California Preparatory Academy

Summary:

California Preparatory Academy is a public virtual high school serving grades 9-12 in the Capistrano Unified School District, with 225 students. This relatively small school has consistently ranked highly among California Preparatory Academy high schools, with a statewide ranking between 84 and 304 over the past decade and a strong 4 or 5 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

California Preparatory Academy stands out for its exceptional academic performance. The school has maintained very high 4-year graduation rates, ranging from 91.5% to 95.8% over the past 5 years, significantly higher than the state average and nearby traditional high schools like Aliso Niguel High and Capistrano Valley High. Additionally, the school's dropout rates have been low, ranging from 0.0% to 3.7%, much lower than the state average and nearby traditional high schools.

Students at California Preparatory Academy consistently outperform their peers in the Capistrano Unified School District and the state of California on standardized assessments, with 78.43% of 11th graders proficient or better in ELA/Literacy in 2023-2024, compared to 76.16% in the district and 55.73% statewide. The school's strong performance extends across various student subgroups, with rankings often in the top 100 or top 200 high schools in California.

Detail:

Public, Virtual 9-12

32972 Calle Perfecto
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-4706

(949) 234-5317

District: Capistrano Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
210^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,811

Student/teacher ratio: 26.1

Number of students: 225

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.3%

Hispanic:

18.7%

Two or more races:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 22.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details California Preparatory Academy ranks better than 91% of high schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 8 ranked high schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.46. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at California Preparatory 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (65.3%), Hispanic (18.7%), two or more races (8.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 22.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at California Preparatory Academy is 26.1, which is the highest among 9 high schools in the Capistrano Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare California Preparatory Academy employs 8.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at California Preparatory Academy is $13,811, which is the 3^rd highest among 8 high schools in the Capistrano Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

California Preparatory Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks California Preparatory Academy 210^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See California Preparatory Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Capistrano Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Capistrano Unified 204^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for California Preparatory Academy

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Rank History for all students at California Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	71.62	278^th	2426	88.5%
2015	85.67	260^th	1994	87.0%
2016	82.70	329^th	2039	83.9%
2017	86.82	269^th	2021	86.7%
2018	93.60	126^th	2017	93.8%
2019	83.34	304^th	2133	85.7%
2021	92.83	89^th	1290	93.1%
2022	96.51	84^th	2123	96.0%
2023	84.80	241^st	2348	89.7%
2024	87.46	210^th	2323	91.0%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at California Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	95.07	79^th	1943	95.9%
2023	92.34	124^th	2247	94.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at California Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	95.08	55^th	1760	96.9%
2019	81.82	290^th	1833	84.2%
2021	87.99	122^nd	1054	88.4%
2022	95.26	85^th	1858	95.4%
2023	79.61	311^th	2118	85.3%
2024	85.81	210^th	2098	90.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at California Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	85.37	281^st	1834	84.7%
2022	96.87	70^th	1916	96.3%
2023	89.78	173^rd	2207	92.2%
2024	85.06	222^nd	2172	89.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at California Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	97.09	55^th	1861	97.0%
2023	94.47	73^rd	2142	96.6%

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

Rank History for White students at California Preparatory Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	91.57	60^th	1173	94.9%
2019	61.44	467^th	1222	61.8%
2022	88.99	91^st	1204	92.4%
2023	64.93	371^st	1434	74.1%
2024	67.12	350^th	1406	75.1%

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.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for California Preparatory Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2013	74	0	2	11	1	1	9	0	98
2014	107	0	6	16	1	1	13	0	144
2015	156	2	3	21	0	0	14	0	196
2016	137	1	1	24	0	0	13	0	176
2017	140	1	3	19	0	1	12	0	176
2018	99	3	8	10	0	0	14	0	134
2019	116	4	6	23	0	2	9	0	160
2020	101	2	13	20	0	0	16	0	152
2021	198	1	10	29	2	0	17	0	257
2022	190	1	24	58	1	0	18	3	295
2023	146	0	13	46	0	1	19	0	225
2024	147	1	14	42	0	1	20	0	225

