School Profile · Nipomo
Nipomo High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Nipomo posts 44% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
525 North Thompson Road, 93444 (opens in new tab)·Lucia Mar Unified·Nipomo·Grades 9-12·819 students·70% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 474-3300·Website
Scope Score
47
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #954 statewide · #3 of 5 in Lucia Mar Unified
Nipomo High scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 56th 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “44% proficient” and call it done. Nipomo deserves a closer read. The school sits in Nipomo, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Nipomo's low-income kids hit 60.0% 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 story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
44%
State 36%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
36%
State 35%
Of 100 students here: 44 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 36 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
60.0%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Nipomo's most underrated number
60.0% 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.
Nipomo low-income: 60.0%State low-income: 38.2%
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
96.4%
State 87.6%
8.8pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
16.1%
State 15.8%
0.3pp above state avg
College readiness
36.4%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
43.8%
State 35.7%
8.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
23.2%
State 30.2%
7.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
7.1%
State 3.6%
3.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
10.8%
State 18.0%
7.2pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Nipomo High
47/100
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.
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.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic66.3%
White27.6%
Asian0.7%
Black0.6%
Other4.8%
GenderFemale 47.1%Male 52.6%Non-binary 0.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 70.2% (6pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
819
631 below CA avg (~1,450)
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$19,994
District avg: $12,172 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
10.8% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$60,544 – $117,584
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Nipomo High in Nipomo, 60.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Nipomo High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 17.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 135 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+10.8pp
34.0% vs 23.2% overall · n=150
Suspension · Disabilities+7.7pp
14.8% vs 7.1% overall · n=155
ELA · Disabilities−42.7pp
25.0% vs 67.7% overall · n=20
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−23.6pp
5.0% vs 28.6% overall · n=20
Math · Homeless−17.3pp
2.4% vs 19.8% overall · n=41
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−3.6pp
0.0% vs 3.6% overall · n=20
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income135 tested
ELA 60.0%·Math 12.6%· +17.0pp vs district
Hispanic116 tested
ELA 60.3%·Math 9.5%· +19.0pp vs district
White60 tested
ELA 76.7%·Math 35.0%· +6.7pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$111K
$26K above CA median
Median Home Value
$816K
$157K above CA median
Bachelor's+
33%
2pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
11.0 years avg experience
49 teachers · 8% second-year
Teacher Credentials
80% fully credentialed
2.0% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
12 AP courses
47 students qualified via AP exam
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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%
96.4%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
16.1%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 50th pctile
College readiness · 20%
36.4%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 51th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
43.8%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 56th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
23.2%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
7.1%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 34th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
10.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 41th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 192 | 29% | 39% | 19% | 13% | 68% | +21 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 192 | 4% | 16% | 30% | 51% | 20% | −4 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 195 | 8% | 25% | 63% | 4% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 135 | 60.0% | +17 | +22 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 116 | 60.3% | +19 | +21 |
| White | 60 | 76.7% | +7 | +15 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nipomo High ← | — | 47 | 16.1% | 43.8% | — | 7.1% |
| Central Coast New Tech High | 0.2 mi | 55 | 36.7% | 65.2% | — | 3.7% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.4%
AP Exam Prepared
36.4%
A-G Completion
53.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
68.4%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #833 → #886 → #1009 → #1134 → #954
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Nipomo High a good high school?
Nipomo High has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 56th percentile of California high schools and ranked #954 statewide. 16.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Nipomo High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 43.8% of students at Nipomo High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 16.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 16.1% 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. 384 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Nipomo High rank in California?
Nipomo High ranks #954 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 56th 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 Nipomo High?
23.2% of students at Nipomo 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 7.1%. 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 Nipomo High compare to other schools in Nipomo?
Nipomo High scores 47/100 (56th 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 819 students. Use the schools in Nipomo page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Nipomo High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Nipomo High in Nipomo, 60.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Nipomo High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 17.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 135 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.