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School Profile · Ceres

Ceres High: Low-income kids here outscore the state by 20 points. But suspensions run the state rate.

Ceres posts numbers for its most vulnerable students that most schools don't reach overall. The trend line is the part worth a closer look.

2320 Central Avenue, 95307·Ceres Unified·Ceres·Grades 9-12·1,660 students·87% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 556-1920
Scope Score
53
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #688 statewide · #3 of 5 in Ceres Unified

Ceres High scores 53 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 60th percentile of 1,739 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

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

Most rating sites would stop at “41% proficient” and call it done. Ceres deserves a closer read. The school sits in Ceres, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 58.2% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

The story this school is actually telling

The equalizer · low-income proficiency
58.2%

of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

↑ the number zip-code rankings hide
The catch · suspensions
10.1%

of students were suspended, versus 4.0% statewide — worth asking about on a tour.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you
Proficient by 11th grade
41%
State 35%
Graduate
94%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
52%
State 36%

Of 100 students here: 41 are proficient by 11th grade → 94 graduate → 52 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

58.2%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Ceres's most underrated number

58.2% 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.

Ceres low-income: 58.2%State low-income: 38.2%Ceres EL: 11.8%State EL: 10.4%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
94.2%
State 87.6%
6.6pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
15.7%
State 15.5%
0.2pp above state avg
College readiness
52.1%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
40.7%
State 34.6%
6.1pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.2%
State 32.1%
16.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
10.1%
State 4.0%
6.0pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.9%
State 17.7%
0.2pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask about the discipline philosophy and what a typical suspension is for. Numbers can't tell you whether a campus feels strict or chaotic — a visit can.

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.

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic80.9%
White11.2%
Asian4.6%
Black1.4%
Other1.9%
GenderFemale 48.4%Male 51.6%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,660
Near CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
87%
23pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$19,273
District avg: $14,347 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
17.9% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$69,779 – $139,451
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Ceres High in Ceres, 58.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ceres High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 21.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (59.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 323 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+12.4pp
27.6% vs 15.2% overall · n=58
Suspension · Black+26.9pp
37.0% vs 10.1% overall · n=27
ELA · English Learner−48.4pp
11.8% vs 60.1% overall · n=51
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−24.0pp
0.0% vs 24.0% overall · n=51
Math · Disabilities−21.3pp
0.0% vs 21.3% overall · n=24
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−7.4pp
0.0% vs 7.4% overall · n=24

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income323 tested
ELA 58.2%·Math 19.9%· +21.3pp vs district
Hispanic302 tested
ELA 59.6%·Math 19.9%· +22.3pp vs district
English Learner54 tested
ELA 11.8%·Math 9.3%· +0.7pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 55%Support 42%Other 4%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$81K
$4K below CA median
Median Home Value
$430K
$230K below CA median
Bachelor's+
13%
22pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
14.5 years avg experience
77 teachers · 3% first-year · 3% second-year
Teacher Credentials
83% fully credentialed
1.9% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
25 AP courses
110 students qualified via AP exam

Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
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%
94.2%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 58th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
15.7%
↑ vs CA 15.5% · 50th pctile
College readiness · 20%
52.1%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 60th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
40.7%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 54th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.2%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
10.1%
↓ vs CA 4.0% · 23th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.9%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 50th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1136624%36%21%19%60%+13
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 113667%14%30%49%21%−2
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113766%28%59%6%

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 Disadvantaged32358.2%+21+20
Hispanic/Latino30259.6%+22+21
English Learners5111.8%+1+1
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Ceres High ←5315.7%40.7%10.1%
Whitmore Charter High1.5 mi587.7%36.5%3.9%
Central Valley High1.1 mi5612.8%39.7%8.3%
Argus High (Continuation)0.6 mi200.0%0.9%3.1%
California average4715.5%34.6%4.0%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
94.2%
AP Exam Prepared
52.1%
A-G Completion
51.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
67.8%
Scope Score history
56%53%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #768 → #901 → #801 → #792 → #688
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Ceres High a good high school?
Ceres High has a Scope Score of 53 out of 100, placing it in the 60th percentile of California high schools and ranked #688 statewide. 15.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 15.5%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Ceres High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 40.7% of students at Ceres High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 15.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 15.7% 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. 732 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Ceres High rank in California?
Ceres High ranks #688 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 60th 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 Ceres High?
15.2% of students at Ceres High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 10.1%. 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 Ceres High compare to other schools in Ceres?
Ceres High scores 53/100 (60th 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 1,660 students. Use the schools in Ceres page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Ceres High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Ceres High in Ceres, 58.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ceres High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 21.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (59.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 323 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.