Arcata High

Summary:

Arcata High is a public high school located in Arcata, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,052 students. This school consistently performs well, ranking in the top 15% of California high schools for the past several school years and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2023-2024 school year.

Arcata High's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with students consistently outperforming their peers in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District and the state of California on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, 60.89% of Arcata High's 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 49.41% in the district and 55.73% statewide. The school's performance in mathematics and science assessments is also impressive, with 36.8% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in mathematics and 51.78% of 12th-grade students proficient or better in science, both significantly higher than the district and state averages. Arcata High's graduation rate is also exceptionally high at 97.7%, and its dropout rate is low at 0.5%.

While Arcata High faces challenges with increasing chronic absenteeism, the school's overall success highlights the effectiveness of its educational programs and support systems. Compared to nearby schools, such as McKinleyville High, Arcata High's performance is notably stronger, with its 11th-grade students outperforming their peers in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school's success is particularly impressive given that it has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, demonstrating the school's ability to address the needs of this student population effectively.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1720 M St.
       Arcata, CA  95521-5741


(707) 825-2400

District: Northern Humboldt Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
357th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,174 Help


Feeder schools for Arcata High:

Elementary:    Arcata Elementary
    Blue Lake Union Elementary
    Jacoby Creek
    Maple Creek Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Sunny Brae Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  20.6 Help
Number of students:  1,052

Racial breakdown:

White:
66.0%
Hispanic:
16.0%
Two or more races:
9.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  38.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Arcata High ranks better than 84.6% of high schools in California. It also ranks first among 5 ranked high schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.95. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Arcata High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Arcata High has the largest high school student body size in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District. Racial makeup is: White (66%), Hispanic (16%), two or more races (9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 38.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Arcata High is 20.6. 3 high schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Arcata High employs 51 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Arcata High is $13,174, which is the highest among 5 high schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Arcata High:

SchoolDigger ranks Arcata High 357th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Arcata High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Northern Humboldt Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern Humboldt Union High 538th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Arcata High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 68.69 213th 1653 87.1%
2005 66.80 301st 1901 84.2%
2006 70.00 286th 1968 85.5%
2007 75.51 184th 2063 91.1%
2008 80.44 120th 2117 94.3%
2009 72.74 219th 2238 90.2%
2010 75.09 198th 2281 91.3%
2011 67.28 347th 2367 85.3%
2012 63.16 459th 2354 80.5%
2013 72.47 265th 2426 89.1%
2015 87.88 217th 1994 89.1%
2016 78.50 397th 2039 80.5%
2017 83.86 339th 2021 83.2%
2018 83.10 348th 2017 82.7%
2019 86.61 244th 2133 88.6%
2021 84.13 201st 1290 84.4%
2022 81.03 353rd 2123 83.4%
2023 78.58 354th 2348 84.9%
2024 77.95 357th 2323 84.6%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.82 231st 366 36.9%
2019 48.24 238th 422 43.6%
2022 42.03 308th 515 40.2%
2023 22.27 574th 786 27.0%
2024 47.14 358th 804 55.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 67.52 240th 1547 84.5%
2024 72.48 182nd 1534 88.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.04 412th 1862 77.9%
2019 80.06 291st 1937 85.0%
2021 91.00 77th 1126 93.2%
2022 68.40 468th 1943 75.9%
2023 66.49 488th 2247 78.3%
2024 70.22 410th 2235 81.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 65.38 125th 451 72.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.05 419th 1760 76.2%
2019 88.02 186th 1833 89.9%
2021 73.13 260th 1054 75.3%
2022 78.60 344th 1858 81.5%
2023 80.33 294th 2118 86.1%
2024 78.15 328th 2098 84.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 98.10 35th 1052 96.7%
2019 95.34 42nd 1117 96.2%
2022 79.46 134th 1161 88.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.75 272nd 1834 85.2%
2019 79.21 341st 1880 81.9%
2021 88.30 139th 1122 87.6%
2022 79.31 338th 1916 82.4%
2023 72.51 424th 2207 80.8%
2024 73.78 404th 2172 81.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.49 644th 1742 63.0%
2019 80.75 255th 1814 85.9%
2022 75.68 335th 1861 82.0%
2023 67.56 460th 2142 78.5%
2024 67.57 440th 2125 79.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Arcata High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.04 404th 1173 65.6%
2019 76.59 230th 1222 81.2%
2022 69.17 334th 1204 72.3%
2023 63.81 386th 1434 73.1%
2024 59.94 440th 1406 68.7%
See the entire list of Best California High 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.

