ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Bell Senior High · Bell

Bell Senior High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Bell posts 46% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

4328 Bell Avenue, 90201 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Bell·Grades 9-12·2,088 students·91% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(323) 832-4700·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5644
% Exceeded24%16%
% Met+46%36%
Grad rate93.3%86.6%
College readiness57.0%33.9%
Absence29.0%30.2%
Suspension0.2%3.6%
Scope Score
56
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #496 statewide · #60 of 240 in Los Angeles Unified

Bell Senior High scores 56 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 77th percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “46% proficient” and call it done. Bell deserves a closer read. The school sits in Bell, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Bell's low-income kids hit 61.6% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 77th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 46% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1155%50%58%54%62%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1133%29%26%21%30%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
46%
State 36%
Graduate
93%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
57%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 46 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 57 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

61.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Bell's most underrated number

61.6% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Bell low-income: 61.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
93.3%
State 86.6%
6.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
23.6%
State 15.8%
7.8pp above state avg
College readiness
57.0%
State 33.9%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
46.0%
State 35.7%
10.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
29.0%
State 30.2%
1.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.2%
State 3.6%
3.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
31.3%
State 18.0%
13.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Bell Senior High in Bell, 61.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Bell Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 20.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (61.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 53.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 370 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 36%46%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 46%, district 36%, state 32%46% · −0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 36%, state 32%45% · −1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 47%, district 41%, state 42%47% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 45%, district 42%, state 44%45% · −1 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 20%, district 14%, state 15%20% · −26 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 4%, district 9%, state 11%4% · −42 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 52%, district 65%, state 56%52% · +6 vs school
AsianAsian: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored
Hispanic94.4% AP · 94.8% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 0.1% enroll.
Asian0.3% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.3% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Black0.2% AP · 0.2% enroll.
White4.4% AP · 4.3% enroll.
Two or more races0.3% AP · 0.2% enroll.
English learners0.6% AP · 7.9% enroll.
Students with disabilities0.8% AP · 11.1% enroll.

● share of AP enrollment vs share of total enrollment, this school only · not part of the Scope Score

Data source: U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2020-21 (biennial; newest published)

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 29.0%, district 24.5%, state 30.2%29.0% · −1.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.2%, district —, state 3.6%0.2% · −3.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1228.9%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Bell Senior High
56/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

Where graduates go

Context — none of this enters the Scope Score

In fall 2025, 38 of Bell's 471 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Riverside the most common landing, with 9 enrollees.

Applied133fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted102
Enrolled38
Where they landed (fall 2025)
Riverside 9Irvine 7Los Angeles 5Berkeley 4Santa Barbara 4Merced 3San Diego 3Davis ‹3Santa Cruz ‹3

campuses never sum to the universitywide figure — students apply to several

College destination mix, class of 2023

Class of 2023: 505 completers, 57% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 55 (11%)California State University 145 (29%)California community college 70 (14%)In-state private 13 (3%)Out-of-state, 4-year 4 (1%)Out-of-state, 2-year 3 (1%)Not enrolled 215 (43%)

Percentages are computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers) from CDE-reported counts, not a CDE-native rate.

Data source: California Department of Education, 2023 cohort — the newest published; National Student Clearinghouse match.

UC enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025

Peak: 71 enrolled, 2015

UC is one road of many — the full destination mix for the class of 2023 is below. And who applied isn't who the school taught: the ratio between the two reflects the self-selected pool of students who chose to apply, not what happened in the classroom. By the state's 2023 count, 57% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (70) than at UC (55).

Data source: University of California Office of the President (UC Information Center), fall 2025 admissions cycle · college-going rate: California Department of Education, 2023 cohort.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 20:121:1
Teaching staff102 teachers
Avg. experience16.1 years
Fully credentialed93%
First-year teachers4%
Intern / emergency permit2.8%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,420 – $122,706
Principal salary$154,576 – $170,030
Superintendent salary$440,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers175 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers53 students
Advanced Coursework

Bell's teachers are authorized to teach 24 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — well above the 14-subject median among California schools that offer AP at all — including Calculus BC, Calculus AB, and Physics 1.

