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Merced High · Merced

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

Merced posts 28% meeting the standard and 9.8% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

205 West Olive Avenue, 95348 (opens in new tab)·Merced Union High·Merced·Grades 9-12·1,943 students·79% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 325-1000·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4644
% Exceeded10%16%
% Met+28%36%
Grad rate93.1%87.6%
College readiness55.9%35.4%
Absence28.6%30.2%
Suspension0.7%3.6%
Scope Score
46
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #994 statewide · #3 of 8 in Merced Union High

Merced High scores 46 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 54th 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 “28% proficient” and call it done. Merced deserves a closer read. The school sits in Merced, where three in four 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 54th percentile since 2019.

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

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 28% meet the standard today, versus 32% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1146%43%47%43%42%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1119%13%14%11%15%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
28%
State 36%
Graduate
93%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
56%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 28 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 56 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
93.1%
State 87.6%
5.5pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
9.8%
State 15.8%
6.0pp below state avg
College readiness
55.9%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
28.1%
State 35.7%
7.6pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
28.6%
State 30.2%
1.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.7%
State 3.6%
2.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.8%
State 18.0%
2.2pp 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 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 Merced High in Merced, 37.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Merced High trails its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (38.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 362 students tested.

All students at this school: 28% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 28%, district —, state 36%28%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 23%, district 24%, state 32%23% · −5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 25%, district 25%, state 32%25% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 29%, district 30%, state 44%29% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 27%, district 26%, state 42%27% · −1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 45%, district 38%, state 56%45% · +16 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 5%, district 6%, state 15%5% · −23 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 9%, district 7%, state 11%9% · −19 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 33%, district 36%, state 56%33% · +5 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 15%, district 19%, state 26%15% · −13 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 41%, district 44%, state 72%41% · +13 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 29%, district 19%, state 22%29% · +1 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 28.6%, district 32.9%, state 30.2%28.6% · −1.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.7%, district —, state 3.6%0.7% · −2.9pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1228.5%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 21:123:1
Teaching staff84 teachers
Avg. experience12.0 years
Fully credentialed85%
First-year teachers7%
Intern / emergency permit2.0%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$69,345 – $131,810
Principal salary$0 – $183,586
Superintendent salary$301,880

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered20
AP exam qualifiers118 students
CTE pathway completers131 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,935, CA average $14,815$18,935 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,319 per student

$1,319 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,638 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
Instruction54%
Instruction support13%
Student services13%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other3%

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$13,809 per pupil
2019$13,274 per pupil
2018$14,146 per pupil
2017$12,554 per pupil
2016$12,581 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic68.4%
District 73.4% · CA 56.1%
White13.5%
District 11.8% · CA 19.9%
Asian6.7%
District 7.5% · CA 10.2%
Other5.9%
District 3.8% · CA 9.0%
Black5.5%
District 3.6% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 79.4% (16pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$65K · CA $85K
Median home value$384K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+23% · CA 35%
ZIP population37,540
Median age31 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 22% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Merced High a good high school?

Merced High has a Scope Score of 46 out of 100, placing it in the 54th percentile of California high schools and ranked #994 statewide. 9.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.0 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 Merced High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 28.1% of students at Merced High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.8% 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. 894 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Merced High rank in California?

Merced High ranks #994 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 54th 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 Merced High?

28.6% of students at Merced 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 0.7%, 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 Merced High compare to other schools in Merced?

Merced High scores 46/100 (54th 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 1,943 students. Use the schools in Merced page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Merced High in Merced, 37.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Merced High trails its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (38.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 362 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 Merced →

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%
93.1%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 57th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
9.8%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 44th pctile
College readiness · 20%
55.9%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 62th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
28.1%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
28.6%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 51th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.7%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 49th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1144714%28%24%34%42%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114476%9%21%64%15%−9
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114543%19%66%12%

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 Disadvantaged36237.6%−1−1
Hispanic/Latino31638.3%−0−1
White5560.0%+5−2
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Merced High ←—469.8%28.1%—0.7%
Golden Valley High2.5 mi449.3%28.9%—1.2%
Independence High (Alternative)1.3 mi371.3%10.3%—1.0%
Valley Merced Community2.5 mi180.0%0.0%—2.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
93.1%
AP Exam Prepared
55.9%
A-G Completion
24.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
35.6%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194955#9208.6%32.5%18.6%2.8%—
20224555#9529.0%27.8%46.0%2.5%—
20234759#87511.9%30.8%31.3%3.3%—
20244655#9568.2%27.2%27.9%0.8%—
20254654#9949.8%28.1%28.6%0.7%—
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
Female17.7%32.6%+14.9pp
Male18.9%24.4%+5.5pp
Asian7.9%14.5%+6.6pp
Black/African American21.5%39.6%+18.1pp
Filipino9.1%48.7%+39.6pp
White5.3%7.1%+1.8pp
Hispanic/Latino18.7%30.3%+11.6pp
Two or More Races26.7%20.0%-6.7pp
Students with Disabilities28.0%35.5%+7.5pp
English Learners24.6%36.3%+11.7pp
Foster Youth30.6%6.3%-24.3pp
Homeless34.4%53.3%+18.9pp
Military-Connected15.0%40.0%+25.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged21.0%31.9%+10.9pp
All Students18.3%28.5%+10.2pp
American Indian/Alaska Native—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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