School Profile · Salinas
Salinas High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.
Salinas posts 52% meeting the standard; 23.7% push past it. Steady is worth something — and the gap between those two numbers is the thing to ask about.
726 South Main Street, 93901·Salinas Union High·Salinas·Grades 9-12·2,380 students·78% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 796-7400·Website
Scope Score
61
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #390 statewide · #1 of 7 in Salinas Union High
Salinas High scores 61 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 78th 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 “52% proficient” and call it done. Salinas deserves a closer read. The school sits in Salinas, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 66.4% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
52%
State 35%
Graduate
93%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
61%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 52 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 61 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
66.4%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Salinas's most underrated number
66.4% 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.
Salinas low-income: 66.4%State low-income: 38.2%
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
92.9%
State 87.6%
5.3pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
23.7%
State 15.5%
8.2pp above state avg
College readiness
60.6%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
51.6%
State 34.6%
17.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.0%
State 32.1%
19.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.8%
State 4.0%
1.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.2%
State 17.7%
6.5pp 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
No feeder data available for this level
▼
High School
Salinas High
61/100
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
Hispanic76.0%
White16.9%
Asian1.8%
Black0.8%
Other4.5%
GenderFemale 48.8%Male 51.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
2,380
930 above CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
78%
14pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
1 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$16,544
District avg: $13,447 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
11.2% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$61,054 – $143,305
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Salinas High in Salinas, 66.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Salinas High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 26.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (64.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 59.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 408 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+14.3pp
27.3% vs 13.0% overall · n=22
Suspension · Black+6.3pp
9.1% vs 2.8% overall · n=22
ELA · English Learner−59.9pp
8.8% vs 68.7% overall · n=34
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−32.3pp
0.0% vs 32.3% overall · n=34
Math · English Learner−31.7pp
2.8% vs 34.5% overall · n=36
Math Exceeded · English Learner−15.0pp
0.0% vs 15.0% overall · n=36
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income415 tested
ELA 66.4%·Math 31.3%· +26.0pp vs district
Hispanic388 tested
ELA 64.8%·Math 28.6%· +24.1pp vs district
White83 tested
ELA 84.3%·Math 54.2%· +16.9pp 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
$85K
$331 below CA median
Median Home Value
$658K
$1K below CA median
Bachelor's+
28%
7pp below 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
12.0 years avg experience
122 teachers · 3% first-year · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
85% fully credentialed
0.9% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
38 AP courses
217 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%
92.9%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 56th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
23.7%
↑ vs CA 15.5% · 58th pctile
College readiness · 20%
60.6%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 65th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
51.6%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 62th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.0%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.8%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.2%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 45th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 511 | 32% | 36% | 18% | 14% | 69% | +21 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 519 | 15% | 19% | 25% | 40% | 34% | +11 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 616 | 8% | 29% | 59% | 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 | 408 | 66.4% | +26 | +28 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 383 | 64.8% | +24 | +26 |
| White | 83 | 84.3% | +17 | +23 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas High ← | — | 61 | 23.7% | 51.6% | — | 2.8% |
| North Salinas High | 2.8 mi | 52 | 10.9% | 32.6% | — | 2.1% |
| Salinas Community | 3.1 mi | 24 | 10.3% | 12.3% | — | 2.4% |
| Mount Toro High | 1.5 mi | 23 | 1.0% | 3.4% | — | 8.9% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
92.9%
AP Exam Prepared
60.6%
A-G Completion
56.7%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
81.7%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #595 → #611 → #502 → #421 → #390
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 Salinas High a good high school?
Salinas High has a Scope Score of 61 out of 100, placing it in the 78th percentile of California high schools and ranked #390 statewide. 23.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.2 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 Salinas High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 51.6% of students at Salinas High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.7% 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. 1,030 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Salinas High rank in California?
Salinas High ranks #390 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 78th 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 Salinas High?
13.0% of students at Salinas 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 2.8%. 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 Salinas High compare to other schools in Salinas?
Salinas High scores 61/100 (78th 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 2,380 students. Use the schools in Salinas page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Salinas High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Salinas High in Salinas, 66.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Salinas High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 26.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (64.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 59.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 408 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.