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North High · Torrance

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

North posts 39.5% 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.

3620 West 182nd Street, 90504 (opens in new tab)·Torrance Unified·Torrance·Grades 9-12·1,812 students·45% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 533-4412
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6744
% Exceeded39%16%
% Met+70%36%
Grad rate99.1%86.6%
College readiness52.2%33.9%
Absence14.3%30.2%
Suspension2.2%3.6%
Scope Score
67
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #157 statewide · #2 of 5 in Torrance Unified

North High scores 67 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “70% proficient” and call it done. North deserves a closer read. The school sits in Torrance, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

North's low-income kids hit 81.8% 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 93rd-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 70% of students meet the standard today, above the 61% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1178%84%83%84%85%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1144%45%48%49%55%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
70%
State 36%
Graduate
99%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
52%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 70 are proficient by 11th grade → 99 graduate → 52 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

81.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

North's most underrated number

81.8% 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.

North low-income: 81.8%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
99.1%
State 86.6%
12.5pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
39.5%
State 15.8%
23.6pp above state avg
College readiness
52.2%
State 33.9%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
69.8%
State 35.7%
34.1pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
14.3%
State 30.2%
15.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.2%
State 3.6%
1.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
38.2%
State 18.0%
20.2pp 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 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 North High in Torrance, 81.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. North High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 26.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (80.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 51.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 209 students tested.

All students at this school: 70% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 70%, district —, state 36%70%
MaleMale: this school 70%, district 65%, state 42%70% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 70%, district 65%, state 44%70% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 62%, district 49%, state 32%62% · −8 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 64%, district 51%, state 32%64% · −6 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 87%, district 82%, state 72%87% · +17 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 68%, district 66%, state 56%68% · −2 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 80%, district 74%, state 56%80% · +10 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 32%, district 32%, state 15%32% · −38 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 54%, district 43%, state 26%54% · −16 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 20%, district 31%, state 11%20% · −50 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 92%, district 77%, state 65%92% · +23 vs school
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: 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
Hispanic34.1% AP · 44.7% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Asian45.8% AP · 29.3% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.4% AP · 0.7% enroll.
Black4.3% AP · 7.2% enroll.
White7.9% AP · 10.6% enroll.
Two or more races7.5% AP · 7.4% enroll.
English learners1.6% AP · 9.0% enroll.
Students with disabilities1.0% AP · 9.7% 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 14.3%, district 11.1%, state 30.2%14.3% · −15.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.2%, district —, state 3.6%2.2% · −1.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1213.7%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
North High
67/100
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.

Where graduates go

Context — none of this enters the Scope Score

In fall 2025, 45 of North's 447 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — San Diego the most common landing, with 12 enrollees.

Applied116fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted94
Enrolled45
Where they landed (fall 2025)
San Diego 12Irvine 11Riverside 7Berkeley 4Los Angeles 4Davis 3Merced ‹3Santa Barbara ‹3Santa Cruz ‹3

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

College destination mix, class of 2023

Class of 2023: 432 completers, 84% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 42 (10%)California State University 56 (13%)California community college 232 (54%)In-state private 5 (1%)Out-of-state, 4-year 25 (6%)Out-of-state, 2-year 3 (1%)Not enrolled 69 (16%)

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 enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025

Peak: 51 enrolled, 2014

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, 84% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (232) than at UC (42).

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 27:1, district 26:127:1
Teaching staff77 teachers
Avg. experience17.0 years
Fully credentialed90%
First-year teachers1%
Intern / emergency permit1.3%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$62,009 – $122,300
Principal salary$154,486 – $196,119
Superintendent salary$335,280

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers175 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers54 students
Advanced Coursework

North's teachers are authorized to teach 20 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 C: Mechanics.

AP subjects taught20
Math & Computer Science (5)Calculus AB · Calculus BC · Computer Science Principles · Precalculus · Statistics
Sciences (4)Biology · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Physics C: Mechanics
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (6)Human Geography · Macroeconomics · Psychology · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History · World History: Modern
World Languages & Cultures (3)French Language and Culture · Japanese Language and Culture · Spanish Language and Culture

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

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,688, CA average $14,491$17,688 · spent at this school
Federal share$10 per student

$10 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,002 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
Instruction63%
Instruction support11%
Student services9%
Administration7%
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$11,441 per pupil
2019$11,279 per pupil
2018$11,194 per pupil
2017$10,632 per pupil
2016$10,442 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic46.7%
District 34.7% · CA 56.1%
Asian22.9%
District 27.0% · CA 10.2%
Other13.3%
District 15.7% · CA 9.0%
White9.6%
District 18.5% · CA 19.9%
Black7.7%
District 4.1% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 44.6% (19pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$108K · CA $85K
Median home value$924K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+45% · CA 35%
ZIP population33,084
Median age42 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 46% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is North High a good high school?

