Early College High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.
Early College posts 60.0% 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.
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Grad rate | College readiness | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 68 | 60% | 85% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 12.3% | 1.0% |
| CA average · High School | 44 | 16% | 36% | 86.6% | 33.9% | 30.2% | 3.6% |
Early College High scores 68 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd 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.
Most rating sites would stop at “85% proficient” and call it done. Early College deserves a closer read. The school sits in Costa Mesa, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Early College's low-income kids hit 95.7% 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
Climbed from the 84th to the 93rd percentile since 2019 — past roughly 200 high schools.
The pandemic drop is behind this school: 85% of students meet the standard today, above the 80% who did in 2019.
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 94% | 96% | 92% | 92% | 95% |
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 67% | 71% | 68% | 65% | 75% |
The story this school is actually telling
Of 100 students here: 85 are proficient by 11th grade → 100 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 6 things our score weighs
Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.
- Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
- 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 Early College High in Costa Mesa, 95.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Early College High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 47.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (65.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (94.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 19.4 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 23 students tested.
8 of 14 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.
Showing up, and staying in class
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Where graduates go
In fall 2025, 14 of Early College's 51 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Santa Cruz the most common landing, with 4 enrollees.
7 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
Class of 2023: 52 completers, 87% enrolled somewhere within a year
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.
Peak: 15 enrolled, 2024
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, 87% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (18) than at UC (10).
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
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
What gets spent here
$113 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.
The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood it serves
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
At 177 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).
On the state's science test (CAST), 75% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.
Frequently asked questions
Is Early College High a good high school?
What are Early College High's CAASPP test scores?
How does Early College High rank in California?
What is the attendance and school culture like at Early College High?
How does Early College High compare to other schools in Costa Mesa?
How does Early College High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
How many students from Early College High go to UC?
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 61
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 80
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 73
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 40 | 63% | 33% | 5% | 0% | 95% | +48 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 40 | 58% | 18% | 18% | 8% | 75% | +52 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 40 | 45% | 30% | 25% | 0% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 23 | 95.7% | +48 | +57 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18 | 94.4% | +48 | +56 |
| White | 16 | 93.8% | +19 | +32 |
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early College High ← | — | 68 | 60.0% | 85.0% | — | 1.0% |
| Fountain Valley High | 2.6 mi | 70 | 41.0% | 71.4% | — | 1.7% |
| Segerstrom High | 2.2 mi | 59 | 19.9% | 46.6% | — | 3.5% |
| Costa Mesa High | 1.3 mi | 54 | 18.2% | 42.4% | — | 3.9% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 63 | 84 | #328 | 41.2% | 80.4% | 10.2% | 1.6% | — |
| 2022 | 66 | 92 | #172 | 51.0% | 83.3% | 12.8% | 0.9% | — |
| 2023 | 64 | 91 | #196 | 50.0% | 80.2% | 12.1% | 1.8% | — |
| 2024 | 62 | 88 | #260 | 44.2% | 78.8% | 10.2% | 1.0% | — |
| 2025 | 68 | 93 | #148 | 60.0% | 85.0% | 12.3% | 1.0% | — |
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 6.1% | 8.2% | +2.1pp |
| Male | 4.2% | 1.3% | -2.9pp |
| Asian | 14.3% | 0.0% | -14.3pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.2% | 4.7% | -0.5pp |
| English Learners | 0.0% | — | — |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 4.7% | 5.2% | +0.5pp |
| All Students | 5.4% | 5.1% | -0.3pp |
| Homeless | — | 5.9% | — |
| Year | Applied | Admitted | Enrolled | GPA (applied) | GPA (admitted) | GPA (enrolled) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | 23 | 14 | 3.74 | 3.93 | 3.97 |
| 2024 | 41 | 31 | 15 | 3.88 | 3.99 | 4.12 |
| 2023 | 29 | 24 | 12 | 3.89 | 3.94 | 4.05 |
| 2022 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 3.82 | 4.01 | 4.15 |
| 2021 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 3.54 | 3.95 | 4.06 |
| 2020 | 36 | 24 | 12 | 3.63 | 3.80 | 3.98 |
| 2019 | 30 | 16 | 11 | 3.73 | 4.00 | 4.07 |
| 2018 | 36 | 26 | 13 | 3.80 | 3.93 | 4.10 |
| 2017 | 30 | 14 | 9 | 3.48 | 3.76 | 3.91 |
| 2016 | 33 | 25 | 15 | 3.65 | 3.83 | 3.81 |
| 2015 | 20 | 12 | 9 | 3.57 | 3.69 | 3.73 |
| 2014 | 38 | 28 | 15 | — | — | — |
‹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.
