School Profile · Torrance
South High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.
South posts 39.1% exceeding the standard — versus 15.5% 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.
4801 Pacific Coast Highway, 90505·Torrance Unified·Torrance·Grades 9-12·1,734 students·22% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 533-4352
Scope Score
75
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #118 statewide · #2 of 5 in Torrance Unified
South High scores 75 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd 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 “68% proficient” and call it done. South deserves a closer read. It sits at the 93rd percentile of 1,739 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
The headline number: 39.1% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 15.5%.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
68%
State 35%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
69%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 68 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 69 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
76.1%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
South's most underrated number
76.1% 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.
South low-income: 76.1%State low-income: 38.2%
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
95.9%
State 87.6%
8.3pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
39.1%
State 15.5%
23.6pp above state avg
College readiness
69.1%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
68.3%
State 34.6%
33.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.1%
State 32.1%
20.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.3%
State 4.0%
1.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
28.3%
State 17.7%
10.6pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
South High
75/100
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
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 79
Palos Verdes Peninsula High
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified · 2.1 mi
Strong
87/100
Redondo Union High
Redondo Beach Unified · 2.6 mi
Strong
76/100
West High
Torrance Unified · 2.5 mi
Strong
76/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Rolling Hills Preparatory
Palos Verdes Dr N · Nonsectarian · Grades 1-12 · 217 students
6:1Private4.3 mi
Nishiyamato Academy of California
Lomita Blvd · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-9 · 85 students
4:1Private2.2 mi
Switzer Learning Center
Amapola Ct · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 62 students
8:1Private3.4 mi
Fusion Academy Sb: South Bay
Pacific Coast Hwy Ste 260 · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 43 students
2:1Private4.2 mi
Fusion Palos Verdes
Deep Valley Dr Ste 250 · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 32 students
5:1Private2.7 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic23.5%
White26.5%
Asian32.7%
Black1.9%
Other15.4%
GenderFemale 49.9%Male 50.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,734
284 above CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
22%
41pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
3 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,219
District avg: $11,441 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
28.3% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$62,009 – $122,300
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At South High in Torrance, 76.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. South High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 20.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (57.5% Math proficient); Asian students (85.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 88 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+10.0pp
22.1% vs 12.1% overall · n=208
Suspension · Disabilities+3.9pp
6.2% vs 2.3% overall · n=211
ELA · English Learner−55.6pp
20.0% vs 75.6% overall · n=20
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−36.0pp
5.0% vs 41.0% overall · n=20
Math · Disabilities−40.3pp
20.7% vs 61.0% overall · n=29
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−26.9pp
10.3% vs 37.2% overall · n=29
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income88 tested
ELA 76.1%·Math 57.5%· +20.7pp vs district
Asian141 tested
ELA 85.8%·Math 83.5%· +3.6pp vs district
Hispanic99 tested
ELA 63.6%·Math 37.8%· +9.4pp 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
$116K
$31K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.20M
$545K above CA median
Bachelor's+
60%
25pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
18.5 years avg experience
78 teachers · 1% first-year
Teacher Credentials
86% fully credentialed
AP Courses Offered
46 AP courses
233 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%
95.9%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
39.1%
↑ vs CA 15.5% · 74th pctile
College readiness · 20%
69.1%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 70th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
68.3%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 73th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.1%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.3%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 58th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
28.3%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 78th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 393 | 41% | 35% | 16% | 9% | 76% | +28 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 387 | 37% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 61% | +38 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 414 | 19% | 36% | 43% | 2% |
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 | 88 | 76.1% | +21 | +38 |
| Asian | 141 | 85.8% | +4 | +11 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 99 | 63.6% | +9 | +25 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South High ← | — | 75 | 39.1% | 68.3% | — | 2.3% |
| Palos Verdes Peninsula High | 2.1 mi | 87 | 57.8% | 82.4% | — | 1.1% |
| Redondo Union High | 2.6 mi | 76 | 36.4% | 63.2% | — | 1.4% |
| West High | 2.5 mi | 76 | 41.0% | 68.8% | — | 1.7% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.9%
AP Exam Prepared
69.1%
A-G Completion
75.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
83.7%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #164 → #137 → #147 → #135 → #118
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 South High a good high school?
South High has a Scope Score of 75 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California high schools and ranked #118 statewide. 39.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 23.6 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 South High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 68.3% of students at South High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 39.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 39.1% 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. 780 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does South High rank in California?
South High ranks #118 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 South High?
12.1% of students at South 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 2.3%. 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 South High compare to other schools in Torrance?
South High scores 75/100 (93rd 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 1,734 students. Use the schools in Torrance page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does South High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At South High in Torrance, 76.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. South High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 20.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (57.5% Math proficient); Asian students (85.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 88 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.