Is Pacific Coast Academy a good school?

Pacific Coast Academy ranks 2398 th of 5862 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pacific Coast Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 5,612 students attended Pacific Coast Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Pacific Coast Academy?

Students at Pacific Coast Academy are 52% White, 31% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% African American.

Pacific Coast Academy

Summary:

Pacific Coast Academy is a public charter virtual school located in Poway, California, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 4,891 students. The school stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, outperforming the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and CAST/Science across all grade levels.

Pacific Coast Academy's test scores are particularly impressive, with the largest gaps compared to the state average in 11th grade English Language Arts/Literacy (72.11% vs. 55.73%), 11th grade Mathematics (38.1% vs. 27.9%), and 10th grade Science (59.09% vs. 24.63%). The school also has a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 32.4, which may contribute to its success. Compared to nearby schools, such as Learning Choice Academy, Pacific Coast Academy outperforms in test scores, graduation rates, and dropout rates, demonstrating its strong academic standing in the region.

Despite having a higher-than-average free and reduced lunch rate of 37.78%, indicating a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, Pacific Coast Academy has maintained a 91.4% four-year graduation rate and a low 3.3% dropout rate for the 2022-2023 school year. The school's virtual model may be a contributing factor to its success, providing a flexible and personalized learning environment for students. Overall, Pacific Coast Academy stands out as a high-performing virtual charter school that consistently outpaces the state and nearby schools in key academic metrics.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Virtual, Alternative K-12

13915 Danielson St. #103
Poway, CA 92064-8884

(619) 749-1928

District: Pacific Coast Academy District

SchoolDigger Rank:
2398^th of 5,862 California Alternative Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 34.8

Number of students: 5,612

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.8%

Hispanic:

30.9%

Two or more races:

11.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pacific Coast Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pacific Coast Academy ranks better than 59.1% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.91. (See more...)

Compare Details Pacific Coast Academy ranks better than 71.8% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 65.1. (See more...)

Compare Details Pacific Coast Academy ranks better than 75.3% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.27. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Pacific Coast Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pacific Coast Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Pacific Coast Academy 2398^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Pacific Coast Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Pacific Coast Academy 784^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Pacific Coast Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Pacific Coast Academy 574^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Pacific Coast Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Native American students:

White students:

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Your rating for Pacific Coast Academy?

