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Early College High · Costa Mesa

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.

2990 Mesa Verde Drive, 92626 (opens in new tab)·Newport-Mesa Unified·Costa Mesa·Grades 9-12·177 students·65% low-income·Magnet·2024–25 CAASPP·(714) 424-7990·Website
Magnet program — specialized public school with themed curriculum. Enrollment via district lottery, not neighborhood-based.
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6844
% Exceeded60%16%
% Met+85%36%
Grad rate100.0%87.6%
College readiness0.0%35.4%
Absence12.3%30.2%
Suspension1.0%3.6%
Scope Score
68
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #148 statewide · #1 of 7 in Newport-Mesa Unified

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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

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

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Climbed from the 84th to the 93rd percentile since 2019 — past roughly 200 high schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 85% of students meet the standard today, above the 80% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1194%96%92%92%95%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1167%71%68%65%75%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
85%
State 36%
Graduate
100%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 35%

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

Graduation rate
100.0%
State 87.6%
12.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
60.0%
State 15.8%
44.2pp above state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
85.0%
State 35.7%
49.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.3%
State 30.2%
17.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 3.6%
2.6pp below 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 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.

All students at this school: 85% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 85%, district —, state 36%85%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 80%, district 41%, state 32%80% · −5 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 82%, district 56%, state 44%82% · −3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 75%, district 39%, state 32%75% · −10 vs school
MaleMale: this school 88%, district 56%, state 42%88% · +3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 94%, district 70%, state 56%94% · +9 vs school

8 of 14 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 12.3%, district 16.1%, state 30.2%12.3% · −17.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.0%, district —, state 3.6%1.0% · −2.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–125.1%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Early College HighMagnet
68/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 16:1, district 20:116:1
Teaching staff19 teachers
Avg. experience10.4 years
Fully credentialed99%
First-year teachers5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$66,494 – $159,400
Principal salary$183,874 – $216,170
Superintendent salary$418,747

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered0
CTE pathway completers1 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $30,412, CA average $14,815$30,412 · spent at this school
Federal share$113 per student

$113 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$28,980 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 support15%
Student services7%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance12%
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$17,937 per pupil
2019$15,765 per pupil
2018$15,125 per pupil
2017$14,459 per pupil
2016$13,433 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic60.5%
District 46.5% · CA 56.1%
White27.1%
District 38.6% · CA 19.9%
Asian7.3%
District 5.4% · CA 10.2%
Other4.5%
District 8.8% · CA 9.0%
Black0.6%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 54.8%Male 44.1%Non-binary 1.1%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 65.0% (1pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$114K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.11M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+47% · CA 35%
ZIP population50,708
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

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?

Early College High has a Scope Score of 68 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California high schools and ranked #148 statewide. 60.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 44.2 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 Early College High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 85.0% of students at Early College High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 60.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 60.0% 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. 80 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Early College High rank in California?

Early College High ranks #148 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 Early College High?

12.3% of students at Early College 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 1.0%, 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 Early College High compare to other schools in Costa Mesa?

Early College High scores 68/100 (93rd 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 177 students. Use the schools in Costa Mesa page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Early College High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

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. 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

All schools in Costa Mesa →

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%
100.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 65th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
60.0%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 97th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
85.0%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 85th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.3%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 62th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114063%33%5%0%95%+48
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114058%18%18%8%75%+52
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114045%30%25%0%

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 Disadvantaged2395.7%+48+57
Hispanic/Latino1894.4%+48+56
White1693.8%+19+32
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Early College High ←—6860.0%85.0%—1.0%
Fountain Valley High2.6 mi7041.0%71.4%—1.7%
Segerstrom High2.2 mi5919.9%46.6%—3.5%
Costa Mesa High1.3 mi5418.2%42.4%—3.9%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
100.0%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
82.4%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
86.5%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196384#32841.2%80.4%10.2%1.6%—
20226692#17251.0%83.3%12.8%0.9%—
20236491#19650.0%80.2%12.1%1.8%—
20246288#26044.2%78.8%10.2%1.0%—
20256893#14860.0%85.0%12.3%1.0%—
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
Female6.1%8.2%+2.1pp
Male4.2%1.3%-2.9pp
Asian14.3%0.0%-14.3pp
Hispanic/Latino5.2%4.7%-0.5pp
English Learners0.0%——
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged4.7%5.2%+0.5pp
All Students5.4%5.1%-0.3pp
Homeless—5.9%—
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

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