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Mission Vista High · Oceanside

Mission Vista High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Mission Vista posts 40.2% exceeding the standard — versus 15.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

1306 Melrose Drive, 92057 (opens in new tab)·Vista Unified·Oceanside·Grades 9-12·1,670 students·44% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 758-6800·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6644
% Exceeded40%16%
% Met+69%36%
Grad rate98.3%87.6%
College readiness43.6%35.4%
Absence10.8%30.2%
Suspension1.3%3.6%
Scope Score
66
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #186 statewide · #1 of 10 in Vista Unified

Mission Vista High scores 66 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 91st 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 “69% proficient” and call it done. Mission Vista deserves a closer read. The school sits in Oceanside, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Mission Vista's low-income kids hit 85.5% 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 91st-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 69% meet the standard today, versus 76% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1189%88%87%89%89%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1163%49%52%51%48%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
69%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
44%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 69 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 44 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

85.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Mission Vista's most underrated number

85.5% 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 Vista low-income: 85.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
98.3%
State 87.6%
10.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
40.2%
State 15.8%
24.4pp above state avg
College readiness
43.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
68.7%
State 35.7%
33.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
10.8%
State 30.2%
19.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.3%
State 3.6%
2.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
35.0%
State 18.0%
17.0pp 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 whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Mission Vista High in Oceanside, 85.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Mission Vista High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 50.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (81.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 21.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 179 students tested.

All students at this school: 69% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 69%, district —, state 36%69%
FemaleFemale: this school 65%, district 39%, state 44%65% · −4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 73%, district 39%, state 42%73% · +4 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 63%, district 30%, state 32%63% · −6 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 57%, district 29%, state 32%57% · −12 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 77%, district 60%, state 56%77% · +8 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 43%, district 14%, state 15%43% · −26 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 80%, district 54%, state 56%80% · +11 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 86%, district 67%, state 65%86% · +17 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 90%, district 77%, state 72%90% · +21 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 74%, district 19%, state 22%74% · +5 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 70%, district 39%, state 46%70% · +1 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 55%, district 43%, state 26%55% · −14 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: 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
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 10.8%, district 22.4%, state 30.2%10.8% · −19.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.3%, district —, state 3.6%1.3% · −2.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1210.0%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 22:122:1
Teaching staff81 teachers
Avg. experience13.9 years
Fully credentialed98%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$57,722 – $120,983
Principal salary$161,808 – $178,935
Superintendent salary$320,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered27
AP exam qualifiers149 students
CTE pathway completers167 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,330, CA average $14,815$17,330 · 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$578 per student

$578 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,783 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
Instruction64%
Instruction support12%
Student services9%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$13,817 per pupil
2019$13,241 per pupil
2018$14,041 per pupil
2017$11,234 per pupil
2016$10,657 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic40.5%
District 66.4% · CA 56.1%
White40.1%
District 21.5% · CA 19.9%
Other12.7%
District 8.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian4.5%
District 1.8% · CA 10.2%
Black2.2%
District 2.2% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 50.2%Male 49.0%Non-binary 0.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 44.1% (20pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$109K · CA $85K
Median home value$743K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+33% · CA 35%
ZIP population56,835
Median age39 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 53% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mission Vista High a good high school?

Mission Vista High has a Scope Score of 66 out of 100, placing it in the 91st percentile of California high schools and ranked #186 statewide. 40.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 24.4 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 Vista High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 68.7% of students at Mission Vista High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 40.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 40.2% 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. 809 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Mission Vista High rank in California?

Mission Vista High ranks #186 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 91st 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 Vista High?

10.8% of students at Mission Vista 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 1.3%, 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 Vista High compare to other schools in Oceanside?

Mission Vista High scores 66/100 (91st 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 1,670 students. Use the schools in Oceanside page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Mission Vista High in Oceanside, 85.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Mission Vista High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 50.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (81.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 21.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 179 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%
98.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 63th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
40.2%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 76th pctile
College readiness · 20%
43.6%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
68.7%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 74th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
10.8%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.3%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
35.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 81th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140753%36%9%2%89%+42
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140227%21%26%26%48%+25
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1177616%36%44%3%

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 Disadvantaged17985.5%+50+47
Hispanic/Latino17881.5%+47+43
White15695.5%+31+34
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Mission Vista High ←6640.2%68.7%1.3%
Vista High2.5 mi446.6%26.7%4.5%
SIATech2.8 mi283.5%13.5%0.2%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
98.3%
AP Exam Prepared
43.6%
A-G Completion
79.6%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
63.3%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196992#16644.4%75.6%5.1%3.3%
20226591#18739.8%68.8%17.8%3.0%
20236490#20536.7%69.3%11.5%2.8%
20246591#19938.7%70.4%10.9%2.6%
20256691#18640.2%68.7%10.8%1.3%
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
Female5.1%10.8%+5.7pp
Male3.5%8.5%+5.0pp
Asian0.0%5.3%+5.3pp
Black/African American6.9%0.0%-6.9pp
White0.0%2.0%+2.0pp
Hispanic/Latino4.8%11.8%+7.0pp
Pacific Islander15.4%
Two or More Races7.9%9.5%+1.6pp
Students with Disabilities10.4%14.8%+4.4pp
English Learners0.0%12.5%+12.5pp
Homeless16.7%23.4%+6.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged6.4%13.0%+6.6pp
All Students4.3%10.0%+5.7pp
Military-Connected16.7%
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