AP subjects taught24
Math & Computer Science (5)Calculus AB · Calculus BC · Computer Science Principles · Precalculus · Statistics
Sciences (4)Biology · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Physics 1
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (6)Human Geography · Microeconomics · Psychology · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History · World History: Modern
World Languages & Cultures (2)Spanish Language and Culture · Spanish Literature and Culture
Arts (3)2-D Art and Design · Art History · Drawing
AP Capstone (2)Research · Seminar

Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, 2025 - 2026 audit year (authorization, not enrollment) · IB World Schools directory, name-matched · structural depth: 2020-21 federal snapshot, table 09

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $22,643, CA average $14,491$22,643 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$2,484 per student

$2,484 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$29,292 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction52%
Instruction support16%
Student services12%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other2%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$18,180 per pupil
2019$16,355 per pupil
2018$15,793 per pupil
2017$13,247 per pupil
2016$13,549 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic93.6%
District 73.2% · CA 56.1%
White5.0%
District 9.9% · CA 19.9%
Other0.8%
District 6.3% · CA 9.0%
Black0.3%
District 7.2% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.2%
District 3.4% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 91.4% (28pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$61K · CA $85K
Median home value$569K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+8% · CA 35%
ZIP population92,763
Median age33 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 31% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bell Senior High a good high school?

Bell Senior High has a Scope Score of 56 out of 100, placing it in the 77th percentile of California high schools and ranked #496 statewide. 23.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.8 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Bell Senior High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 46.0% of students at Bell Senior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 811 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Bell Senior High rank in California?

Bell Senior High ranks #496 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 77th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Bell Senior High?

29.0% of students at Bell Senior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 0.2%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Bell Senior High compare to other schools in Bell?

Bell Senior High scores 56/100 (77th percentile) among California high schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 2,088 students. Use the schools in Bell page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Bell Senior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Bell Senior High in Bell, 61.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Bell Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 20.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (61.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 53.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 370 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

What AP courses are offered at Bell Senior High?

Bell Senior High's teachers are authorized to teach 24 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: 2-D Art and Design, Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science Principles, Drawing, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Microeconomics, Physics 1, Precalculus, Psychology, Research, Seminar, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, Statistics, U.S. Government and Politics, United States History, World History: Modern. Authorization means the school may teach a course, not that a section is running this year, and it's separate from AP exam pass rates. Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, analyzed by SchoolScope.

How many students from Bell Senior High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 38 Bell Senior High graduates enrolled at University of California campuses, universitywide. That figure can't be split into a per-campus sum — students apply to several UC campuses at once, so campus-level counts don't add up to the universitywide total. UC is one destination among many: this says nothing about graduates who chose a CSU, a private college, a community college, or work, and it is a count, not a rate or a ranking. Data source: University of California Office of the President (UC Information Center), fall 2025 admissions cycle.

Your other options

All schools in Bell →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
93.3%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 57th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
23.6%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 58th pctile
College readiness · 20%
57.0%
↑ vs CA 33.9% · 63th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
46.0%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
29.0%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 51th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.2%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 65th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
31.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 75th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140836%26%21%17%62%+15
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140311%19%19%51%30%+7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114397%24%58%11%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged37061.6%+21+23
Hispanic/Latino38561.0%+20+22
Students with Disabilities5022.0%+6+5
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Bell Senior High ←—5623.6%46.0%—0.2%
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathema2.4 mi5728.6%51.8%—1.6%
South East High2.7 mi5013.4%39.7%—0.1%
Bell Gardens High2.1 mi489.8%27.0%—2.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
93.3%
AP Exam Prepared
57.0%
A-G Completion
60.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
57.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195571#59519.7%43.8%23.3%0.5%—
20225272#57818.9%39.2%38.5%0.2%—
20235374#56920.4%42.0%33.0%0.1%—
20245066#71913.9%37.4%29.5%0.2%—
20255677#49623.6%46.0%29.0%0.2%—
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female23.8%30.3%+6.5pp
Male22.6%27.6%+5.0pp
Hispanic/Latino23.2%28.5%+5.3pp
Students with Disabilities39.5%35.0%-4.5pp
English Learners44.4%37.7%-6.7pp
Foster Youth75.0%——
Homeless38.7%50.0%+11.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged23.4%28.9%+5.5pp
All Students23.2%28.9%+5.7pp
Filipino—33.3%—
Military-Connected—23.1%—
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
2025133102383.783.923.98
2024154126663.924.054.13
2023198151573.884.054.17
2022159126553.883.984.13
2021127103423.783.903.93
202013994323.753.864.00
2019184107503.773.974.03
2018224132643.703.974.05
201714987393.653.873.99
2016178117663.693.883.86
2015194115713.733.983.97
201416594603.733.953.98

