A high-ceiling school — students here are pushed to exceed, not just meet, the standard.
Composite scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data from the California Dept. of Education (CAASPP, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates). They are not official CDE ratings and should not be the sole basis for school decisions. See methodology.
School 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 | 62.9% |
| Met Standard | 19.5% |
| Below Standard | 17.6% |
What other rankings don't show you
Most rating sites report "82% proficient" for Henry M. Gunn High and stop there. Here's what that number hides:
62.9% of students exceeded standard while 19.5% met it. That exceeded rate is 47.4 points above the state average of 15.5%. That's 3.6 points above the Palo Alto Unified district average of 59.3%. Compared to the 3 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 9.3 points higher (vs 53.5% average). The gap between "met" and "exceeded" can reveal how much a school's curriculum challenges students beyond proficiency.
The graduation rate is 97.2% — above the state target. 91.4% of students complete A-G requirements for UC/CSU eligibility — a strong college readiness signal. 87.0% of graduates go on to college within a year.
Chronic absenteeism is 13.2%, better than the state average of 34.0%.
Key metrics
ELA scores by grade
| Grade | Tested | Exceeded | Met | Met+Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | 377 | 62.9% | 21.5% | 84.3% |
Math scores by grade
| Grade | Tested | Exceeded | Met | Met+Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | 382 | 62.8% | 17.5% | 80.4% |
K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data
Feeder patterns derived from 2015-16 NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries may have changed. Contact your school district for current information.
Nearby schools
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 77.0
Nearby Elementary Schools
18 within ~3 mi · avg 69.1
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 71.4
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~2 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Data source: California Department of Education (2025 test year) · How we score · Explore all schools · Blog