ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Canyon Crest Academy · San Diego

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

Canyon Crest Academy posts 69.1% 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.

2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope8444
% Exceeded69%16%
% Met+90%36%
Grad rate99.8%87.6%
College readiness83.7%35.4%
Absence6.1%30.2%
Suspension0.5%3.6%
Scope Score
84
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #10 statewide · #1 of 5 in San Dieguito Union High

Canyon Crest Academy scores 84 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 99th 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 →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “90% proficient” and call it done. Canyon Crest Academy deserves a closer read. It sits at the 99th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Canyon Crest Academy's low-income kids hit 85.3% 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 99th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 90% of students meet the standard today, above the 84% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1188%89%93%92%93%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1180%80%85%83%86%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
90%
State 36%
Graduate
100%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
84%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 90 are proficient by 11th grade → 100 graduate → 84 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

85.3%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Canyon Crest Academy's most underrated number

85.3% 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.

Canyon Crest Academy low-income: 85.3%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
99.8%
State 87.6%
12.2pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
69.1%
State 15.8%
53.3pp above state avg
College readiness
83.7%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
89.6%
State 35.7%
53.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
6.1%
State 30.2%
24.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 3.6%
3.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
41.7%
State 18.0%
23.7pp above 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 Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, 85.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 61.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Canyon Crest Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 23.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (77.0% Math proficient); Asian students (98.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.3 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 75 students tested.

All students at this school: 90% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 90%, district —, state 36%90%
MaleMale: this school 89%, district 73%, state 42%89% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 90%, district 76%, state 44%90% · +1 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 97%, district 91%, state 72%97% · +8 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 84%, district 73%, state 56%84% · −6 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 81%, district 54%, state 32%81% · −8 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 75%, district 54%, state 32%75% · −14 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 95%, district 82%, state 56%95% · +6 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 48%, district 30%, state 15%48% · −41 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 89%, district 68%, state 46%89% · −1 vs school

5 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 6.1%, district 22.7%, state 30.2%6.1% · −24.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.5%, district —, state 3.6%0.5% · −3.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–125.4%

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 26:1, district 24:126:1
Teaching staff91 teachers
Avg. experience13.0 years
Fully credentialed94%
First-year teachers4%
Intern / emergency permit1.8%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$70,862 – $145,072
Principal salary$0 – $199,179
Superintendent salary$358,750

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered76
AP exam qualifiers441 students
CTE pathway completers268 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,740, CA average $14,815$16,740 · spent at this school
Federal share$224 per student

$224 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,948 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
Instruction56%
Instruction support11%
Student services12%
Administration8%
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$12,624 per pupil
2019$11,728 per pupil
2018$11,865 per pupil
2017$11,201 per pupil
2016$11,107 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian44.9%
District 18.7% · CA 10.2%
White34.6%
District 52.8% · CA 19.9%
Other11.5%
District 10.6% · CA 9.0%
Hispanic8.6%
District 17.2% · CA 56.1%
Black0.5%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 11.4% (52pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$206K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.75M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+82% · CA 35%
ZIP population60,768
Median age40 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 78% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Canyon Crest Academy a good high school?

Canyon Crest Academy has a Scope Score of 84 out of 100, placing it in the 99th percentile of California high schools and ranked #10 statewide. 69.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 53.3 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 Canyon Crest Academy's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 89.6% of students at Canyon Crest Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 69.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 69.1% 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. 1,120 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Canyon Crest Academy rank in California?

Canyon Crest Academy ranks #10 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 99th 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 Canyon Crest Academy?

6.1% of students at Canyon Crest Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 Canyon Crest Academy compare to other schools in San Diego?

Canyon Crest Academy scores 84/100 (99th 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 2,147 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Canyon Crest Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, 85.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 61.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Canyon Crest Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 23.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (77.0% Math proficient); Asian students (98.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.3 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 75 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%
99.8%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 65th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
69.1%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 100th pctile
College readiness · 20%
83.7%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 78th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
89.6%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 89th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
6.1%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 70th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 64th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
41.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 92th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1156172%21%5%2%93%+46
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1155966%20%7%7%86%+63
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1156046%33%19%3%

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 Disadvantaged7585.3%+23+47
Asian24698.0%+6+24
White21187.7%+8+26
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Canyon Crest Academy ←8469.1%89.6%0.5%
Torrey Pines High2.1 mi7142.2%67.8%1.7%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
99.8%
AP Exam Prepared
83.7%
A-G Completion
87.8%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
86.2%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20198599#2162.1%84.1%4.9%0.6%
20228399#2262.9%84.2%13.3%0.4%
20238399#1669.8%88.9%8.3%0.7%
20248399#1565.4%87.2%6.1%0.7%
20258499#1069.1%89.6%6.1%0.5%
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
Female5.3%4.9%-0.4pp
Male3.6%5.6%+2.0pp
Asian2.9%3.4%+0.5pp
Black/African American11.1%0.0%-11.1pp
White6.5%11.5%+5.0pp
Hispanic/Latino4.1%7.6%+3.5pp
Two or More Races4.0%5.1%+1.1pp
Students with Disabilities10.5%10.3%-0.2pp
English Learners10.8%11.8%+1.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.3%9.3%+2.0pp
All Students4.4%5.4%+1.0pp
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