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

Pacifica High has a Scope Score of 64 out of 100, placing it in the 90th percentile of California high schools and ranked #210 statewide. 37.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 21.6 percentage points above 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.

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 65.9% of students at Pacifica High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 37.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 37.4% 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. 754 student-subject combinations were assessed.

Pacifica High ranks #210 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 90th 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.

10.4% of students at Pacifica 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 1.5%, 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.

Pacifica High scores 64/100 (90th 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 1,634 students. Use the schools in Garden Grove page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

At Pacifica High in Garden Grove, 71.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pacifica High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 16.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (72.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.5 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 203 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.