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Tamalpais High · Mill Valley

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

Tamalpais posts 34.8% 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.

700 Miller Avenue, 94941 (opens in new tab)·Tamalpais Union High·Mill Valley·Grades 9-12·1,470 students·12% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(415) 380-3510·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6944
% Exceeded35%16%
% Met+62%36%
Grad rate98.6%87.6%
College readiness90.6%35.4%
Absence17.4%30.2%
Suspension2.4%3.6%
Scope Score
69
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #131 statewide · #2 of 5 in Tamalpais Union High

Tamalpais High scores 69 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 94th 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “62% proficient” and call it done. Tamalpais deserves a closer read. It sits at the 94th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 90.6% of students leave measurably college-ready, versus 35.4% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has held the 94th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 62% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1171%79%78%77%71%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1154%60%61%56%53%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
62%
State 36%
Graduate
99%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
91%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 62 are proficient by 11th grade → 99 graduate → 91 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
98.6%
State 87.6%
11.0pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
34.8%
State 15.8%
18.9pp above state avg
College readiness
90.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
62.0%
State 35.7%
26.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
17.4%
State 30.2%
12.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.4%
State 3.6%
1.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
25.0%
State 18.0%
7.0pp 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 Tamalpais High in Mill Valley, 41.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Tamalpais High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.0% Math proficient); White students (78.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 31 students tested.

All students at this school: 62% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 62%, district —, state 36%62%
WhiteWhite: this school 68%, district 66%, state 56%68% · +6 vs school
MaleMale: this school 60%, district 61%, state 42%60% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 64%, district 62%, state 44%64% · +2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 37%, district 43%, state 32%37% · −25 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 22%, district 21%, state 15%22% · −40 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 66%, district 63%, state 56%66% · +4 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 35%, district 33%, state 32%35% · −27 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 61%, district 68%, state 72%61% · −1 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
English LearnersEnglish Learners: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: 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 17.4%, district 25.7%, state 30.2%17.4% · −12.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.4%, district —, state 3.6%2.4% · −1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1216.7%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 19:1, district 19:119:1
Teaching staff81 teachers
Avg. experience16.2 years
Fully credentialed90%
First-year teachers4%
Intern / emergency permit1.9%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$75,619 – $145,695
Principal salary$0 – $210,142
Superintendent salary$302,259

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered63
AP exam qualifiers329 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $25,023, CA average $14,815$25,023 · spent at this school
Federal share$282 per student

$282 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$27,690 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 support9%
Student services13%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other4%

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$18,225 per pupil
2019$17,224 per pupil
2018$19,565 per pupil
2017$18,416 per pupil
2016$17,534 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White69.1%
District 69.2% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic11.9%
District 14.3% · CA 56.1%
Other10.8%
District 10.5% · CA 9.0%
Asian5.0%
District 4.1% · CA 10.2%
Black3.3%
District 2.0% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 11.8% (52pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$210K · CA $85K
Median home value$2.00M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+76% · CA 35%
ZIP population32,706
Median age46 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 51% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tamalpais High a good high school?

Tamalpais High has a Scope Score of 69 out of 100, placing it in the 94th percentile of California high schools and ranked #131 statewide. 34.8% 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 Tamalpais High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 62.0% of students at Tamalpais High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 34.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 34.8% 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. 650 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Tamalpais High rank in California?

Tamalpais High ranks #131 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 94th 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 Tamalpais High?

17.4% of students at Tamalpais 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 2.4%. 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 Tamalpais High compare to other schools in Mill Valley?

Tamalpais High scores 69/100 (94th 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 1,470 students. Use the schools in Mill Valley page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Tamalpais High in Mill Valley, 41.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Tamalpais High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.0% Math proficient); White students (78.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 31 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 Mill Valley →

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%
98.6%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 63th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
34.8%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 70th pctile
College readiness · 20%
90.6%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 82th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
62.0%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 69th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
17.4%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.4%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
25.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 64th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1132442%28%12%18%71%+23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1132627%26%21%25%53%+30
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1133521%30%42%7%

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 Disadvantaged3141.9%+1+4
White22178.7%+4+17
Students with Disabilities3828.9%+3+12
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Tamalpais High ←—6934.8%62.0%—2.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
98.6%
AP Exam Prepared
90.6%
A-G Completion
87.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
83.9%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197193#14634.2%62.5%15.5%3.9%—
20227397#7238.6%69.2%16.1%0.7%—
20237296#8139.7%69.7%23.1%2.2%—
20247095#9836.2%66.7%18.2%2.7%—
20256994#13134.8%62.0%17.4%2.4%—
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
Female16.7%17.0%+0.3pp
Male13.5%16.5%+3.0pp
Asian10.6%17.6%+7.0pp
Black/African American36.8%44.0%+7.2pp
Filipino9.4%——
White16.7%——
Hispanic/Latino27.0%23.1%-3.9pp
Two or More Races10.3%15.2%+4.9pp
Students with Disabilities24.6%27.0%+2.4pp
English Learners26.1%3.8%-22.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged27.2%32.5%+5.3pp
All Students15.1%16.7%+1.6pp
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

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