| Campus | Year | Applied | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 2025 | 11 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Berkeley | 2024 | 10 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Berkeley | 2023 | 14 | 3 | ‹3 |
| Berkeley | 2022 | 12 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Davis | 2025 | 13 | 7 | ‹3 |
| Davis | 2024 | 15 | 7 | ‹3 |
| Davis | 2023 | 14 | 9 | ‹3 |
| Davis | 2022 | 7 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Irvine | 2025 | 27 | 6 | 3 |
| Irvine | 2024 | 35 | 13 | 6 |
| Irvine | 2023 | 24 | 9 | 3 |
| Irvine | 2022 | 21 | 8 | 5 |
| Irvine | 2021 | 19 | 6 | ‹3 |
| Los Angeles | 2025 | 19 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Los Angeles | 2024 | 21 | 3 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | 2023 | 17 | 6 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | 2022 | 21 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Los Angeles | 2021 | 16 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2025 | 8 | 7 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2024 | 8 | 7 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2023 | 5 | 5 | ‹3 |
| Riverside | 2025 | 15 | 9 | ‹3 |
| Riverside | 2024 | 24 | 18 | ‹3 |
| Riverside | 2023 | 13 | 9 | ‹3 |
| Riverside | 2022 | 13 | 6 | ‹3 |
| Riverside | 2021 | 11 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| San Diego | 2025 | 15 | 3 | ‹3 |
| San Diego | 2024 | 12 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| San Diego | 2023 | 19 | 8 | ‹3 |
| San Diego | 2022 | 15 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| San Diego | 2021 | 12 | 3 | ‹3 |
| Santa Barbara | 2025 | 14 | 3 | ‹3 |
| Santa Barbara | 2024 | 16 | 7 | ‹3 |
| Santa Barbara | 2023 | 15 | 6 | ‹3 |
| Santa Barbara | 2022 | 11 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Santa Barbara | 2021 | 7 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Santa Cruz | 2025 | 23 | 13 | 4 |
| Santa Cruz | 2024 | 19 | 15 | 3 |
| Santa Cruz | 2023 | 15 | 14 | ‹3 |
| Santa Cruz | 2022 | 5 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Santa Cruz | 2021 | 9 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Universitywide | 2025 | 34 | 23 | 14 |
| Universitywide | 2024 | 41 | 31 | 15 |
| Universitywide | 2023 | 29 | 24 | 12 |
| Universitywide | 2022 | 26 | 14 | 7 |
| Universitywide | 2021 | 22 | 8 | 5 |
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.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| AP offered | not offered |
| AP course count | not reported |
| AP enrollment | not reported |
| IB participation | not offered |
| Dual enrollment | offered · 215 enrolled |
| Algebra I in grade 8 | not reported |
| Calculus sections | 1 |
| Physics sections | 3 |
| Chemistry sections | 2 |
| Total enrollment (CRDC) | 214 |
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.
| Destination | Completers | % (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| University of California | 10 | 19.2% |
| California State University | 11 | 21.1% |
| California community college | 18 | 34.6% |
| In-state private | 2 | 3.9% |
| Out-of-state, 4-year | 3 | 5.8% |
| Out-of-state, 2-year | 1 | 1.9% |
| Not enrolled | 7 | 13.5% |
52 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 87% · % 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.
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