Saint Joseph Academy in San Marcos | Military Town Advisor

Posted: October 14, 2025

I would wholeheartedly recommend this school. My children were doing well in public elementary school, but as they approached middle school, we realized our public school options were not great. Since moving them to St. Josephs, they've absolutely thrived. They ask to go to school early and they come home smiling every day. Theyve made wonderful friends whose parents share similar values. Theyre being challenged academically. SJA expects a lot of the students, and they rise to the occasion.

SJA wants to help parents raise their children to become intelligent and virtuous adults. If you walk through the school, the feeling is joyful and positive. Every time. The no cell phone policy ensures kids are interacting with each other, not standing around staring at their phones. The staff is well-spoken and polished. They lead by example, and they are invested in the success of the children. They encourage students to contribute to their community (ex: they do fundraisers to support pregnancy centers and donate baby shower items to new mothers). Overall, they are doing a great job and my kids are very happy.

Posted: October 14, 2025

Posted: May 6, 2023

As a student whos been here since the 2nd grade, I can say the school is lacking in certain areas

Special Needs:
The school claims on the website that they accommodate students with learning disabilities such as autism and ADHD, as a student attending the school with ADHD, the teachers do no try to accommodate students with these disabilities, but instead yelling at them for it.

Homework:
It all depends on the teacher, but with my past experiences some, but not all have not been kind with the loads of homework they give the students

Other :
As you may know, this school supports pro-life (as do the staff), but I personally do not think that teaching kids at a young age about abortion is ok, I get it many other people gave opinions but you cant just force it on kids like this

I would not recommend this school

Posted: May 6, 2023

Posted: July 14, 2022

As a student who has graduated from this school I can safely say this is one of the best schools in the country. The critiques of the staff/ headmaster being under qualified and the school teaching strict tradition and failing to teach the kids The gospel is utterly and completely false. In a students perspective this school has challenged me spiritually, academically, physically etc. I can assure you coming from a public school ( a pretty conservative one too) that the academics are practically worlds above the public school system who so often lead young men and women astray. Saint Joseph academy has changed my life to live in accordance with the gospel and I can never repay the debt of this. Moreover if you plan on leading your son or daughter to heaven and forming then to be Godly people this school is exactly the right fit for them.

Posted: July 14, 2022

Posted: June 19, 2022

As a student attending this school currently,
The school isn't the best, in my opinion
The school is extremely strict with the students with academics, sports, etc.
It honestly lacks character,
The only good thing about it is the summer activities.
One thing i wish the school would do better is giving attention to students' mental health.

Posted: June 19, 2022

Posted: August 13, 2019

Our daughter transferred from one excellent Catholic K-8 school to the SJA High School. The school experience has been even better at this school. Our daughter wishes she had gone here since kindergarten.

Posted: August 13, 2019

Posted: March 28, 2019

10/10 This is the best elementary and middle school experience I could have imagined for my child. They have grown intellectually. They know how to problem solve, manage their time and think critically. They have developed the skills necessary to do well in high school and are college bound. They are driven to succeed because they have been in a school since Kindergarten that truly cares about their whole person. I am so grateful for this school and would absolutely recommend it to anyone in the Catholic Faith.

Posted: March 28, 2019

The assignments given to the students help them build skills that will absolutely be essential for for doing well in when they move on to the next level, like middle school or high school.

Posted: March 28, 2019

Ever teacher personally knows and interacts with ever students. Each student is held accountable to high standards. The teachers truly love and respect every student. The relationships developed are unmatched by any school

Posted: March 28, 2019

Every single staff member at SJA models what integrity and compassion look like on a daily basis. This school is authentically Catholic by the love shown in every act and decision made by staff. The student body is by far one of the most truly authentically Catholic schools I have come across. The students love their faith, their friends, and their schools. The problems that occur at this school are so minor in comparison to other schools because of the trust and relationships which are built.

Posted: March 28, 2019

The principal and administration is fully dedicated to ensure the highest quality of education and catholic community amongst students, teachers, and parents. The principal is personable, authentic, and dedicated.

Posted: March 28, 2019

Give my experience with my own children I do not have adequate knowledge to answer this question. However, I can say that communication between teachers and parents is fantastic and their willingness to help is superb.

Posted: March 28, 2019

Honestly, bullying that takes place at this school is on such a muted level due to the closeness that the staff and students have with one another. It is not perfect of course, but when problems arise the staff communicates the issues to the students in a very compassionate yet stern manner. The respect students have for the staff make the students want to be better people.

Posted: March 28, 2019

We are blessed to have our children at this school for the past 8 years. The teachers are truly caring and have a sincere love for their job and the kids they serve. School leadership gives 110% of themselves to the school, students, and families. I completely disagree with the "teacher" critiques earlier. The kids that come from St Joseph are very confident with their Catholic faith and understanding of their place within the larger community. Bullying is not an issue that we've ever seen here.

Posted: March 28, 2019

Posted: May 31, 2018

We consider our family very blessed to attend school here. The Catholic-Christian faith is central to every aspect of the school and the faith our entire family is deepened because of it. It that regard it is one of a kind.
Leadership has greatly improved over the years. Teachers are loving and kind.

Posted: May 31, 2018

Posted: September 23, 2017

We have 4 children currently attending St. Joseph Academy; 2 in grade school and 2 in middle school. We have been at the school since our oldest was in first grade. Our children have grown academically, spiritually and emotionally. The administration is excellent; they faithfully follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and we truly believe they have the academic and spiritual growth of our children as their primary goal. Our children are very happy at the school and we feel truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family!