North High has a Scope Score of 67 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California high schools and ranked #157 statewide. 39.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 23.6 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 North High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 69.8% of students at North High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 39.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 39.5% 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. 917 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does North High rank in California?

North High ranks #157 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 North High?

14.3% of students at North 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 2.2%. 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 North High compare to other schools in Torrance?

North High scores 67/100 (93rd 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 1,812 students. Use the schools in Torrance page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At North High in Torrance, 81.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. North High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 26.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (80.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 51.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 209 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 North High?

North High's teachers are authorized to teach 20 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, French Language and Culture, Human Geography, Japanese Language and Culture, Macroeconomics, Physics C: Mechanics, Precalculus, Psychology, Spanish Language and Culture, Statistics, U.S. Government and Politics, 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 North High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 45 North 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

All schools in Torrance →

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%
99.1%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 64th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
39.5%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 75th pctile
College readiness · 20%
52.2%
↑ vs CA 33.9% · 60th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
69.8%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 74th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
14.3%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.2%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
38.2%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 86th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1145954%31%10%5%85%+38
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1145825%30%22%23%55%+31
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1146617%29%50%4%

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 Disadvantaged20981.8%+26+44
Hispanic/Latino21080.5%+26+42
Asian10095.0%+13+21
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
North High ←—6739.5%69.8%—2.2%
West High2.2 mi6941.0%68.8%—1.7%
Torrance High2.5 mi6735.7%65.6%—2.0%
Environmental Charter High - Lawndale1.6 mi6024.2%59.7%—0.6%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
99.1%
AP Exam Prepared
52.2%
A-G Completion
60.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
84.0%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196385#31128.9%61.1%8.8%3.5%—
20226591#18136.1%64.7%13.9%1.1%—
20236592#18137.7%65.5%14.9%2.1%—
20246590#20534.3%66.3%11.2%1.3%—
20256793#15739.5%69.8%14.3%2.2%—
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
Female9.4%14.9%+5.5pp
Male7.0%12.5%+5.5pp
Asian3.9%6.0%+2.1pp
Black/African American12.3%16.0%+3.7pp
Filipino25.0%36.4%+11.4pp
White4.6%3.8%-0.8pp
Hispanic/Latino9.1%16.6%+7.5pp
Pacific Islander0.0%27.8%+27.8pp
Two or More Races12.6%18.8%+6.2pp
Students with Disabilities17.0%25.4%+8.4pp
English Learners14.0%19.5%+5.5pp
Homeless14.8%50.0%+35.2pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.4%16.2%+6.8pp
All Students8.1%13.7%+5.6pp
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
202511694453.883.964.08
202414993433.813.964.11
202313774423.874.044.07
202214479463.854.034.12
202112577403.813.984.06
20209664313.783.923.99
201911970403.844.054.11
201810966343.713.984.11
201711165433.713.984.03
20168561403.673.833.93
201510254333.763.984.11
201412081513.844.044.07

‹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
Berkeley202562124
Berkeley20247263
Berkeley202370125
Berkeley2022731610
Berkeley2021615‹3
Davis202551273
Davis20244621‹3
Davis202360236
Davis20225617‹3
Davis202148207
Irvine2025972611
Irvine20241113112
Irvine2023106185
Irvine20221202810
Irvine2021100197
Los Angeles20259284
Los Angeles20241131111
Los Angeles202310264
Los Angeles2022109119
Los Angeles202197108
Merced20254242‹3
Merced20242321‹3
Merced20231110‹3
Merced20221010‹3
Merced202117163
Riverside202571637
Riverside202454417
Riverside2023433011
Riverside202248343
Riverside202146324
San Diego2025932912
San Diego202499185
San Diego202398183
San Diego2022106295
San Diego202186296
Santa Barbara20257022‹3
Santa Barbara202476223
Santa Barbara202377204
Santa Barbara20228417‹3
Santa Barbara20217015‹3
Santa Cruz20252720‹3
Santa Cruz20244324‹3
Santa Cruz20232813‹3
Santa Cruz202229165
Santa Cruz2021218‹3
Universitywide20251169445
Universitywide20241499343
Universitywide20231377442
Universitywide20221447946
Universitywide20211257740

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
Biologythis school
Calculus ABthis school
Calculus BCthis school
Chemistrythis school
Computer Science Principlesthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
Environmental Sciencethis school
French Language and Culturethis school
Human Geographythis school
Japanese Language and Culturethis school
Macroeconomicsthis school
Physics C: Mechanicsthis school
Precalculusthis school
Psychologythis school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis school
U.S. Government and Politicsthis 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 count17
AP enrollment493
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentoffered · 223 enrolled
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections22
Physics sections12
Chemistry sections21
Total enrollment (CRDC)1,776

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 California429.7%
California State University5613.0%
California community college23253.7%
In-state private51.2%
Out-of-state, 4-year255.8%
Out-of-state, 2-year30.7%
Not enrolled6916.0%

432 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 84% · % 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) · 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

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