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Murrieta Valley High · Murrieta

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

Murrieta Valley posts 58% meeting the standard, and 29.9% 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.

42200 Nighthawk Way, 92562 (opens in new tab)·Murrieta Valley Unified·Murrieta·Grades 9-12·2,104 students·47% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(951) 696-1408·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6044
% Exceeded30%16%
% Met+58%36%
Grad rate97.7%87.6%
College readiness47.6%35.4%
Absence22.7%30.2%
Suspension2.5%3.6%
Scope Score
60
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #347 statewide · #2 of 4 in Murrieta Valley Unified

Murrieta Valley 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 “58% proficient” and call it done. Murrieta Valley deserves a closer read. The school sits in Murrieta, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Murrieta Valley's low-income kids hit 74.5% 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 84th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 58% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1174%73%72%79%77%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1146%38%36%46%38%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
58%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
48%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 58 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 48 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

74.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Murrieta Valley's most underrated number

74.5% 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.

Murrieta Valley low-income: 74.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
97.7%
State 87.6%
10.1pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
29.9%
State 15.8%
14.0pp above state avg
College readiness
47.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
57.5%
State 35.7%
21.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
22.7%
State 30.2%
7.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.5%
State 3.6%
1.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
32.7%
State 18.0%
14.7pp above 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 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 Murrieta Valley High in Murrieta, 74.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 56.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Murrieta Valley High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 18.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (72.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.5 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 247 students tested.

All students at this school: 57% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 57%, district —, state 36%57%
MaleMale: this school 54%, district 55%, state 42%54% · −3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 52%, district 48%, state 32%52% · −6 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 61%, district 56%, state 44%61% · +3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 51%, district 48%, state 32%51% · −7 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 63%, district 62%, state 56%63% · +6 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 20%, district 24%, state 15%20% · −37 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 48%, district 59%, state 56%48% · −9 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 64%, district 58%, state 46%64% · +6 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 89%, district 75%, state 72%89% · +32 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 11%, district 18%, state 11%11% · −47 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 54%, district 41%, state 26%54% · −4 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: 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 22.7%, district 18.9%, state 30.2%22.7% · −7.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.5%, district —, state 3.6%2.5% · −1.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1222.4%

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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 24:123:1
Teaching staff94 teachers
Avg. experience16.5 years
Fully credentialed87%
First-year teachers1%
Intern / emergency permit1.9%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$61,327 – $146,910
Principal salary$171,292 – $193,801
Superintendent salary$346,925

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered33
AP exam qualifiers171 students
CTE pathway completers88 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,412, CA average $14,815$16,412 · spent at this school
Federal share$783 per student

$783 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,831 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 support9%
Student services10%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$12,094 per pupil
2019$11,339 per pupil
2018$11,338 per pupil
2017$10,906 per pupil
2016$10,253 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White42.1%
District 32.8% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic41.2%
District 43.3% · CA 56.1%
Other11.1%
District 14.7% · CA 9.0%
Black3.0%
District 5.2% · CA 4.8%
Asian2.6%
District 4.1% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 46.7% (17pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$114K · CA $85K
Median home value$664K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+36% · CA 35%
ZIP population64,781
Median age37 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 37% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Murrieta Valley High a good high school?

Murrieta Valley High has a Scope Score of 60 out of 100, placing it in the 84th percentile of California high schools and ranked #347 statewide. 29.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.0 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 Murrieta Valley High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 57.5% of students at Murrieta Valley High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 29.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 29.9% 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. 1,014 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Murrieta Valley High rank in California?

Murrieta Valley High ranks #347 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 Murrieta Valley High?

22.7% of students at Murrieta Valley 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 2.5%. 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 Murrieta Valley High compare to other schools in Murrieta?

Murrieta Valley 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 2,104 students. Use the schools in Murrieta page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Murrieta Valley High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Murrieta Valley High in Murrieta, 74.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 56.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Murrieta Valley High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 18.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (72.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.5 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 247 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%
97.7%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
29.9%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 65th pctile
College readiness · 20%
47.6%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 57th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
57.5%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 66th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
22.7%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.5%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
32.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 77th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1150744%33%15%8%77%+30
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1150716%22%28%34%38%+15
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115188%30%54%8%

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 Disadvantaged24774.5%+19+36
Hispanic/Latino21872.5%+16+34
White21381.2%+12+19
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Murrieta Valley High ←6029.9%57.5%2.5%
Murrieta Mesa High1.6 mi5728.2%58.3%1.3%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.7%
AP Exam Prepared
47.6%
A-G Completion
64.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
64.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196283#33830.1%59.8%11.2%1.7%
20225883#36429.3%55.9%39.9%2.6%
20235781#41625.8%54.2%23.8%3.3%
20246186#30332.5%62.2%21.9%3.2%
20256084#34729.9%57.5%22.7%2.5%
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
Female11.5%22.2%+10.7pp
Male10.1%22.6%+12.5pp
Asian6.3%14.3%+8.0pp
Black/African American8.3%19.4%+11.1pp
White4.8%10.9%+6.1pp
Hispanic/Latino11.7%23.8%+12.1pp
Pacific Islander6.3%
Two or More Races4.8%22.8%+18.0pp
Students with Disabilities17.7%37.7%+20.0pp
English Learners13.7%28.6%+14.9pp
Foster Youth12.5%66.7%+54.2pp
Homeless27.8%50.0%+22.2pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged13.6%26.6%+13.0pp
All Students10.8%22.4%+11.6pp
Filipino17.2%
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