need
9
rank
Bernice Ayer Middle
Grades 06–08883 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
20.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
51/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
40%
Near nat'l 52.2%
10
rank
Arroyo Vista Middle
Grades 06–08301 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
22.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,077
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
24%
Low economic need
3 more middle schools in Capistrano Unified not shown here.
View all schools in Capistrano Unified
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
13
Middle Schools
59
Total Schools
56
#1 Score
50
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Esencia Middle
Score: 56/100
Compare Capistrano Unified with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.