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Rank History for Pacific Coast Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	27.92	4111^th	5789	29.0%
2021	59.21	524^th	1417	63.0%
2022	55.08	2290^th	5883	61.1%
2023	53.78	2353^rd	5874	59.9%
2024	52.91	2398^th	5862	59.1%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	12.64	404^th	445	9.2%
2022	20.90	503^rd	610	17.5%
2023	28.87	520^th	669	22.3%
2024	17.72	584^th	669	12.7%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	29.59	2527^th	3275	22.8%
2021	56.53	146^th	602	75.7%
2022	44.18	1525^th	3311	53.9%
2023	63.33	671^st	3250	79.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	76.89	357^th	2420	85.2%
2024	74.98	428^th	2634	83.8%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	28.86	3945^th	5173	23.7%
2021	70.29	236^th	1110	78.7%
2022	50.03	2273^rd	5264	56.8%
2023	56.85	1941^st	5374	63.9%
2024	51.44	2296^th	5511	58.3%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	25.54	4186^th	5492	23.8%
2021	56.48	500^th	1267	60.5%
2022	53.72	2228^th	5635	60.5%
2023	50.37	2389^th	5617	57.5%
2024	49.80	2419^th	5605	56.8%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	57.33	784^th	2585	69.7%
2021	76.01	44^th	293	85.0%
2022	67.33	461^st	2227	79.3%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Military Connected students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	49.91	62^nd	130	52.3%
2023	42.09	83^rd	140	40.7%
2024	43.62	65^th	118	44.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	30.73	3739^th	5510	32.1%
2021	60.49	445^th	1272	65.0%
2022	55.17	2181^st	5663	61.5%
2023	55.98	2137^th	5650	62.2%
2024	54.55	2229^th	5636	60.5%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Asian students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	25.23	936^th	1149	18.5%
2022	57.26	636^th	1154	44.9%
2023	52.72	710^th	1190	40.3%
2024	52.01	734^th	1203	39.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	30.35	542^nd	747	27.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	24.52	4068^th	4963	18.0%
2022	49.11	2263^rd	5084	55.5%
2023	49.58	2251^st	5098	55.8%
2024	57.30	1825^th	5102	64.2%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	9.87	2630^th	2834	7.2%
2022	30.91	1987^th	2726	27.1%
2023	27.12	2050^th	2662	23.0%
2024	25.99	2067^th	2647	21.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Pacific Coast Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	38.61	1496^th	2715	44.9%
2021	64.03	279^th	894	68.8%
2022	56.07	997^th	2740	63.6%
2023	62.16	844^th	2802	69.9%
2024	65.10	784^th	2777	71.8%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	29.38	423^rd	554	23.6%
2022	38.58	411^th	665	38.2%
2023	36.67	429^th	678	36.7%
2024	39.75	427^th	699	38.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.96	233^rd	1538	84.9%
2024	79.79	179^th	1550	88.5%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	46.05	1142^nd	2369	51.8%
2021	69.27	156^th	721	78.4%
2022	47.99	1082^nd	2458	56.0%
2023	62.38	694^th	2549	72.8%
2024	63.07	687^th	2575	73.3%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	39.89	1323^rd	2380	44.4%
2021	58.90	256^th	738	65.3%
2022	55.09	938^th	2509	62.6%
2023	57.92	872^nd	2547	65.8%
2024	61.44	798^th	2546	68.7%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	65.31	334^th	1491	77.6%
2021	73.45	53^rd	354	85.0%
2022	65.17	330^th	1531	78.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Military Connected students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	47.36	102^nd	193	47.2%
2023	47.83	101^st	197	48.7%
2024	66.09	61^st	191	68.1%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	35.10	1460^th	2407	39.3%
2021	67.45	211^th	763	72.3%
2022	55.86	915^th	2527	63.8%
2023	64.24	728^th	2558	71.5%
2024	66.35	699^th	2547	72.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Asian students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	17.54	637^th	745	14.5%
2024	56.04	382^nd	741	48.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	31.32	1495^th	2213	32.4%
2022	55.78	831^st	2359	64.8%
2023	61.14	704^th	2391	70.6%
2024	71.71	478^th	2383	79.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	19.95	1307^th	1602	18.4%
2022	37.95	958^th	1555	38.4%
2023	41.48	892^nd	1552	42.5%
2024	41.15	876^th	1535	42.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Pacific Coast Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	76.46	431^st	2133	79.8%
2021	75.63	292^nd	1290	77.4%
2022	69.45	540^th	2123	74.6%
2023	59.51	666^th	2348	71.6%
2024	63.27	574^th	2323	75.3%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Multi-racial students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	51.29	253^rd	515	50.9%
2023	44.63	381^st	786	51.5%
2024	39.54	429^th	804	46.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	47.27	305^th	1323	76.9%
2024	35.94	600^th	1350	55.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	74.12	167^th	1547	89.2%
2024	76.07	148^th	1534	90.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	61.68	641^st	1937	66.9%
2021	80.27	186^th	1126	83.5%
2022	56.54	711^th	1943	63.4%
2023	59.11	652^nd	2247	71.0%
2024	61.24	579^th	2235	74.1%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Homeless students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.13	124^th	417	70.3%
2024	46.95	240^th	451	46.8%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	53.26	773^rd	1833	57.8%
2021	74.60	247^th	1054	76.6%
2022	69.23	473^rd	1858	74.5%
2023	55.53	699^th	2118	67.0%
2024	59.51	611^th	2098	70.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Disabled students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	61.60	272^nd	1161	76.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for high school Military Connected students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.73	124^th	233	46.8%
2024	58.49	85^th	234	63.7%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	77.77	365^th	1880	80.6%
2021	69.70	302^nd	1122	73.1%
2022	65.92	545^th	1916	71.6%
2023	61.38	582^nd	2207	73.6%
2024	64.57	535^th	2172	75.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Asian students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.26	308^th	731	57.9%
2024	63.77	284^th	712	60.1%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.20	447^th	720	37.9%
2024	31.83	481^st	721	33.3%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	74.47	359^th	1814	80.2%
2022	53.90	749^th	1861	59.8%
2023	54.88	716^th	2142	66.6%
2024	66.41	465^th	2125	78.1%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school Native American students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	97.95	1^st	33	97.0%
2024	83.48	4^th	35	88.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Pacific Coast Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	54.25	564^th	1222	53.8%
2022	51.95	567^th	1204	52.9%
2023	40.35	748^th	1434	47.8%
2024	43.60	696^th	1406	50.5%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pacific Coast Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2019	1425	157	195	682	10	6	322	0	2797
2020	2112	107	148	1090	17	10	494	0	3978
2021	2237	97	177	1220	21	9	503	0	4264
2022	2340	91	184	1290	23	9	552	3	4492
2023	2592	80	190	1443	25	12	548	1	4891
2024	2909	73	224	1735	25	14	629	3	5612

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pacific Coast Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	2797	99.5	28.0	39.5
2020	3978	n/a	n/a	36.8
2021	4264	147.9	28.8	39.2
2022	4492	146.8	30.5	38.1
2023	4891	150.7	32.4	37.8
2024	5612	160.9	34.8	38.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pacific Coast Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	2797	99.5	28.0	39.5
2020	3978	n/a	n/a	36.8
2021	4264	147.9	28.8	39.2
2022	4492	146.8	30.5	38.1
2023	4891	150.7	32.4	37.8
2024	5612	160.9	34.8	38.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates