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Lincoln High · San Diego

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

Lincoln posts 24% meeting the standard and 8.2% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

4777 Imperial Avenue, 92113 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades 9-12·1,487 students·90% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 266-6500·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3344
% Exceeded8%16%
% Met+24%36%
Grad rate89.3%87.6%
College readiness2.1%35.4%
Absence33.0%30.2%
Suspension4.9%3.6%
Scope Score
33
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,575 statewide · #34 of 43 in San Diego Unified

Lincoln High scores 33 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 27th 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “24% proficient” and call it done. Lincoln deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 27th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 24% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1136%19%23%26%35%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 119%4%3%5%12%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
24%
State 36%
Graduate
89%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
2%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 24 are proficient by 11th grade → 89 graduate → 2 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
89.3%
State 87.6%
1.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
8.2%
State 15.8%
7.6pp below state avg
College readiness
2.1%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
23.6%
State 35.7%
12.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
33.0%
State 30.2%
2.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
4.9%
State 3.6%
1.3pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.7%
State 18.0%
9.3pp 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 Lincoln High in San Diego, 34.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Lincoln High trails its district average for low-income students by 8.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 28.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 301 students tested.

All students at this school: 23% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 23%, district —, state 36%23%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 23%, district 36%, state 32%23% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 27%, district 35%, state 32%27% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 20%, district 50%, state 42%20% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 26%, district 51%, state 44%26% · +3 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 16%, district 23%, state 22%16% · −7 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 10%, district 21%, state 15%10% · −14 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 10%, district 27%, state 26%10% · −14 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 10%, district 10%, state 11%10% · −13 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 23%, district 63%, state 56%23% · −0 vs school

6 of 16 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 33.0%, district 20.8%, state 30.2%33.0% · +2.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 4.9%, district —, state 3.6%4.9% · +1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1233.1%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
High School
Lincoln High
33/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff76 teachers
Avg. experience14.8 years
Fully credentialed81%
First-year teachers1%
Intern / emergency permit1.5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$55,375 – $124,275
Principal salary$0 – $187,294
Superintendent salary$300,404

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered12
AP exam qualifiers4 students
CTE pathway completers124 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $22,620, CA average $14,815$22,620 · spent at this school
Federal share$2,069 per student

$2,069 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,967 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
Instruction63%
Instruction support12%
Student services12%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance7%
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$15,976 per pupil
2019$14,540 per pupil
2018$14,457 per pupil
2017$11,416 per pupil
2016$11,708 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic68.6%
District 47.0% · CA 56.1%
Black19.4%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Other7.1%
District 13.8% · CA 9.0%
Asian3.6%
District 8.7% · CA 10.2%
White1.4%
District 22.9% · CA 19.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 89.8% (26pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$62K · CA $85K
Median home value$614K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+12% · CA 35%
ZIP population48,215
Median age33 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 16% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lincoln High a good high school?

Lincoln High has a Scope Score of 33 out of 100, placing it in the 27th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,575 statewide. 8.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.6 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 Lincoln High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 23.6% of students at Lincoln High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 8.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 8.2% 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. 662 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Lincoln High rank in California?

Lincoln High ranks #1,575 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 27th 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 Lincoln High?

33.0% of students at Lincoln High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 4.9%. 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 Lincoln High compare to other schools in San Diego?

Lincoln High scores 33/100 (27th 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 1,487 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Lincoln High in San Diego, 34.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Lincoln High trails its district average for low-income students by 8.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 28.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 301 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

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%
89.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 52th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
8.2%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 42th pctile
College readiness · 20%
2.1%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 31th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
23.6%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 41th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
33.0%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 48th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.9%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 44th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.7%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1132613%23%29%36%35%−12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 113364%8%21%68%12%−11
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113411%15%63%21%

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 Disadvantaged30134.5%−8−4
Hispanic/Latino23339.7%−1+1
Students with Disabilities659.5%−14−7
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Lincoln High ←338.2%23.6%4.9%
San Diego Workforce Innovation High1.1 mi294.2%17.2%0.1%
King-Chavez Community High2.3 mi292.2%21.1%5.3%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
89.3%
AP Exam Prepared
2.1%
A-G Completion
65.4%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
52.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193328#14734.5%22.3%26.1%8.1%
20222922#16342.8%11.1%46.9%3.7%
20233126#15945.0%13.2%38.6%1.8%
20243125#16162.8%15.5%37.6%2.1%
20253327#15758.2%23.6%33.0%4.9%
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
Female26.4%34.0%+7.6pp
Male25.9%32.4%+6.5pp
Asian23.6%15.1%-8.5pp
Black/African American26.3%28.6%+2.3pp
Filipino33.3%
White18.2%14.3%-3.9pp
Hispanic/Latino26.5%34.9%+8.4pp
Pacific Islander21.4%50.0%+28.6pp
Two or More Races27.5%40.5%+13.0pp
Students with Disabilities32.9%45.3%+12.4pp
English Learners27.6%35.7%+8.1pp
Homeless35.9%37.3%+1.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged26.7%33.8%+7.1pp
All Students26.1%33.1%+7.0pp
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