‹n = UC masks counts below n · a missing year means zero or masked — never assume zero · GPA cells blank for years with more than one contributing CEEB code (a summed GPA would be fabricated math) · GPAs live here and nowhere else on this page · Applied/Admitted/Enrolled reflect who applied, not what the school taught — no admit rate is computed or implied by this table. Series shown from 2014; full record to 1994 at the UC Infocenter.

07UC admissions by campuslatest falls on file
CampusYearAppliedAdmittedEnrolled
Berkeley202555104
Berkeley202471177
Berkeley202394338
Berkeley202267236
Berkeley202144133
Davis20252914‹3
Davis20242515‹3
Davis20232916‹3
Davis20225019‹3
Davis20214018‹3
Irvine2025111257
Irvine20241304521
Irvine20231697017
Irvine20221315925
Irvine20211036321
Los Angeles202510485
Los Angeles2024117159
Los Angeles20231591912
Los Angeles2022127168
Los Angeles202194105
Merced202553503
Merced202415143
Merced20232725‹3
Merced20223130‹3
Merced20212522‹3
Riverside202565569
Riverside202471608
Riverside2023100768
Riverside202275515
Riverside202174596
San Diego202584273
San Diego2024904410
San Diego202386497
San Diego202265323
San Diego202154223
Santa Barbara202561174
Santa Barbara202468385
Santa Barbara202393435
Santa Barbara202268284
Santa Barbara20215221‹3
Santa Cruz20253118‹3
Santa Cruz20243931‹3
Santa Cruz20234925‹3
Santa Cruz20224020‹3
Santa Cruz20213018‹3
Universitywide202513310238
Universitywide202415412666
Universitywide202319815157
Universitywide202215912655
Universitywide202112710342

Σ campuses ≠ universitywide — students apply to several campuses; the Universitywide row (muted) is its own independent count, never a sum of the rows above it.

08AP course catalog2025 - 2026
SubjectTaught by
2-D Art and Designthis school
Art Historythis school
Biologythis school
Calculus ABthis school
Calculus BCthis school
Chemistrythis school
Computer Science Principlesthis school
Drawingthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
Environmental Sciencethis school
Human Geographythis school
Microeconomicsthis school
Physics 1this school
Precalculusthis school
Psychologythis school
Researchthis school
Seminarthis school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Spanish Literature and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis school
U.S. Government and Politicsthis school
United States Historythis school
World History: Modernthis school

Authorization ≠ a section running this year — the Ledger records what the school may teach, not seat counts.

09Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
MeasureThis school
AP offeredoffered
AP course count16
AP enrollment630
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentnot offered
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections2
Physics sections1
Chemistry sections19
Total enrollment (CRDC)2,384

Shown, never scored — no entry to any composite. NULL/reserve codes render "not reported," never a fabricated zero. The equity block above this table (§4) is the per-subgroup view of this same collection.

10College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California5510.9%
California State University14528.7%
California community college7013.9%
In-state private132.6%
Out-of-state, 4-year40.8%
Out-of-state, 2-year30.6%
Not enrolled21542.6%

505 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 57% · % column is computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers), not a CDE-native rate · a missing cell is CDE suppression, never a fabricated zero · source: CDE 12-mo CGR, 2023 cohort (the newest published), National Student Clearinghouse match — a different, older vintage than the fall 2025 UC admissions rows in tables 06-07 above.

EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · UC Infocenter (annual refresh, summer) — ‹5/‹3 = masked, never summed across campuses · AP Course Ledger 2025 - 2026 (November refresh; authorization not enrollment) · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

← Browse all schools