School Profile · San Diego
Poway to Palomar Middle College High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.
Poway to Palomar Middle College posts 61% meeting the standard; 22.2% push past it. Steady is worth something — and the gap between those two numbers is the thing to ask about.
11111 Rancho Bernardo Road, 92127·Poway Unified·San Diego·Grades 11-12·88 students·19% low-income·Magnet·2024–25 CAASPP·(858) 679-2531·Website
Magnet program — specialized public school with themed curriculum. Enrollment via district lottery, not neighborhood-based.
Scope Score
59
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #482 statewide · #6 of 6 in Poway Unified
Poway to Palomar Middle College High scores 59 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 72nd percentile of 1,739 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 “61% proficient” and call it done. Poway to Palomar Middle College deserves a closer read. It sits at the 72nd percentile of 1,739 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
61%
State 35%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
21%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 61 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 21 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 6 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
97.7%
State 87.6%
10.1pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
22.2%
State 15.5%
6.7pp above state avg
College readiness
20.7%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
61.1%
State 34.6%
26.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
19.0%
State 32.1%
13.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 4.0%
2.2pp 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
Elementary
▼
Middle
▼
High School
Poway to Palomar Middle Colleg…Magnet
59/100
This school
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 78
Del Norte High
Poway Unified · 1.9 mi
Strong
84/100
Rancho Bernardo High
Poway Unified · 2.3 mi
Strong
72/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 81
Design 39 Campus
Poway Unified · 2.2 mi
Strong
81/100
Rolling Hills Elementary
Poway Unified · 2.3 mi
Strong
81/100
Stone Ranch Elementary
Poway Unified · 2 mi
Strong
80/100
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 69
Oak Valley Middle
Poway Unified · 2 mi
Strong
76/100
Bernardo Heights Middle
Poway Unified · 2.3 mi
Solid
61/100
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
Hispanic20.4%
White44.3%
Asian21.6%
Black1.1%
Other12.5%
GenderFemale 63.6%Male 35.2%Non-binary 1.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
88
1,362 below CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
19%
44pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
44:1
23 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,633
District avg: $12,246 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$58,959 – $127,725
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Poway to Palomar Middle College High in San Diego, 85.0% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 72.4% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Poway to Palomar Middle College High outperforms its district average for white students by 12.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (55.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 20 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Hispanic+12.6pp
31.6% vs 19.0% overall · n=19
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
White20 tested
ELA 85.0%·Math 55.0%· +12.6pp 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
$167K
$82K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.10M
$437K above CA median
Bachelor's+
75%
40pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2022) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
21.3 years avg experience
8 teachers · 13% first-year
AP Exam Qualifiers
6 students qualified via AP
9 completed a CTE pathway
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%
97.7%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
22.2%
↑ vs CA 15.5% · 57th pctile
College readiness · 20%
20.7%
↓ vs CA 35.5% · 41th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
61.1%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 68th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
19.0%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 60th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 45 | 38% | 40% | 20% | 2% | 78% | +31 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 45 | 7% | 38% | 20% | 36% | 44% | +21 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 41 | 27% | 24% | 44% | 5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 20 | 85.0% | +13 | +23 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poway to Palomar Middle College High ← | — | 59 | 22.2% | 61.1% | — | 1.9% |
| Del Norte High | 1.9 mi | 84 | 51.8% | 79.4% | — | 0.9% |
| Rancho Bernardo High | 2.3 mi | 72 | 34.7% | 62.6% | — | 1.0% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.7%
AP Exam Prepared
20.7%
A-G Completion
27.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
Scope Score history
2023 · 2024 · 2025 · rank #274 → #283 → #482
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Poway to Palomar Middle College High a good high school?
Poway to Palomar Middle College High has a Scope Score of 59 out of 100, placing it in the 72nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #482 statewide. 22.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.7 percentage points above the California average of 15.5%. 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 Poway to Palomar Middle College High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 61.1% of students at Poway to Palomar Middle College High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 22.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 38.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 22.2% 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. 90 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Poway to Palomar Middle College High rank in California?
Poway to Palomar Middle College High ranks #482 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 72nd 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 Poway to Palomar Middle College High?
19.0% of students at Poway to Palomar Middle College High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 1.9%, 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 Poway to Palomar Middle College High compare to other schools in San Diego?
Poway to Palomar Middle College High scores 59/100 (72nd 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 88 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Poway to Palomar Middle College High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Poway to Palomar Middle College High in San Diego, 85.0% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 72.4% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Poway to Palomar Middle College High outperforms its district average for white students by 12.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (55.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 20 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.