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Mission Viejo High · Mission ViejoPublic

Mission Viejo High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Mission Viejo posts 57% meeting the standard, and 29.4% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

25025 Chrisanta Drive, 92691 (opens in new tab)·Saddleback Valley Unified·Mission Viejo·Grades 9-12·1,566 students·41% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(949) 837-7722
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6044
% Exceeded29%16%
% Met+57%36%
Grad rate96.9%86.6%
College readiness56.7%33.9%
Absence15.3%30.2%
Suspension1.0%3.6%
Scope Score
60
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #340 statewide · #2 of 6 in Saddleback Valley Unified

Mission Viejo High scores 60 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 84th 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 →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

Most rating sites would stop at “57% proficient” and call it done. Mission Viejo deserves a closer read. The school sits in Mission Viejo, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Mission Viejo's low-income kids hit 63.3% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has held the 84th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

ELAGreen(Declined)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 57% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1170%70%79%71%69%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1144%39%45%38%46%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
57%
State 36%
Graduate
97%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
57%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 57 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 57 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

63.3%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Mission Viejo's most underrated number

63.3% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Mission Viejo low-income: 63.3%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
96.9%
State 86.6%
10.3pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
29.4%
State 15.8%
13.6pp above state avg
College readiness
56.7%
State 33.9%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
57.5%
State 35.7%
21.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.3%
State 30.2%
14.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 3.6%
2.6pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.9%
State 18.0%
0.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Mission Viejo High in Mission Viejo, 63.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Mission Viejo High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 20.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.5% Math proficient); White students (76.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 62.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 128 students tested.

All students at this school: 57% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 57%, district —, state 36%57%
MaleMale: this school 55%, district 55%, state 42%55% · −2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 65%, district 65%, state 56%65% · +7 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 60%, district 56%, state 44%60% · +3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 47%, district 38%, state 32%47% · −10 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 44%, district 36%, state 32%44% · −13 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 13%, district 23%, state 15%13% · −44 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 39%, district 26%, state 22%39% · −19 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 62%, district 72%, state 56%62% · +4 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 80%, district 82%, state 72%80% · +23 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 8%, state 11%3% · −54 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored
Hispanic19.5% AP · 32.5% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.2% AP · 0.1% enroll.
Asian16.0% AP · 9.1% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0% AP · 0.4% enroll.
Black1.3% AP · 1.7% enroll.
White56.0% AP · 49.7% enroll.
Two or more races7.0% AP · 6.5% enroll.
English learners1.9% AP · 10.6% enroll.
Students with disabilities1.1% AP · 11.2% 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 15.3%, district 16.0%, state 30.2%15.3% · −14.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.0%, district —, state 3.6%1.0% · −2.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1214.5%

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
81%
College-going rate, class of 2023

Where they went after graduation

Of Mission Viejo's class of 2023, 81% 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: 414 completers, 81% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 31 (7%)California State University 34 (8%)California community college 200 (48%)In-state private 8 (2%)Out-of-state, 4-year 57 (14%)Out-of-state, 2-year 7 (2%)Not enrolled 77 (19%)

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, 25 of Mission Viejo's 377 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Riverside the most common landing, with 5 enrollees.

Applied98fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted66
Enrolled25
Where they landed (fall 2025)
Riverside 5Los Angeles 4Santa Barbara 4Santa Cruz 4Berkeley 3Irvine 3Davis ‹3Merced ‹3San Diego ‹3

campuses never sum to the universitywide figure — students apply to several

UC enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025

Peak: 52 enrolled, 2019

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, 81% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (200) than at UC (31).

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 24:122:1
Teaching staff72 teachers
Avg. experience17.3 years
Fully credentialed85%
First-year teachers10%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$30,000 – $133,169
Principal salary$162,720 – $187,915
Superintendent salary$356,227

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers165 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers104 students
Advanced Coursework

Mission Viejo's teachers are authorized to teach 17 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — above the 14-subject median among California schools that offer AP at all — including Calculus BC, Calculus AB, and Physics 1.

AP subjects taught17
Math & Computer Science (5)Calculus AB · Calculus BC · Computer Science A · Computer Science Principles · Statistics
Sciences (3)Biology · Environmental Science · Physics 1
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (3)Human Geography · United States History · World History: Modern
World Languages & Cultures (2)French Language and Culture · Spanish Language and Culture
Arts (2)2-D Art and Design · Drawing
IBDiploma Programme (DP)

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: $21,177, CA average $14,491$21,177 · spent at this school
Federal share$2 per student

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

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,633 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support12%
Student services9%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance8%
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$12,689 per pupil
2019$11,164 per pupil
2018$11,797 per pupil
2017$10,660 per pupil
2016$10,377 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Context — never part of the Scope Score
White48.1%
District 36.6% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic33.6%
District 39.4% · CA 56.1%
Other10.3%
District 13.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian6.0%
District 9.7% · CA 10.2%
Black1.9%
District 1.1% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 40.9% (23pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$141K · CA $85K
Median home value$985K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+48% · CA 35%
ZIP population45,841
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 54% 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 Mission Viejo High a good high school?

