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Chico High · Chico

Chico High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Chico posts 57% meeting the standard, and 30.8% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

901 Esplanade, 95926 (opens in new tab)·Chico Unified·Chico·Grades 9-12·1,804 students·57% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 891-3026
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5944
% Exceeded31%16%
% Met+57%36%
Grad rate92.5%86.6%
College readiness69.4%33.9%
Absence20.6%30.2%
Suspension5.0%3.6%
Scope Score
59
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #382 statewide · #3 of 7 in Chico Unified

Chico High scores 59 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 82nd 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “57% proficient” and call it done. Chico deserves a closer read. The school sits in Chico, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Chico's low-income kids hit 69.5% 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 82nd-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 57% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1174%76%71%67%75%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1141%40%36%31%40%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
57%
State 36%
Graduate
93%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
69%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 57 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 69 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

69.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Chico's most underrated number

69.5% 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.

Chico low-income: 69.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
92.5%
State 86.6%
5.9pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
30.8%
State 15.8%
14.9pp above state avg
College readiness
69.4%
State 33.9%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
57.4%
State 35.7%
21.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.6%
State 30.2%
9.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.0%
State 3.6%
1.3pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.0%
State 18.0%
4.0pp below 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 Chico High in Chico, 69.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chico High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 27.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.6% Math proficient); White students (84.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 74.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 236 students tested.

All students at this school: 57% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 57%, district —, state 36%57%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 50%, district 36%, state 32%50% · −8 vs school
MaleMale: this school 56%, district 47%, state 42%56% · −2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 69%, district 57%, state 56%69% · +11 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 59%, district 47%, state 44%59% · +1 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 46%, district 32%, state 32%46% · −12 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 13%, district 17%, state 15%13% · −44 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 47%, district 49%, state 56%47% · −10 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 29%, district 21%, state 22%29% · −29 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 0%, district 8%, state 11%0% · −57 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 47%, district 50%, state 72%47% · −11 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 32%, district 21%, state 26%32% · −26 vs school
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: 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
Hispanic14.6% AP · 28.0% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 1.1% enroll.
Asian9.8% AP · 5.0% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0% AP · 0.3% enroll.
Black0.0% AP · 2.7% enroll.
White68.3% AP · 56.4% enroll.
Two or more races7.3% AP · 6.4% enroll.
English learners0.0% AP · 2.4% enroll.
Students with disabilities0.0% AP · 13.3% 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 20.6%, district 20.8%, state 30.2%20.6% · −9.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.0%, district —, state 3.6%5.0% · +1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1220.2%

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.

Where graduates go

Context — never part of the Scope Score
82%
College-going rate, class of 2023

Where they went after graduation

Of Chico's class of 2023, 82% enrolled in college somewhere within a year — a CSU, a community college, a UC, or out of state.

College destination mix, class of 2023

Class of 2023: 402 completers, 82% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 18 (4%)California State University 48 (12%)California community college 220 (55%)In-state private 7 (2%)Out-of-state, 4-year 33 (8%)Out-of-state, 2-year 4 (1%)Not enrolled 72 (18%)

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 application funnel — one destination of six, tracked in detail because UC is the only source with 30 years of history

In fall 2025, 25 of Chico's 417 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Santa Cruz the most common landing, with 9 enrollees.

Applied73fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted57
Enrolled25
Where they landed (fall 2025)

6 of 9 campuses are masked below UC's privacy floor — a protection, not a verdict.

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

UC enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025

UC publishes this trend back to 1994 — no other destination has a comparable multi-year record

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, 82% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (220) than at UC (18).

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 23:1, district 21:123:1
Teaching staff83 teachers
Avg. experience15.5 years
Fully credentialed93%
First-year teachers2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,997 – $121,381
Principal salary$136,971 – $157,138
Superintendent salary$293,354

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers184 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers93 students
Advanced Coursework

Chico's teachers are authorized to teach 14 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — including Calculus AB, Physics 1, and Statistics.

AP subjects taught14
Math & Computer Science (2)Calculus AB · Statistics
Sciences (3)Biology · Environmental Science · Physics 1
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (5)European History · Macroeconomics · Microeconomics · Psychology · United States History
World Languages & Cultures (1)Spanish Language and Culture
Arts (1)2-D Art and Design

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

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $13,130, CA average $14,491$13,130 · 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$353 per student

$353 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,653 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
Instruction62%
Instruction support9%
Student services13%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%

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$13,999 per pupil
2019$12,801 per pupil
2018$13,350 per pupil
2017$10,215 per pupil
2016$10,157 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Context — never part of the Scope Score
White49.0%
District 52.3% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic33.0%
District 28.8% · CA 56.1%
Other10.9%
District 12.4% · CA 9.0%
Asian4.7%
District 4.3% · CA 10.2%
Black2.5%
District 2.2% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 56.8% (7pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$62K · CA $85K
Median home value$474K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+46% · CA 35%
ZIP population40,567
Median age27 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 48% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chico High a good high school?

