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John Muir High · PasadenaPublic

John Muir High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

John Muir posts 30% meeting the standard and 12.2% exceeding it, against 43% and 19.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1905 North Lincoln Avenue, 91103 (opens in new tab)·Pasadena Unified·Pasadena·Grades 9-12·1,206 students·76% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(626) 396-5600·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5054
% Exceeded12%20%
% Met+30%43%
Grad rate95.5%92.5%
College readiness27.6%43.0%
Absence21.0%23.1%
Suspension2.0%3.3%
Scope Score
50
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #981 statewide · #4 of 6 in Pasadena Unified

John Muir High scores 50 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 55th percentile of 1,647 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 “30% proficient” and call it done. John Muir deserves a closer read. The school sits in Pasadena, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 35.7% of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 1,647 high schools statewide

Climbed from the 38th to the 55th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 300 high schools.

ELAYellow(Increased Significantly)MathRed(Maintained)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 30% of students meet the standard today, above the 25% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1135%47%40%39%43%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1115%13%14%13%18%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
30%
State 43%
Graduate
96%
State 92%
Pass an AP exam
28%
State 43%

Of 100 students here: 30 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 28 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
95.5%
State 92.5%
3.0pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.2%
State 19.8%
7.6pp below state avg
College readiness
27.6%
State 43.0%
AP course or exam readiness below state avg
Met or exceeded
30.4%
State 43.2%
12.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
21.0%
State 23.1%
2.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.0%
State 3.3%
1.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
35.7%
State 18.0%
17.7pp above 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 John Muir High in Pasadena, 36.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. John Muir High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (38.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 203 students tested.

All students at this school: 30% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 30%, district —, state 43%30%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 25%, district 29%, state 32%25% · −5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 27%, district 30%, state 32%27% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 42%, state 44%30% · +0 vs school
MaleMale: this school 30%, district 42%, state 42%30% · −1 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 19%, district 20%, state 26%19% · −11 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 9%, district 15%, state 15%9% · −21 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 67%, district 67%, state 56%67% · +36 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 47%, district 67%, state 56%47% · +17 vs school

6 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored
Hispanic61.6% AP · 67.5% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 0.1% enroll.
Asian1.8% AP · 1.2% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Black31.1% AP · 24.4% enroll.
White3.7% AP · 4.5% enroll.
Two or more races1.8% AP · 2.1% enroll.
English learners0.0% AP · 8.6% enroll.
Students with disabilities5.5% AP · 16.0% 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 21.0%, district 24.9%, state 23.1%21.0% · −2.0pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.0%, district —, state 3.3%2.0% · −1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1220.4%

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
75%
College-going rate, class of 2023

Where they went after graduation

Of John Muir's class of 2023, 75% 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: 159 completers, 75% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 11 (7%)California State University 16 (10%)California community college 74 (47%)In-state private 3 (2%)Out-of-state, 4-year 15 (9%)Out-of-state, 2-year 0 (0%)Not enrolled 40 (25%)

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, 17 of John Muir's 254 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Los Angeles the most common landing, with 5 enrollees.

Applied62fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted49
Enrolled17
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

Peak: 24 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, 75% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (74) than at UC (11).

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 22:1, district 22:122:1
PrincipalLawton Gray
Teaching staff59 teachers
Avg. experience10.3 years
Fully credentialed80%
First-year teachers12%
Intern / emergency permit4.4%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$57,464 – $127,842
Principal salary$163,032 – $186,960
Superintendent salary$346,782

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers54 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers147 students
Advanced Coursework

John Muir's teachers are authorized to teach 11 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — including Calculus AB, Biology, and Environmental Science.

AP subjects taught11
Math & Computer Science (1)Calculus AB
Sciences (2)Biology · Environmental Science
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (2)United States History · World History: Modern
World Languages & Cultures (1)Spanish Language and Culture
Arts (3)2-D Art and Design · 3-D Art and Design · Drawing

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: $25,002, CA average $14,491$25,002 · 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$560 per student

$560 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$30,937 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
Instruction45%
Instruction support14%
Student services9%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance25%

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$15,197 per pupil
2019$14,653 per pupil
2018$14,190 per pupil
2017$12,727 per pupil
2016$12,589 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Hispanic64.2%
District 56.0% · CA 56.1%
Black20.1%
District 9.9% · CA 4.8%
White9.0%
District 18.5% · CA 19.9%
Other5.5%
District 9.5% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.2%
District 6.0% · CA 10.2%
GenderFemale 46.9%Male 52.4%Non-binary 0.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.2% (12pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$94K · CA $85K
Median home value$983K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+39% · CA 35%
ZIP population25,142
Median age40 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 17% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is John Muir High a good high school?

John Muir High has a Scope Score of 50 out of 100, placing it in the 55th percentile of California high schools and ranked #981 statewide. 12.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.6 percentage points below the California average of 19.8%. 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 John Muir High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 30.4% of students at John Muir High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.2% 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. 524 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does John Muir High rank in California?

John Muir High ranks #981 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 55th 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 John Muir High?