Mission Viejo High has a Scope Score of 60 out of 100, placing it in the 84th percentile of California high schools and ranked #340 statewide. 29.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.6 percentage points above 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 Mission Viejo High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 57.5% of students at Mission Viejo High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 29.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 29.4% 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. 650 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Mission Viejo High rank in California?

Mission Viejo High ranks #340 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 84th 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 Mission Viejo High?

15.3% of students at Mission Viejo 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 1.0%, 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 Mission Viejo High compare to other schools in Mission Viejo?

Mission Viejo High scores 60/100 (84th 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 1,566 students. Use the schools in Mission Viejo page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Mission Viejo High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Mission Viejo High in Mission Viejo, 63.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Mission Viejo High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 20.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.5% Math proficient); White students (76.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 62.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 128 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 Mission Viejo High?

Mission Viejo High's teachers are authorized to teach 17 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: 2-D Art and Design, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Drawing, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, French Language and Culture, Human Geography, Physics 1, Spanish Language and Culture, Statistics, 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 Mission Viejo High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 25 Mission Viejo 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%
96.9%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
29.4%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 64th pctile
College readiness · 20%
56.7%
↑ vs CA 33.9% · 62th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
57.5%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 66th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.3%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 62th pctile
▲ 1.0pp higher vs 2024
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 62th pctile
▲ 0.2pp higher vs 2024
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 53th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1132335%34%17%13%69%+22
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1132724%22%27%27%46%+22

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
Schoolwide34016%37%41%6%

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 Disadvantaged12863.3%+21+25
White16176.4%+7+15
Hispanic/Latino11158.6%+18+20
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Mission Viejo High ←6029.4%57.5%1.0%
El Toro High2.7 mi5824.7%52.2%0.8%
Laguna Hills High1.7 mi5519.4%42.9%1.4%
Silverado High1.7 mi240.8%8.2%8.0%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.9%
AP Exam Prepared
56.7%
A-G Completion
60.5%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
81.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196385#30330.8%57.2%11.4%0.8%
20226085#32526.3%54.7%16.9%2.0%
20236390#21934.1%62.2%15.4%2.0%
20246086#31029.3%54.1%14.3%0.8%
20256084#34029.4%57.5%15.3%1.0%
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
Female12.2%15.9%+3.7pp
Male9.6%13.3%+3.7pp
Asian4.9%10.4%+5.5pp
Black/African American10.8%18.8%+8.0pp
White9.7%5.3%-4.4pp
Hispanic/Latino13.0%17.9%+4.9pp
Two or More Races11.8%12.8%+1.0pp
Students with Disabilities17.9%24.1%+6.2pp
English Learners17.0%23.9%+6.9pp
Homeless24.4%27.8%+3.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged16.9%19.8%+2.9pp
All Students10.9%14.5%+3.6pp
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
20259866253.833.974.09
202411977353.894.014.04
202310859353.863.974.06
202211857303.964.074.09
202113772403.843.984.08
202011967383.864.034.10
201915193523.924.074.06
201812268303.844.034.06
201715176373.773.954.01
201613274353.723.943.98
201513674373.834.044.11
201414879463.723.943.91

‹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
Berkeley20254653
Berkeley2024518‹3
Berkeley2023475‹3
Berkeley2022634‹3
Berkeley20216154
Davis20254114‹3
Davis202456194
Davis20235012‹3
Davis20225310‹3
Davis202150184
Irvine20257393
Irvine202482249
Irvine202372219
Irvine202276196
Irvine202196245
Los Angeles20256554
Los Angeles20248486
Los Angeles2023675‹3
Los Angeles20228774
Los Angeles20219566
Merced20252727‹3
Merced2024109‹3
Merced20231211‹3
Merced20221412‹3
Merced20211616‹3
Riverside202535335
Riverside202425213
Riverside202335214
Riverside202226215
Riverside202148309
San Diego20257014‹3
San Diego202485208
San Diego202379137
San Diego20228013‹3
San Diego202196185
Santa Barbara202552134
Santa Barbara20247019‹3
Santa Barbara202368226
Santa Barbara202274185
Santa Barbara202184165
Santa Cruz202531224
Santa Cruz20244330‹3
Santa Cruz202343255
Santa Cruz202242135
Santa Cruz20214113‹3
Universitywide2025986625
Universitywide20241197735
Universitywide20231085935
Universitywide20221185730
Universitywide20211377240

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
Biologythis school
Calculus ABthis school
Calculus BCthis school
Computer Science Athis school
Computer Science Principlesthis school
Drawingthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
Environmental Sciencethis school
French Language and Culturethis school
Human Geographythis school
Physics 1this school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis 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 count15
AP enrollment630
IB participationoffered · 545 enrolled
Dual enrollmentnot offered
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections4
Physics sections1
Chemistry sections16
Total enrollment (CRDC)1,949

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 California317.5%
California State University348.2%
California community college20048.3%
In-state private81.9%
Out-of-state, 4-year5713.8%
Out-of-state, 2-year71.7%
Not enrolled7718.6%

414 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 81% · % 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.

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 · 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) · IB World Schools directory (name-matched, 0.90 gate) · 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