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Berkeley High · Berkeley

Berkeley High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Berkeley posts 38.3% exceeding the standard — versus 15.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

1980 Allston Way, 94704 (opens in new tab)·Berkeley Unified·Berkeley·Grades 9-12·3,218 students·25% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(510) 644-6120·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6744
% Exceeded38%16%
% Met+64%36%
Grad rate95.6%87.6%
College readiness85.1%35.4%
Absence13.9%30.2%
Suspension2.6%3.6%
Scope Score
67
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #164 statewide

Berkeley High scores 67 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 92nd 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 →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

Most rating sites would stop at “64% proficient” and call it done. Berkeley deserves a closer read. It sits at the 92nd percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Berkeley's low-income kids hit 48.9% 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 held the 92nd-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 64% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1175%66%58%68%71%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1152%45%50%54%58%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
64%
State 36%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
85%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 64 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 85 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

48.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Berkeley's most underrated number

48.9% 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.

Berkeley low-income: 48.9%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
95.6%
State 87.6%
8.0pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
38.3%
State 15.8%
22.4pp above state avg
College readiness
85.1%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
64.2%
State 35.7%
28.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.9%
State 30.2%
16.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.6%
State 3.6%
1.0pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.2%
State 18.0%
3.8pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • 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 Berkeley High in Berkeley, 48.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Berkeley High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.6% Math proficient); White students (84.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 70.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 177 students tested.

All students at this school: 64% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 64%, district —, state 36%64%
FemaleFemale: this school 67%, district 70%, state 44%67% · +3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 61%, district 68%, state 42%61% · −3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 80%, district 83%, state 56%80% · +16 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 40%, district 45%, state 32%40% · −24 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 50%, district 54%, state 32%50% · −14 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 67%, district 80%, state 56%67% · +3 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 19%, district 25%, state 26%19% · −46 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 17%, district 26%, state 15%17% · −48 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 65%, district 74%, state 72%65% · +0 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 8%, district 16%, state 11%8% · −56 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 36%, district 22%, state 22%36% · −28 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 13.9%, district 16.0%, state 30.2%13.9% · −16.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.6%, district —, state 3.6%2.6% · −1.0pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1213.5%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 18:1, district 19:118:1
Teaching staff188 teachers
Avg. experience12.4 years
Fully credentialed82%
First-year teachers2%
Intern / emergency permit0.4%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,370 – $119,053
Principal salary$151,577 – $196,464
Superintendent salary$302,736

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered113
AP exam qualifiers532 students
CTE pathway completers195 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $27,170, CA average $14,815$27,170 · spent at this school
Federal share$138 per student

$138 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$26,397 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
Instruction61%
Instruction support12%
Student services9%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance10%

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$18,919 per pupil
2019$16,909 per pupil
2018$17,280 per pupil
2017$15,081 per pupil
2016$15,042 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White41.8%
District 40.9% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic22.8%
District 22.4% · CA 56.1%
Other16.4%
District 17.2% · CA 9.0%
Black11.3%
District 11.3% · CA 4.8%
Asian7.7%
District 8.3% · CA 10.2%
GenderFemale 49.0%Male 50.5%Non-binary 0.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 24.8% (39pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$50K · CA $85K
Median home value$906K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+72% · CA 35%
ZIP population23,788
Median age22 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 3,218 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).

Frequently asked questions

Is Berkeley High a good high school?

Berkeley High has a Scope Score of 67 out of 100, placing it in the 92nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #164 statewide. 38.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 22.4 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 Berkeley High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 64.2% of students at Berkeley High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 38.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 38.3% 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. 1,439 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Berkeley High rank in California?

Berkeley High ranks #164 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 92nd 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 Berkeley High?

13.9% of students at Berkeley 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 2.6%. 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 Berkeley High compare to other schools in Berkeley?

Berkeley High scores 67/100 (92nd 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 3,218 students. Use the schools in Berkeley page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Berkeley High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Berkeley High in Berkeley, 48.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Berkeley High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.6% Math proficient); White students (84.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 70.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 177 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.

Your other options

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%
95.6%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
38.3%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 74th pctile
College readiness · 20%
85.1%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 79th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
64.2%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 70th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.9%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.6%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.2%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 47th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1173141%30%17%13%71%+24
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1170835%22%19%23%58%+34
Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged17748.9%+1+11
White33384.0%−2+22
Hispanic/Latino16662.2%+5+23
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Berkeley High ←6738.3%64.2%2.6%
Albany High2.2 mi7955.8%78.0%0.9%
Oakland Technical High2.7 mi5426.0%48.9%4.7%
El Cerrito High2.9 mi5318.9%37.3%3.0%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.6%
AP Exam Prepared
85.1%
A-G Completion
69.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
79.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197294#12140.7%63.7%10.7%2.0%
20226692#16233.4%55.5%11.8%3.0%
20236591#19130.7%53.9%11.1%2.5%
20246793#15033.4%60.9%8.7%2.3%
20256792#16438.3%64.2%13.9%2.6%
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
Female9.7%14.7%+5.0pp
Male10.6%12.5%+1.9pp
Asian7.4%9.6%+2.2pp
Black/African American20.1%21.8%+1.7pp
White3.8%12.5%+8.7pp
Hispanic/Latino11.6%15.4%+3.8pp
Two or More Races8.4%11.2%+2.8pp
Students with Disabilities25.7%21.4%-4.3pp
English Learners13.9%22.6%+8.7pp
Foster Youth45.5%33.3%-12.2pp
Homeless28.3%41.8%+13.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged16.6%20.2%+3.6pp
All Students10.1%13.5%+3.4pp
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 · 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