How does Arcata High compare to other high schools in Arcata?

Arcata High has a SchoolScope composite score of 61.5/100, placing it at the 78th percentile statewide. 23% of students exceed standard, with a total of 484 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Arcata High?

23.4% of students at Arcata High exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 51.2% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Arcata High?

30.8% of students at Arcata High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Arcata High

High School

Northern Humboldt Union High ArcataHumboldt County95521

📍 1720 M Street

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of high schools

State Rank

of 1,739 California high schools

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Composite scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data from the California Dept. of Education (CAASPP, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates). They are not official CDE ratings and should not be the sole basis for school decisions. See methodology.

School overview

Enrollment

1,011 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

19:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

39%

Teachers

52 full-time

College & career readiness

Graduation Rate

97.5%

AP Exam Prepared

64.2%

A-G Completion

55.6%

College-Going Rate

69.4%

Data source: California Department of Education — ACGR, CCI, CGR reports

Dashboard indicators

ELA Year-over-Year

Increased

+6.8 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Increased

+4.0 pts DFS change

EL Proficiency (ELPAC)

35.5%

English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 32 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic16.9%

White65.4%

Asian2.5%

Black1.6%

Other13.7%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Arcata High
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	23.4%
Met Standard	27.9%
Below Standard	48.8%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "51% proficient" for Arcata High and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

23.4% of students exceeded standard while 27.9% met it. That exceeded rate is 7.9 points above the state average of 15.5%. That's 10.3 points above the Northern Humboldt Union High district average of 13.1%. Compared to the 1 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 19.5 points higher (vs 3.9% average). The gap between "met" and "exceeded" can reveal how much a school's curriculum challenges students beyond proficiency.

The graduation rate is 97.5% — above the state target. 55.6% of students complete A-G requirements for UC/CSU eligibility — a strong college readiness signal. 69.4% of graduates go on to college within a year.

Chronic absenteeism is 30.8%, better than the state average of 34.0%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →