University Preparatory High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.
University Preparatory posts 50.0% 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.
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Grad rate | College readiness | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 68 | 50% | 81% | 95.6% | 0.0% | 10.2% | 1.7% |
| CA average · High School | 47 | 16% | 36% | 86.6% | 33.9% | 30.2% | 3.6% |
University Preparatory High scores 68 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 88th 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 “81% proficient” and call it done. University Preparatory deserves a closer read. The school sits in Visalia, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
University Preparatory's low-income kids hit 90.0% 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.
As a charter, University Preparatory enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.
The seven-year arc
Climbed from the 79th to the 88th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 200 high schools.
The pandemic drop is behind this school: 81% of students meet the standard today, above the 74% who did in 2019.
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 82% | 86% | 84% | 81% | 89% |
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 67% | 68% | 62% | 58% | 73% |
The story this school is actually telling
Of 100 students here: 81 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 6 things our score weighs
Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.
- Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
- 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 University Preparatory High in Visalia, 90.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 30.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. University Preparatory High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 59.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (70.0% Math proficient); White students (100.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.4 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 20 students tested.
5 of 11 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.
Showing up, and staying in class
Where the path goes
The path below is estimated from nearby schools in the same district — scores shown for each next step.
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
The people teaching here
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
What gets spent here
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood it serves
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
At 253 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).
On the state's science test (CAST), 74% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.
Frequently asked questions
Is University Preparatory High a good high school?
What are University Preparatory High's CAASPP test scores?
How does University Preparatory High rank in California?
What is the attendance and school culture like at University Preparatory High?
How does University Preparatory High compare to other schools in Visalia?
How does University Preparatory High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 59
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 52
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 45 | 60% | 29% | 9% | 2% | 89% | +40 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 45 | 40% | 33% | 18% | 9% | 73% | +50 |
We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, no valid result was published, or the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 47 | 32% | 43% | 26% | 0% |
CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 20 | 90.0% | +60 | +52 |
| White | 20 | 100.0% | +5 | +38 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 17 | 88.2% | +55 | +49 |
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Grade gap | Cohort growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Preparatory High ← | — | 68 | 50.0% | 81.1% | — | — | 1.7% |
| Redwood High | 0.8 mi | 66 | 28.3% | 57.5% | — | — | 1.5% |
| El Diamante High | 2.2 mi | 62 | 21.2% | 47.9% | — | — | 0.9% |
| Mt. Whitney High | 0.7 mi | 47 | 11.6% | 34.2% | — | — | 5.9% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | — | 3.6% |
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp | Grade gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 62 | 79 | #431 | 38.3% | 74.2% | 7.3% | 1.4% | — |
| 2022 | 66 | 87 | #273 | 44.6% | 76.9% | 12.2% | 1.7% | — |
| 2023 | 61 | 79 | #452 | 31.0% | 73.3% | 8.9% | 1.3% | — |
| 2024 | 62 | 81 | #412 | 36.2% | 69.6% | 8.6% | 0.8% | — |
| 2025 | 68 | 88 | #254 | 50.0% | 81.1% | 10.2% | 1.7% | — |
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 3.1% | 5.6% | +2.5pp |
| Male | 1.8% | 0.8% | -1.0pp |
| Asian | 6.7% | 0.0% | -6.7pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2.0% | 3.3% | +1.3pp |
| Two or More Races | 9.1% | 0.0% | -9.1pp |
| English Learners | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 4.2% | 4.8% | +0.6pp |
| All Students | 2.5% | 3.1% | +0.6pp |
| Students with Disabilities | — | 8.3% | — |
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| AP offered | not offered |
| AP course count | not reported |
| AP enrollment | not reported |
| IB participation | not offered |
| Dual enrollment | offered · 19 enrolled |
| Algebra I in grade 8 | not reported |
| Calculus sections | 4 |
| Physics sections | 1 |
| Chemistry sections | 3 |
| Total enrollment (CRDC) | 240 |
Shown, never scored — no entry to any composite. NULL/reserve codes render "not reported," never a fabricated zero. The equity block above this table (§4) is the per-subgroup view of this same collection.
| Destination | Completers | % (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| University of California | 6 | 10.5% |
| California State University | 10 | 17.5% |
| California community college | 28 | 49.1% |
| In-state private | 5 | 8.8% |
| Out-of-state, 4-year | 3 | 5.3% |
| Out-of-state, 2-year | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not enrolled | 5 | 8.8% |
57 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 91% · % column is computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers), not a CDE-native rate · a missing cell is CDE suppression, never a fabricated zero · source: CDE 12-mo CGR, 2023 cohort (the newest published), National Student Clearinghouse match — a different, older vintage than the fall 2025 UC admissions rows in tables 06-07 above.
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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