ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Saratoga High · Saratoga

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

Saratoga posts 62.9% 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.

20300 Herriman Avenue, 95070 (opens in new tab)·Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High·Saratoga·Grades 9-12·1,161 students·3% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(408) 867-3411·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope8344
% Exceeded63%16%
% Met+83%36%
Grad rate96.0%87.6%
College readiness93.0%35.4%
Absence10.1%30.2%
Suspension0.4%3.6%
Scope Score
83
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #16 statewide

Saratoga High scores 83 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 99th 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 →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “83% proficient” and call it done. Saratoga deserves a closer read. It sits at the 99th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Saratoga's low-income kids hit 73.3% 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 99th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 83% meet the standard today, versus 92% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1194%88%86%89%86%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1191%88%89%84%79%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
83%
State 36%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
93%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 83 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 93 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
96.0%
State 87.6%
8.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
62.9%
State 15.8%
47.0pp above state avg
College readiness
93.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
82.6%
State 35.7%
46.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
10.1%
State 30.2%
20.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.4%
State 3.6%
3.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
45.0%
State 18.0%
27.0pp 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 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 Saratoga High in Saratoga, 73.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 68.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Saratoga High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.7% Math proficient); Asian students (89.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 15 students tested.

All students at this school: 83% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 83%, district —, state 36%83%
AsianAsian: this school 89%, district 89%, state 72%89% · +7 vs school
MaleMale: this school 83%, district 76%, state 42%83% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 82%, district 75%, state 44%82% · −0 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 71%, district 68%, state 56%71% · −12 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 85%, district 84%, state 56%85% · +2 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 38%, district 34%, state 15%38% · −44 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 60%, district 61%, state 32%60% · −23 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 35%, district 49%, state 32%35% · −48 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: 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

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 10.1%, district 10.4%, state 30.2%10.1% · −20.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.4%, district —, state 3.6%0.4% · −3.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–128.9%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 19:1, district 20:119:1
Teaching staff76 teachers
Avg. experience17.4 years
Fully credentialed89%
First-year teachers1%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$85,896 – $165,138
Principal salary$0 – $234,663
Superintendent salary$295,272

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered63
AP exam qualifiers252 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $26,939, CA average $14,815$26,939 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,019 per student

$1,019 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$27,341 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
Instruction55%
Instruction support11%
Student services11%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance12%
Other3%

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$16,925 per pupil
2019$16,636 per pupil
2018$17,307 per pupil
2017$16,723 per pupil
2016$15,955 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian62.6%
District 34.1% · CA 10.2%
White16.4%
District 40.0% · CA 19.9%
Other15.3%
District 16.2% · CA 9.0%
Hispanic5.3%
District 9.5% · CA 56.1%
Black0.3%
District 0.3% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 3.5% (60pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$250K · CA $85K
Median home value$2.00M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+81% · CA 35%
ZIP population31,417
Median age52 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 64% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saratoga High a good high school?

Saratoga High has a Scope Score of 83 out of 100, placing it in the 99th percentile of California high schools and ranked #16 statewide. 62.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 47.0 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 Saratoga High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 82.6% of students at Saratoga High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 62.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 19.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 62.9% 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. 541 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Saratoga High rank in California?

Saratoga High ranks #16 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 99th 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 Saratoga High?

10.1% of students at Saratoga 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 0.4%, 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 Saratoga High compare to other schools in Saratoga?

Saratoga High scores 83/100 (99th 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 1,161 students. Use the schools in Saratoga page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Saratoga High in Saratoga, 73.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 68.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Saratoga High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.7% Math proficient); Asian students (89.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 15 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

All schools in Saratoga →

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%
96.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
62.9%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 100th pctile
College readiness · 20%
93.0%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 83th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
82.6%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 84th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
10.1%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.4%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 65th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
45.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 96th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1127063%23%7%7%86%+39
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1127163%16%12%9%79%+56
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1127434%30%32%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 Disadvantaged1573.3%+5+35
Asian16889.9%+0+16
White4881.3%+0+19
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Saratoga High ←—8362.9%82.6%—0.4%
Lynbrook High2.6 mi8477.5%92.3%—0.3%
Prospect High2.3 mi6230.1%50.7%—2.7%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.0%
AP Exam Prepared
93.0%
A-G Completion
89.3%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
92.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20198699#1374.6%92.2%6.0%2.0%—
20228399#1368.3%88.2%9.2%0.9%—
20238399#1962.2%87.2%10.0%0.6%—
20248299#1663.3%86.4%9.2%0.9%—
20258399#1662.9%82.6%10.1%0.4%—
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
Female5.8%7.5%+1.7pp
Male4.5%10.0%+5.5pp
Asian4.4%7.7%+3.3pp
Filipino3.0%4.1%+1.1pp
Hispanic/Latino13.2%15.5%+2.3pp
Two or More Races5.1%7.4%+2.3pp
Students with Disabilities17.7%23.3%+5.6pp
English Learners20.0%18.2%-1.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.4%17.0%+5.6pp
All Students5.1%8.9%+3.8pp
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

← Browse all schools