Chico High has a Scope Score of 59 out of 100, placing it in the 82nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #382 statewide. 30.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.9 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 Chico High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 57.4% of students at Chico High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 30.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 30.8% 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. 823 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Chico High rank in California?

Chico High ranks #382 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 82nd 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 Chico High?

20.6% of students at Chico 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 5.0%. 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 Chico High compare to other schools in Chico?

Chico High scores 59/100 (82nd 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 1,804 students. Use the schools in Chico page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Chico High in Chico, 69.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chico High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 27.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.6% Math proficient); White students (84.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 74.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 236 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 Chico High?

Chico High's teachers are authorized to teach 14 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: 2-D Art and Design, Biology, Calculus AB, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics 1, Psychology, Spanish Language and Culture, Statistics, 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 Chico High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 25 Chico 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

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%
92.5%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 56th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
30.8%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 66th pctile
College readiness · 20%
69.4%
↑ vs CA 33.9% · 70th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
57.4%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 65th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.6%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 58th pctile
▲ 2.9pp higher vs 2024
Suspension rate · 5%
5.0%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 44th pctile
▲ 1.4pp higher vs 2024
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1141443%31%13%12%75%+28
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140918%22%23%37%40%+16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1141516%33%44%8%

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 Disadvantaged23669.5%+27+31
White20784.1%+20+22
Hispanic/Latino13265.9%+27+27
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Chico High ←5930.8%57.4%5.0%
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences0.2 mi6028.5%57.6%2.0%
Pleasant Valley High2.3 mi5931.9%59.7%2.4%
Fair View High (Continuation)1.7 mi140.0%1.6%16.8%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
92.5%
AP Exam Prepared
69.4%
A-G Completion
45.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
82.1%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196183#35725.8%57.7%10.8%4.5%
20226086#30231.5%58.4%27.6%6.8%
20235882#39526.0%53.4%21.8%5.8%
20245781#40724.4%49.1%17.7%3.5%
20255982#38230.8%57.4%20.6%5.0%
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
Female11.0%21.1%+10.1pp
Male9.4%19.4%+10.0pp
Asian8.0%10.7%+2.7pp
Black/African American19.3%29.8%+10.5pp
Filipino8.3%15.6%+7.3pp
Hispanic/Latino10.1%25.3%+15.2pp
American Indian/Alaska Native20.8%22.2%+1.4pp
Two or More Races12.7%25.4%+12.7pp
Students with Disabilities16.6%31.0%+14.4pp
English Learners17.2%29.5%+12.3pp
Foster Youth14.3%66.7%+52.4pp
Homeless19.9%48.2%+28.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged13.9%27.6%+13.7pp
All Students10.2%20.2%+10.0pp
Pacific Islander25.0%
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
20257357253.974.084.08
20246846244.054.174.17
20237547183.954.084.10
20226335154.064.164.24
20214432144.054.124.18
20204839194.144.184.15
20196240163.924.084.17
20187138233.944.174.20
20175531163.964.134.03
20165442254.064.154.21
20156135203.914.164.18
20144227153.894.064.18

‹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
Berkeley20254344
Berkeley20244096
Berkeley20233674
Berkeley2022383‹3
Berkeley202122‹3‹3
Davis202544257
Davis202454255
Davis202345194
Davis202237143
Davis202127154
Irvine202529‹3‹3
Irvine2024215‹3
Irvine2023305‹3
Irvine2022235‹3
Irvine202114‹3‹3
Los Angeles2025363‹3
Los Angeles20243243
Los Angeles202332‹3‹3
Los Angeles2022333‹3
Los Angeles202125‹3‹3
Merced20251212‹3
Merced202366‹3
Merced20221010‹3
Riverside20251311‹3
Riverside202383‹3
Riverside202299‹3
San Diego2025288‹3
San Diego2024388‹3
San Diego2023357‹3
San Diego2022344‹3
San Diego202129‹3‹3
Santa Barbara20254214‹3
Santa Barbara20243818‹3
Santa Barbara20234613‹3
Santa Barbara202240145
Santa Barbara202133139
Santa Cruz202538319
Santa Cruz202438306
Santa Cruz202338307
Santa Cruz202238154
Santa Cruz20212520‹3
Universitywide2025735725
Universitywide2024684624
Universitywide2023754718
Universitywide2022633515
Universitywide2021443214

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
Biologythis school
Calculus ABthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
Environmental Sciencethis school
European Historythis school
Macroeconomicsthis school
Microeconomicsthis school
Physics 1this school
Psychologythis school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis 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 count4
AP enrollment41
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentnot offered
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections2
Physics sections4
Chemistry sections18
Total enrollment (CRDC)1,774

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 California184.5%
California State University4811.9%
California community college22054.7%
In-state private71.7%
Out-of-state, 4-year338.2%
Out-of-state, 2-year41.0%
Not enrolled7217.9%

402 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 82% · % 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