Posted: September 23, 2017

Posted: September 12, 2017

My wife and I left our home in lovely San Clemente and moved to San Marcos so our six kids could attend Saint Joseph Academy, a K-12 private Catholic school. We currently have four kids enrolled; two in lower grades, one in middle school, and one in high school.
When homeschooling is just not an option, the next best thing is Saint Joseph Academy. This school challenges them academically, but more so, spiritually. Mediocrity is unacceptable, especially when it concerns the eternal destiny of the soul. Without supernatural faith, education is worthless. SJA strives to form Saints and Scholars, and in that order.
Last year (2016) the High School had the highest average SAT scores in the entire Diocese of San Diego. I attribute this to several factors, including the overall educational environment, the dedicated staff, the small student to teacher ratio and intimate class size, the family influence on on the children, and the fact that where the Faith flourishes, the "lights are on" in the mind and soul.
To maintain my 5 Star Rating, SJA need only to continue taking steps in the right direction - toward Tradition. As we progress through this present darkness of so many "-isms" (modernism, cultural marxism, humanism, moral relativism, communism, etc), Tradition, as traditionally understood by the Catholics of antiquity, is the only thing that will save the day, as Christ is found most abundantly in Tradition.

Posted: August 6, 2017

There are 2 sides to every story. In this case you have the front end and the back end. The front end comprises; values, education, teacher interaction and your child's development. In this area the school receives a 100%. Regarding the back end; administration, marketing, fundraising, and forward planning the school receives a 70%. The principal try's to straddle the divide between the parents attempting to become involved and a small group who wish to micromanage every faucet of the school. Unfortunately, the school has out grown that management style. However, I have to be honest that without their drive and leadership the school would not be ranked in the top 50 Independent Catholic Schools in the US nor one of only two in the state of California. So pick your poison. A administration that moves slowly and uses very few of its parental initiatives despite having many parents who lead or run numerous businesses throughout North County but still delivers an excellent well rounded education for your child, or possibly a school less concerned with your child's overall development to adulthood. Good Luck

Posted: August 6, 2017

Posted: June 20, 2017

Administrators like to micromanage every event seems they don't trust the qualifications of the people volunteering to help.

Posted: June 20, 2017

Teachers are amazing!! administration has too much fundraising to a point where the parents get tired of participating.Parents need to be heard from administrators on events and plan ahead of time for events so families can be more prepared financially.

Posted: June 27, 2013

This school was great at teaching catholic values. However the treatment I received at the school was not a great as it should have been. My GPA consisted of less than a 2.0 and even a 1.5, and I was the least happiest with the interactions with other students. By the time I transferred to a public school my GPA changed to a perfect 4.0 and a weighted 4.17 by the time I reached my high school. I tried more in my academics due to newly made friends and experienced less negativity from what I believe to be the diversity and acceptance of the new school, something that could not be achieved at Saint Joseph's due to the low number of students. However, this was some time ago, and I can only hope that the school has gotten better with teaching kids to love one another not just for the sake of God's will, but for themselves as well. I would recommend this school to smaller children but would also recommend a different school for late middle school/early high school experiences.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Rancho Carrillo	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Carlsbad	CA	2.6 mi
2	Shadowridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Vista	CA	2.8 mi
3	La Costa	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Carlsbad	CA	4.6 mi
4	Windsor at Aviara	Apartment Complex	Carlsbad	CA	5 mi
5	Palisades Pointe	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Carlsbad	CA	6.5 mi
6	Mira Costa Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Oceanside	CA	6.6 mi
7	St. Cloud	Condominium/Townhouse	Oceanside	CA	7.3 mi
8	Montecito village apartments	Apartment Complex	Oceanside	CA	7.5 mi
9	Torrey Highlands	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	12.6 mi
10	Spectrum Center Blvd, Kearny Mesa	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	22.5 mi
11	Redhawk	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Temecula	CA	23 mi
12	Canyon View	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	23.8 mi
13	Santee Villas	Apartment Complex	Santee	CA	24.4 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Carlsbad	Carlsbad	CA	8.4 mi
2	Encinitas	Encinitas	CA	9.1 mi
3	Downtown Oceanside	Oceanside	CA	10.5 mi
4	Torrey Highlands	San Diego	CA	12.6 mi
5	Lake Rancho Viejo	Fallbrook	CA	12.9 mi
6	Mira Mesa	San Diego	CA	16.2 mi
7	Wine Country area of Scripps Ranch	San Diego	CA	17.6 mi
8	University City	San Diego	CA	19.9 mi
9	La Jolla	La Jolla	CA	21.1 mi
10	Serra Mesa	San Diego	CA	24.3 mi
11	Temecula, California	Temecula	CA	24.8 mi
12	Santee Trolley Square	Santee	CA	24.8 mi

Base	Distance
Camp Pendleton	18.2 mi.
Miramar MCAS	19.3 mi.
MCRD San Diego	28.2 mi.
San Diego Naval Medical Center	29.1 mi.
North Island NAS	31 mi.
Naval Base Point Loma	32 mi.
San Diego Naval Base	32.5 mi.
Coronado Naval Amphibious Base	32.7 mi.

Saint Joseph Academy

San Marcos, CA 92078

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Saint Joseph Academy

San Marcos, CA 92078

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