Arcata High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Arcata High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 762 3 20 22 12 n/a n/a 0 819
1989 737 0 17 32 18 n/a n/a 0 804
1990 713 7 15 27 39 n/a n/a 0 801
1991 726 8 12 21 44 n/a n/a 0 811
1992 751 14 12 25 55 n/a n/a 0 857
1993 770 13 19 25 45 n/a n/a 0 872
1994 787 11 22 35 59 n/a n/a 0 914
1995 923 5 27 13 50 n/a n/a 0 1018
1996 923 5 27 13 50 n/a n/a 0 1018
1997 939 9 25 18 60 n/a n/a 0 1051
1998 995 6 25 17 36 n/a n/a 0 1079
1999 1044 10 19 25 33 n/a n/a 0 1131
2000 1017 8 19 31 32 n/a n/a 0 1107
2001 1016 8 22 40 37 n/a n/a 0 1123
2002 876 13 28 50 52 n/a n/a 27 1046
2003 876 13 28 50 52 n/a n/a 27 1046
2004 820 21 28 51 53 n/a n/a 47 1020
2005 744 16 26 68 68 n/a n/a 56 978
2006 699 21 35 76 60 n/a n/a 60 951
2007 658 22 28 71 58 n/a n/a 62 899
2008 619 24 35 68 55 n/a n/a 0 801
2009 608 24 35 68 53 4 59 0 851
2010 628 25 31 71 56 6 17 0 834
2011 468 17 26 79 36 5 178 0 809
2012 490 18 29 87 33 8 153 0 818
2013 443 13 19 78 32 5 236 0 826
2014 384 7 15 68 20 4 334 0 832
2015 644 4 19 78 22 5 58 0 830
2016 647 10 15 90 20 2 71 0 855
2017 612 10 20 99 18 3 95 0 857
2018 620 9 23 121 18 5 93 0 889
2019 644 9 22 136 26 3 105 0 945
2020 680 9 19 144 29 4 93 1 979
2021 658 12 22 134 28 3 83 2 942
2022 698 17 26 151 30 0 80 4 1006
2023 694 16 29 168 39 2 95 9 1052

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 Arcata High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 819 33.0 24.8 n/a
1989 804 32.9 24.4 n/a
1990 801 30.6 26.1 n/a
1991 811 31.4 25.8 n/a
1992 857 31.9 26.8 7.2
1993 872 37.6 23.2 9.7
1994 914 38.4 23.8 8.2
1995 1018 44.8 22.7 10.1
1996 1018 44.8 22.7 10.1
1997 1051 44.8 23.5 9.1
1998 1079 48.0 22.5 7.8
1999 1131 50.4 22.4 6.5
2000 1107 50.2 22.1 7
2001 1123 53.8 20.9 10.2
2002 1046 50.4 20.8 5.6
2003 1046 50.4 20.8 5.6
2004 1020 47.0 21.7 6.8
2005 978 45.6 21.4 10.7
2006 951 43.0 22.1 10.3
2007 899 44.8 20.1 11.2
2008 801 53.3 15.0 14.4
2009 851 40.0 15.8 45.4
2010 834 50.0 16.6 44.4
2011 809 n/a n/a 12.6
2012 818 34.9 23.4 n/a
2013 826 39.2 21.0 29.7
2014 832 37.2 22.3 24.9
2015 830 40.0 20.7 27.7
2016 855 38.0 22.5 31
2017 857 42.6 20.0 29.2
2018 889 43.6 20.3 37.5
2019 945 43.9 21.5 36.1
2020 979 n/a n/a 35.8
2021 942 44.4 21.1 36.3
2022 1006 50.0 20.0 36
2023 1052 51.0 20.6 38.7

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 Arcata High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 819 33.0 24.8 n/a
1989 804 32.9 24.4 n/a
1990 801 30.6 26.1 n/a
1991 811 31.4 25.8 n/a
1992 857 31.9 26.8 7.2
1993 872 37.6 23.2 9.7
1994 914 38.4 23.8 8.2
1995 1018 44.8 22.7 10.1
1996 1018 44.8 22.7 10.1
1997 1051 44.8 23.5 9.1
1998 1079 48.0 22.5 7.8
1999 1131 50.4 22.4 6.5
2000 1107 50.2 22.1 7
2001 1123 53.8 20.9 10.2
2002 1046 50.4 20.8 5.6
2003 1046 50.4 20.8 5.6
2004 1020 47.0 21.7 6.8
2005 978 45.6 21.4 10.7
2006 951 43.0 22.1 10.3
2007 899 44.8 20.1 11.2
2008 801 53.3 15.0 14.4
2009 851 40.0 15.8 45.4
2010 834 50.0 16.6 44.4
2011 809 n/a n/a 12.6
2012 818 34.9 23.4 n/a
2013 826 39.2 21.0 29.7
2014 832 37.2 22.3 24.9
2015 830 40.0 20.7 27.7
2016 855 38.0 22.5 31
2017 857 42.6 20.0 29.2
2018 889 43.6 20.3 37.5
2019 945 43.9 21.5 36.1
2020 979 n/a n/a 35.8
2021 942 44.4 21.1 36.3
2022 1006 50.0 20.0 36
2023 1052 51.0 20.6 38.7

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Arcata High

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $13,174

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Arcata High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 244th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 354th of 2348 High schools
 3.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Arcata High)74.564.9
 9.6%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Northern Humboldt Union High)65.157.7
 7.4%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Arcata High)37.838.8
 1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Northern Humboldt Union High)32.631.9
 0.7%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
12th Grade Science (Arcata High)56.441.3
 15.1%
   12th Grade Science (Northern Humboldt Union High)41.635.2
 6.4%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students9451052
 11.3%
African American916
 77.8%
American Indian2639
 50%
Asian2229
 31.8%
Hispanic136168
 23.5%
Pacific Islander32
 33.3%
White644694
 7.8%
Two or More Races10595
 9.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.1%38.7%
 2.6%


Schools Near Arcata High









Frequently Asked Questions about Arcata High

Students at Arcata High are 66% White, 16% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

Arcata High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Arcata Elementary
Elementary : Blue Lake Union Elementary
Elementary : Jacoby Creek
Elementary : Maple Creek Elementary
Elementary : Pacific Union Elementary
Elementary : Peninsula Union
Middle : Sunny Brae Middle

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,052 students attended Arcata High.

Arcata High ranks 357th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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