21.0% of students at John Muir High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 23.1%. The suspension rate is 2.0%, 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 John Muir High compare to other schools in Pasadena?

John Muir High scores 50/100 (55th 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 1,206 students. Use the schools in Pasadena page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does John Muir High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At John Muir High in Pasadena, 36.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. John Muir High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (38.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 203 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 John Muir High?

John Muir High's teachers are authorized to teach 11 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, Biology, Calculus AB, Drawing, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Spanish Language and Culture, United States History, World History: Modern. 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 John Muir High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 17 John Muir 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 nearest schools.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
95.5%
↑ vs CA 92.5% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.2%
↓ vs CA 19.8% · 46th pctile
College readiness · 20%
27.6%
↓ vs CA 43.0% · 46th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
30.4%
↓ vs CA 43.2% · 46th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.0%
↑ vs CA 23.1% · 58th pctile
▲ 1.9pp higher vs 2024
Suspension rate · 5%
2.0%
↑ vs CA 3.3% · 57th pctile
▼ 1.0pp lower vs 2024
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
35.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 81th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1126217%26%24%33%43%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 112628%10%15%67%18%−6

We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, no valid result was published, or the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.

Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Schoolwide2616%11%63%20%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged20336.5%+1−2
Hispanic/Latino16338.0%+1−1
Black/African American5733.3%+6+1
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = one school's returning cohort tracked across grades (mostly, not exactly, the same kids), in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+Grade gapCohort growthSusp
John Muir High ←5012.2%30.4%2.0%
La Canada High1.3 mi9364.4%87.2%2.3%
California average5419.8%43.2%3.3%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.5%
AP Exam Prepared
27.6%
A-G Completion
54.7%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
74.8%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrade gap
20194238#12616.9%24.7%28.1%9.2%
20224443#11938.3%29.7%40.0%7.0%
20234747#11359.9%27.2%17.3%4.3%
20244648#112310.7%25.9%19.1%3.0%
20255055#98112.2%30.4%21.0%2.0%
Grade gap = this year's grade 3 vs grade 5 result, two different sets of students, not a trend for any one child — it is not the measurement the Scope Score's growth dimension uses. See §01 above and /methodology#verdicts for the school's actual scored (cohort) growth.
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
Female31.3%22.9%-8.4pp
Male26.2%18.2%-8.0pp
Black/African American28.7%18.5%-10.2pp
Hispanic/Latino28.3%22.1%-6.2pp
Two or More Races31.6%17.5%-14.1pp
Students with Disabilities40.7%28.1%-12.6pp
English Learners42.7%34.8%-7.9pp
Foster Youth62.1%69.2%+7.1pp
Homeless37.9%25.0%-12.9pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged29.5%22.8%-6.7pp
All Students28.3%20.4%-7.9pp
Asian6.7%
White17.6%
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
20256249173.663.753.85
20247452243.573.804.00
20234126123.693.883.96
20224524103.634.004.01
2021471863.433.753.83
20203015103.593.923.93
20195027153.543.843.82
20184620103.373.763.83
20174019153.423.863.88
2016331783.323.773.73
20154324183.523.873.96
2014331673.373.683.87

‹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
Berkeley2025304‹3
Berkeley2024446‹3
Berkeley2023203‹3
Berkeley2022219‹3
Berkeley202120‹3‹3
Davis20253310‹3
Davis20242715‹3
Davis2023179‹3
Davis2022208‹3
Davis2021196‹3
Irvine202532‹3‹3
Irvine2024355‹3
Irvine202325‹3‹3
Irvine202227‹3‹3
Irvine202130‹3‹3
Los Angeles20254485
Los Angeles2024621310
Los Angeles20233264
Los Angeles2022327‹3
Los Angeles202137‹3‹3
Merced20251716‹3
Merced20241716‹3
Merced202387‹3
Merced202165‹3
Riverside20252523‹3
Riverside20242213‹3
Riverside2023136‹3
Riverside20222112‹3
Riverside2021239‹3
San Diego202540163
San Diego202435153
San Diego20232511‹3
San Diego202224124
San Diego2021226‹3
Santa Barbara2025339‹3
Santa Barbara20243913‹3
Santa Barbara20232063
Santa Barbara2022186‹3
Santa Barbara20211963
Santa Cruz202522143
Santa Cruz202428204
Santa Cruz2023127‹3
Santa Cruz2022126‹3
Universitywide2025624917
Universitywide2024745224
Universitywide2023412612
Universitywide2022452410
Universitywide202147186

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
3-D Art and Designthis school
Biologythis school
Calculus ABthis school
Drawingthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
Environmental Sciencethis school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
United States Historythis school
World History: Modernthis 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 count7
AP enrollment164
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentnot offered
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections1
Physics sections11
Chemistry sections11
Total enrollment (CRDC)931

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 California116.9%
California State University1610.1%
California community college7446.5%
In-state private31.9%
Out-of-state, 4-year159.4%
Out-of-state, 2-year00.0%
Not enrolled4025.2%

159 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 75% · % 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.

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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,647 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