Julian High · Julian

Julian High: Four in five leave college-ready. But suspensions run 2× the state rate.

Julian has real strengths and one number that complicates them. Most rating sites show you one or the other. Both belong on the same page.

1656 Highway 78, 92036·Julian Union High·Julian·Grades 9-12·112 students·54% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 765-0606·Website

2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP

	Scope	% Exceeded	% Met+	Grad rate	College readiness	Absence	Suspension
This school	47	6%	35%	90.9%	81.8%	32.2%	8.8%
CA average · High School	44	16%	36%	87.6%	35.4%	30.2%	3.6%

This schoolCA avg

Scope4744

% Exceeded6%16%

% Met+35%36%

Grad rate90.9%87.6%

College readiness81.8%35.4%

Absence32.2%30.2%

Suspension8.8%3.6%

Scope Score

🌱 Building Momentum · Developing

ranked #973 statewide

Julian High scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 55th 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 →

🌱 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “35% proficient” and call it done. Julian deserves a closer read. The school sits in Julian, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 81.8% of students leave measurably college-ready, versus 35.4% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Slipped from the 75th to the 55th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard

ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 35% meet the standard today, versus 45% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade

Grade	2019	2022	2023	2024	2025
Grade 11	65%	53%	58%	65%	47%

Math — % met or exceeded, by grade

Grade	2019	2022	2023	2024	2025
Grade 11	25%	21%	25%	26%	22%

The story this school is actually telling

The launchpad · college readiness

81.8%

of students leave measurably college-ready, versus 35.4% statewide.

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring

The catch · suspensions

8.8%

of students were suspended, versus 3.6% statewide — a school visit will tell you more than this number.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

Proficient by 11th grade

35%

State 36%

Graduate

91%

State 88%

Pass an AP exam

82%

State 35%

Of 100 students here: 35 are proficient by 11th grade → 91 graduate → 82 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 6 things our score weighs

Graduation rate

90.9%

State 87.6%

3.3pp above state avg

Exceeded standard

5.6%

State 15.8%

10.3pp below state avg

College readiness

81.8%

State 35.4%

AP exam pass rate above state avg

Met or exceeded

34.7%

State 35.7%

1.0pp below state avg

Chronic absenteeism

32.2%

State 30.2%

2.0pp above state avg

Suspension rate

8.8%

State 3.6%

5.1pp above state avg

Worth a school visit

Ask about the discipline philosophy and what a typical suspension is for. Numbers can't tell you whether a campus feels strict or chaotic — a visit can.

Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
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

All students at this school: 35% met or exceeded

All Students35%

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged28% · −6 vs school

Male36% · +2 vs school

White40% · +5 vs school

Female32% · −3 vs school

Hispanic/Latino33% · −1 vs school

7 of 13 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 absenteeism32.2% · +2.0pp vs state

Suspension rate8.8% · +5.1pp vs state

Chronic absenteeism by grade band

Grades 9–1232.5%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Student : teacher19:1

Teaching staff7 teachers

Avg. experience6.7 years

Fully credentialed64%

Intern / emergency permit13.0%

Course Breadth

AP courses offered2

AP exam qualifiers9 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spending$46,322 · spent at this school

Federal share$1,554 per student

$1,554 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$37,211 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

Instruction49%

Instruction support10%

Student services7%

Administration15%

Buildings & maintenance17%

Other2%

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$30,613 per pupil

2019$26,935 per pupil

2018$27,981 per pupil

2017$21,748 per pupil

2016$17,473 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic44.6%

District 44.6% · CA 56.1%

White41.1%

District 41.1% · CA 19.9%

Other9.8%

District 9.8% · CA 9.0%

Black3.6%

District 3.6% · CA 4.8%

Asian0.9%

District 0.9% · CA 10.2%

Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 54.5% (9pp below CA avg)

Neighborhood — American Community Survey

Median income$74K · CA $85K

Median home value$591K · CA $659K

Bachelor's degree+34% · CA 35%

ZIP population3,218

Median age54 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 112 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 21% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Julian High a good high school?

Julian High has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 55th percentile of California high schools and ranked #973 statewide. 5.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 10.3 percentage points below 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 Julian High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.7% of students at Julian High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 5.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 5.6% 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. 72 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Julian High rank in California?

Julian High ranks #973 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 Julian High?

32.2% of students at Julian High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 8.8%. 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 Julian High compare to other schools in Julian?

Julian High scores 47/100 (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 112 students. Use the schools in Julian page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Julian High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Julian High in Julian, 34.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Julian High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (21.7% Math proficient); White students (55.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.4 percentage points for low-income 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

Nearby Elementary Schools

3 within ~3 mi · avg 49

Julian Charter

Julian Union Elementary · 0.1 mi

52Solid

Julian Elementary

Julian Union Elementary · 0.2 mi

48Developing

Brookfield Engineering Science Technology Academy

Julian Union Elementary · 0.2 mi

46Developing

See more on map →

Nearby Middle Schools

1 within ~3 mi · avg 30

Julian Junior High

Julian Union Elementary · 0.2 mi

30Needs Support

See more on map →

All schools in Julian →

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%

90.9%

↑ vs CA 87.6% · 54th pctile

Exceeded standard · 22%

5.6%

↓ vs CA 15.8% · 39th pctile

College readiness · 20%

81.8%

↑ vs CA 35.4% · 77th pctile

Met or exceeded · 18%

34.7%

↓ vs CA 35.7% · 49th pctile

Chronic absenteeism · 5%

32.2%

↓ vs CA 30.2% · 48th pctile

Suspension rate · 5%

8.8%

↓ vs CA 3.6% · 27th pctile

02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students

ELA	Tested	EXC	MET	NEAR	NOT	MET+	+/CA
Grade 11	36	8%	39%	22%	31%	47%	+0

Math	Tested	EXC	MET	NEAR	NOT	MET+	+/CA
Grade 11	36	3%	19%	39%	39%	22%	−1

Science (CAST)	Tested	EXC	MET	NEAR	NOT
Grade 5/8/11	38	0%	21%	74%	5%

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	34.8%	+0	−3
White	20	55.0%	+0	−7

03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score

School	Dist	Scope	EXC	MET+	Growth	Susp
Julian High ←	—	47	5.6%	34.7%	—	8.8%
California average	—	44	15.8%	35.7%	—	3.6%

04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score

Graduation Rate

90.9%

AP Exam Prepared

81.8%

A-G Completion

45.0%

A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility

College-Going Rate

43.8%

Year	Scope	Pctile	Rank	Exc	Met+	Absent	Susp	Growth
2019	57	75	#516	20.0%	45.0%	20.7%	9.0%	—
2022	53	75	#515	21.1%	36.8%	34.8%	7.8%	—
2023	50	67	#714	10.4%	41.7%	29.5%	12.1%	—
2024	56	79	#458	21.7%	45.7%	34.2%	4.5%	—
2025	47	55	#973	5.6%	34.7%	32.2%	8.8%	—

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

Group	2019	2025	Δ
Female	17.6%	30.9%	+13.3pp
Male	15.5%	33.8%	+18.3pp
Hispanic/Latino	14.3%	29.8%	+15.5pp
Students with Disabilities	20.8%	29.2%	+8.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	24.6%	34.2%	+9.6pp
All Students	16.5%	32.5%	+16.0pp
English Learners	—	25.0%	—

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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