Costa Mesa High
High SchoolSchool overview
College & career readiness
Data source: California Department of Education — ACGR, CCI, CGR reports
Dashboard indicators
Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024
Student demographics
Performance breakdown
| Category | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Exceeded Standard | 18.2% |
| Met Standard | 24.2% |
| Below Standard | 57.6% |
What other rankings don't show you
Most rating sites report "42% proficient" for Costa Mesa High and stop there. Here's what that number hides:
18.2% of students exceeded standard while 24.2% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 2.7 points above the state average of 15.5%. That's 11.4 points below the Newport-Mesa Unified district average of 29.6%. Nearby schools (within ~3 miles) average 19.3% exceeded — about the same. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.
The graduation rate is 94.0% — above the state target. 50.5% of students complete A-G requirements for UC/CSU eligibility — a strong college readiness signal. 82.5% of graduates go on to college within a year.
Chronic absenteeism is 19.7%, better than the state average of 34.0%.
Key metrics
ELA scores by grade
| Grade | Tested | Exceeded | Met | Met+Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | 281 | 13.9% | 28.5% | 42.4% |
| 8th | 279 | 15.4% | 34.8% | 50.2% |
| 11th | 247 | 27.1% | 31.2% | 58.3% |
Math scores by grade
| Grade | Tested | Exceeded | Met | Met+Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | 282 | 15.6% | 11.7% | 27.3% |
| 8th | 282 | 20.6% | 13.5% | 34.0% |
| 11th | 250 | 9.2% | 17.2% | 26.4% |
Estimated K-12 PathEstimate
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Nearby schools
Nearby High Schools
7 within ~3 mi · avg 57.2
Nearby Elementary Schools
19 within ~3 mi · avg 48.4
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 56.1
Data source: California Department of Education (2025 test year) · How we score