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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%86.6%
College readiness85.1%33.9%
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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

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 87%
Pass an AP exam
85%
State 34%

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 86.6%
9.0pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
38.3%
State 15.8%
22.4pp above state avg
College readiness
85.1%
State 33.9%
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
AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored
Hispanic20.1% AP · 21.3% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.2% AP · 0.3% enroll.
Asian8.9% AP · 9.2% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.1% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Black7.5% AP · 12.3% enroll.
White49.5% AP · 42.3% enroll.
Two or more races13.7% AP · 14.3% enroll.
English learners1.9% AP · 4.9% enroll.
Students with disabilities4.6% AP · 11.0% 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 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
▼
High School
Berkeley High
67/100
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, 178 of Berkeley's 774 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Santa Cruz the most common landing, with 43 enrollees.

Applied474fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted395
Enrolled178
Where they landed (fall 2025)
Santa Cruz 43Berkeley 37San Diego 19Irvine 18Los Angeles 18Santa Barbara 16Davis 11Merced 9Riverside 7

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

College destination mix, class of 2023

Class of 2023: 767 completers, 79% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 185 (24%)California State University 100 (13%)California community college 144 (19%)In-state private 30 (4%)Out-of-state, 4-year 148 (19%)Out-of-state, 2-year 2 (0%)Not enrolled 158 (21%)

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: 218 enrolled, 2024

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, 79% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year.

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 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 exam qualifiers532 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers195 students
Advanced Coursework

Berkeley'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 C: Mechanics.

AP subjects taught24
Math & Computer Science (5)Calculus AB · Calculus BC · Computer Science A · Computer Science Principles · Statistics
Sciences (6)Biology · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Physics 1 · Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism · Physics C: Mechanics
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (4)Macroeconomics · Microeconomics · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History
World Languages & Cultures (4)Chinese Language and Culture · French Language and Culture · Spanish Language and Culture · Spanish Literature and Culture
Arts (3)2-D Art and Design · Art History · Music Theory
IBDiploma Programme (DP)

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: $27,170, CA average $14,491$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.

What AP courses are offered at Berkeley High?

Berkeley 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, Chinese Language and Culture, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, French Language and Culture, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics 1, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, Statistics, U.S. Government and Politics, United States History. 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 Berkeley High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 178 Berkeley 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 Berkeley →

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 86.6% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
38.3%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 74th pctile
College readiness · 20%
85.1%
↑ vs CA 33.9% · 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 average—4415.8%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
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
20254743951783.954.024.07
20245174102183.924.014.09
20234563771913.964.034.08
20224503331544.074.144.20
20214693591693.924.024.05
20203653011453.923.994.03
20194013021533.884.004.02
20184063321563.863.953.99
20174143341333.863.953.95
20164183531723.833.923.91
20153752891123.823.943.89
20143692741193.803.923.91

‹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
Berkeley20253197337
Berkeley20243393814
Berkeley20232904217
Berkeley20222964422
Berkeley20212875428
Davis202534012211
Davis202436913019
Davis202331411011
Davis202231411921
Davis202129812822
Irvine202526313018
Irvine202426512511
Irvine202320513127
Irvine20221925510
Irvine2021197458
Los Angeles20253543318
Los Angeles20243873222
Los Angeles20233332820
Los Angeles20223384625
Los Angeles20213513222
Merced20251181139
Merced20247368‹3
Merced2023858011
Merced202279779
Merced202168615
Riverside20251211057
Riverside2024113886
Riverside202379544
Riverside202284673
Riverside20219161‹3
San Diego20253809119
San Diego202440216857
San Diego202331413942
San Diego20223176713
San Diego2021321707
Santa Barbara20253379016
Santa Barbara202438410314
Santa Barbara20233246514
Santa Barbara20223247117
Santa Barbara20213486214
Santa Cruz202536128543
Santa Cruz202438930274
Santa Cruz202332324845
Santa Cruz202235218134
Santa Cruz202135226361
Universitywide2025474395178
Universitywide2024517410218
Universitywide2023456377191
Universitywide2022450333154
Universitywide2021469359169

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
Chinese Language and Culturethis school
Computer Science Athis school
Computer Science Principlesthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
Environmental Sciencethis school
French Language and Culturethis school
Macroeconomicsthis school
Microeconomicsthis school
Music Theorythis school
Physics 1this school
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetismthis school
Physics C: Mechanicsthis school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Spanish Literature and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis school
U.S. Government and Politicsthis school
United States Historythis 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 count32
AP enrollment1,461
IB participationoffered · 671 enrolled
Dual enrollmentoffered · 97 enrolled
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections5
Physics sections34
Chemistry sections33
Total enrollment (CRDC)3,257

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 California18524.1%
California State University10013.0%
California community college14418.8%
In-state private303.9%
Out-of-state, 4-year14819.3%
Out-of-state, 2-year20.3%
Not enrolled15820.6%

767 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 79% · % 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) · IB World Schools directory (name-matched, 0.90 gate) · 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

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