Irvine Unified: Irvine Unified high schools lead at 68.6. A 57.8-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
Irvine Unified has 37 ranked schools across elementary and high levels with an average Scope Score of 65.5/100 — 26.6 points above the state average of 38.9. The highest-scoring school is Santiago Hills Elementary at 90/100, where 66.6% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,060 per student (below the state average of $14,491). 3 schools rank as Growth Engines — cohort growth (the school's returning cohort, tracked across a two-year span) well above the state median. Chronic absenteeism averages 11.2%, below the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools average 64.8/100 — 25.9 points above the state average, with 28 of 30 in the Strong band.
44 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 30 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Santiago Hills Elementary (90/100) holds the Strong band — 66.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 46.2%. 3 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
44 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.
The high school years
The high schools average 68.6/100 — 14.6 points above the state average, with 6 of 7 in the Strong band.
49 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 7 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Northwood High (81/100) holds the Strong band — 47.2% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 34.0%. 5 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
49 points separate the top and bottom high schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.
What it means for your family
The 58-point spread means the district average is nearly meaningless for an address decision — the zoned elementary school is the whole decision. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Santiago Hills Elementary at 90/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 5 campuses here rank as Growth Engine (3) or On the Rise (2), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.
The strongest-scoring run through the district:
Santiago Hills Elementary StrongNorthwood High Strong
Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.
What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.
The system behind the schools
Irvine Unified spends $13,060 per student — $1,431 below the state average — and still scores above the state line.
NCES F-33 district finance 2019–2020 (district grain, not school-specific) · CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)
Every school in Irvine Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP · levels never mixed
Elementary Schools (30)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago Hills Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 66.6% | Strong 90/100 |
| 2 | Deerfield Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 55.7% | Strong 82/100 |
| 3 | Turtle Rock Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 62.8% | Strong 80/100 |
| 4 | Eastshore Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 61.1% | Strong 80/100 |
| 5 | Brywood Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 56.9% | Strong 74/100 |
| 6 | Westpark Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 52.5% | Strong 74/100 |
| 7 | Bonita Canyon Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 53.7% | Strong 73/100 |
| 8 | Stone Creek Elementary Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 53.0% | Strong 72/100 |
| 9 | Irvine Unified School District Virtual Academy Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 52.6% | Strong 72/100 |
| 10 | Vista Verde Irvine Unified High Ceiling | 51.9% | Strong 72/100 |
| 11 | Canyon View Elementary Irvine Unified Building Momentum | 55.8% | Strong 68/100 |
| 12 | Loma Ridge Elementary Irvine Unified Growth Engine | 46.6% | Strong 68/100 |
| 13 | Stonegate Elementary Irvine Unified Building Momentum | 57.2% | Strong 67/100 |
| 14 | Eastwood Elementary Irvine Unified Growth Engine | 41.5% | Strong 66/100 |
| 15 | Cadence Park Irvine Unified Growth Engine | 41.0% | Strong 66/100 |
| 16 | College Park Elementary Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 49.1% | Strong 64/100 |
| 17 | Beacon Park Irvine Unified Solid Base | 46.0% | Strong 63/100 |
| 18 | Meadow Park Elementary Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 43.9% | Strong 63/100 |
| 19 | Woodbury Elementary Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 45.0% | Strong 62/100 |
| 20 | Portola Springs Elementary Irvine Unified Solid Base | 42.3% | Strong 60/100 |
| 21 | Plaza Vista Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 38.0% | Strong 59/100 |
| 22 | Solis Park Irvine Unified Solid Base | 43.9% | Strong 59/100 |
| 23 | Alderwood Elementary Irvine Unified Solid Base | 38.0% | Strong 55/100 |
| 24 | Springbrook Elementary Irvine Unified Culture First | 35.0% | Strong 55/100 |
| 25 | University Park Elementary Irvine Unified On the Rise | 30.6% | Strong 52/100 |
| 26 | Cypress Village Elementary Irvine Unified Solid Base | 42.5% | Strong 52/100 |
| 27 | Northwood Elementary Irvine Unified Culture First | 34.7% | Strong 51/100 |
| 28 | Culverdale Elementary Irvine Unified On the Rise | 29.9% | Strong 49/100 |
| 29 | Greentree Elementary Irvine Unified Culture First | 31.9% | Solid 48/100 |
| 30 | Oak Creek Elementary Irvine Unified Building Momentum | 27.8% | Solid 46/100 |
High Schools (7)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwood High Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 47.2% | Strong 81/100 |
| 2 | Woodbridge High Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 41.9% | Strong 78/100 |
| 3 | Portola High Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 41.1% | Strong 78/100 |
| 4 | University High Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 39.0% | Strong 77/100 |
| 5 | Irvine High Irvine Unified Strong All-Around | 40.0% | Strong 75/100 |
| 6 | Alternative Education-San Joaquin High Irvine Unified Culture First | 24.0% | Solid 58/100 |
| 7 | Creekside High Irvine Unified continuation high school | 4.5% | Strong 32/100 · 88th in class |
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Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology