ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Rancho Bernardo High · San Diego

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

Rancho Bernardo posts 63% meeting the standard, and 34.7% 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.

13010 Paseo Lucido, 92128 (opens in new tab)·Poway Unified·San Diego·Grades 9-12·2,210 students·15% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(858) 485-4800·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6344
% Exceeded35%16%
% Met+63%36%
Grad rate97.0%87.6%
College readiness53.1%35.4%
Absence15.0%30.2%
Suspension1.0%3.6%
Scope Score
63
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #239 statewide · #5 of 6 in Poway Unified

Rancho Bernardo High scores 63 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 89th 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 “63% proficient” and call it done. Rancho Bernardo deserves a closer read. It sits at the 89th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Rancho Bernardo's low-income kids hit 51.9% 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 89th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELARed(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 63% meet the standard today, versus 77% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1181%89%85%79%70%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1173%72%70%58%56%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
63%
State 36%
Graduate
97%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
53%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 63 are proficient by 11th grade → 97 graduate → 53 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

51.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Rancho Bernardo's most underrated number

51.9% 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.

Rancho Bernardo low-income: 51.9%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
97.0%
State 87.6%
9.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
34.7%
State 15.8%
18.9pp above state avg
College readiness
53.1%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
62.6%
State 35.7%
26.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.0%
State 30.2%
15.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 3.6%
2.7pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
30.2%
State 18.0%
12.3pp 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 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 Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego, 51.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 50.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Rancho Bernardo High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (38.5% Math proficient); White students (71.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 79 students tested.

All students at this school: 63% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 63%, district —, state 36%63%
FemaleFemale: this school 66%, district 70%, state 44%66% · +3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 59%, district 70%, state 42%59% · −3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 63%, district 68%, state 56%63% · +0 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 79%, district 87%, state 72%79% · +17 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 48%, district 50%, state 32%48% · −14 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 46%, state 32%45% · −18 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 64%, district 71%, state 56%64% · +1 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 27%, district 34%, state 15%27% · −36 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 60%, district 70%, state 65%60% · −3 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 39%, district 42%, state 26%39% · −24 vs school

5 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 15.0%, district 9.7%, state 30.2%15.0% · −15.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.0%, district —, state 3.6%1.0% · −2.7pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1214.5%

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 25:1, district 23:125:1
Teaching staff105 teachers
Avg. experience15.4 years
Fully credentialed81%
First-year teachers2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$58,959 – $127,725
Principal salary$160,698 – $181,289
Superintendent salary$362,500

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered26
AP exam qualifiers213 students
CTE pathway completers114 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $15,270, CA average $14,815$15,270 · spent at this school
Federal share$376 per student

$376 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$15,880 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support12%
Student services8%
Administration5%
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$12,246 per pupil
2019$11,959 per pupil
2018$12,266 per pupil
2017$11,181 per pupil
2016$10,952 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White40.7%
District 37.6% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic19.9%
District 17.4% · CA 56.1%
Other19.0%
District 17.8% · CA 9.0%
Asian18.0%
District 25.5% · CA 10.2%
Black2.4%
District 1.6% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 15.2% (49pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$131K · CA $85K
Median home value$927K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+64% · CA 35%
ZIP population48,992
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 2,210 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 55% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rancho Bernardo High a good high school?

Rancho Bernardo High has a Scope Score of 63 out of 100, placing it in the 89th percentile of California high schools and ranked #239 statewide. 34.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 18.9 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 Rancho Bernardo High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 62.6% of students at Rancho Bernardo High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 34.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 34.7% 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. 1,032 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Rancho Bernardo High rank in California?

Rancho Bernardo High ranks #239 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 89th 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 Rancho Bernardo High?

15.0% of students at Rancho Bernardo 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 1.0%, 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 Rancho Bernardo High compare to other schools in San Diego?

Rancho Bernardo High scores 63/100 (89th 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 2,210 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Rancho Bernardo High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego, 51.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 50.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Rancho Bernardo High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (38.5% Math proficient); White students (71.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 79 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%
97.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 61th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
34.7%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 70th pctile
College readiness · 20%
53.1%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 60th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
62.6%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 69th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.0%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 62th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 62th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
30.2%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 73th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1151339%31%16%14%70%+22
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1151930%25%23%21%56%+32
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1137718%37%41%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 Disadvantaged7951.9%+1+14
White21271.2%−1+9
Asian9678.1%−9+4
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Rancho Bernardo High ←6334.7%62.6%1.0%
Poway to Palomar Middle College High2.3 mi5322.2%61.1%1.7%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.0%
AP Exam Prepared
53.1%
A-G Completion
74.5%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
84.7%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197193#15044.3%77.1%8.9%1.9%
20227396#8152.6%80.5%18.5%2.0%
20237196#9250.6%77.6%16.1%1.1%
20246692#17739.2%68.7%15.4%1.6%
20256389#23934.7%62.6%15.0%1.0%
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
Female7.5%16.6%+9.1pp
Male9.2%12.5%+3.3pp
Asian3.6%6.5%+2.9pp
Black/African American9.2%21.4%+12.2pp
Filipino26.7%
White4.6%15.9%+11.3pp
Hispanic/Latino10.0%17.4%+7.4pp
Pacific Islander0.0%
Two or More Races8.0%12.0%+4.0pp
Students with Disabilities18.3%26.3%+8.0pp
English Learners9.1%20.0%+10.9pp
Homeless34.6%20.0%-14.6pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged14.1%23.4%+9.3pp
All Students8.4%14.5%+6.1pp
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