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 California Preparatory Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	98	4.9	19.7	16.3
2014	144	5.2	27.4	5.6
2015	196	6.0	32.6	7.1
2016	176	4.0	44.0	9.1
2017	176	6.3	27.7	6.8
2018	134	6.6	20.1	9
2019	160	6.0	26.6	14.4
2020	152	n/a	n/a	8.6
2021	257	7.4	34.4	9.7
2022	295	7.5	39.2	21.7
2023	225	8.6	26.0	28.9
2024	225	8.6	26.1	22.7

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 California Preparatory Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	98	4.9	19.7	16.3
2014	144	5.2	27.4	5.6
2015	196	6.0	32.6	7.1
2016	176	4.0	44.0	9.1
2017	176	6.3	27.7	6.8
2018	134	6.6	20.1	9
2019	160	6.0	26.6	14.4
2020	152	n/a	n/a	8.6
2021	257	7.4	34.4	9.7
2022	295	7.5	39.2	21.7
2023	225	8.6	26.0	28.9
2024	225	8.6	26.1	22.7

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 California Preparatory Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$13,811

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on California Preparatory Academy

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 304^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 241^st of 2348 High schools	4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California Preparatory Academy)	73.2	70.9	2.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Capistrano Unified)	75.4	76.3	0.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (California Preparatory Academy)	39.5	38	1.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (Capistrano Unified)	50.5	49	1.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (California Preparatory Academy)	36.5	63.2	26.6%
12th Grade Science (Capistrano Unified)	46.5	50.7	4.2%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	160	225	40.6%
African American	4	0	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	6	13	116.7%
Hispanic	23	46	100%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	116	146	25.9%
Two or More Races	9	19	111.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	14.4%	28.9%	14.5%

Schools Near California Preparatory Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
California Preparatory Academy	Public, Virtual	9-12	32972 Calle Perfecto	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(949) 234-5317	225	9	26.1	22.7%	147 (65.3%)	1 (0.4%)	42 (18.7%)	14 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (8.9%)	87.5	210^th of 2323 public high schools	91.0%		84.8	241^st of 2348 public high schools	89.7%	31		51.5		48.7			78.4	78.4				45.7	45.7	$13,811
College and Career Advantage	Public	8-12	33122 Valle Rd.	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	College and Career Advantage	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(949) 234-9464	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano	Public, Charter	7-12	31878 Del Obispo St. Ste. 105	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 248-1282	159	8	20.0	52.2%	70 (44.0%)	5 (3.1%)	56 (35.2%)	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (12.6%)	48.1	909^th of 2323 public high schools	60.9%		54	786^th of 2348 public high schools	66.5%	123			15.8	15.0			51.0	48.1				24.5	23.1
Bridges Community Day	Public	7-12	31576 El Camino Real	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5302	14	3	4.4	42.9%	8 (57.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$27,524
OCASA College Prep	Public, Charter	6-12	31522 El Camino Real	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	OCASA College Prep District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 269-3290	105	9	11.6	38.1%	51 (48.6%)	1 (1.0%)	33 (31.4%)	3 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (16.2%)	48.9	894^th of 2323 public high schools	61.5%		54	787^th of 2348 public high schools	66.5%	107	33.3			36.7	28.6	35.0		29.6	14.3	53.9	52.4		39.2
Capistrano Union High	Public	9-12	31422 Camino Capistrano	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 489-7216	115	12	9.3	85.2%	23 (20.0%)	2 (1.7%)	85 (73.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.5%)	10.6	1973^rd of 2323 public high schools	15.1%		11.1	1998^th of 2348 public high schools	14.9%	25		2.4	5.0	3.3			17.0	17.0				0.0	0.0	$15,836
Dana Hills High	Public	9-12	33333 Golden Lantern	Dana Point	92629	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 496-6666	1,805	90	20.0	39.7%	948 (52.5%)	13 (0.7%)	616 (34.1%)	69 (3.8%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	151 (8.4%)	90.5	153^rd of 2323 public high schools	93.4%		82.1	294^th of 2348 public high schools	87.5%	141		56.4	18.2	55.3			80.4	80.4				48.9	48.9	$9,570
San Juan Hills High	Public	9-12	29211 Stallion Ridge	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5900	2,768	124	22.2	34.9%	1,430 (51.7%)	22 (0.8%)	897 (32.4%)	175 (6.3%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	229 (8.3%)	92.2	123^rd of 2323 public high schools	94.7%		87.7	214^th of 2348 public high schools	90.9%	91		56.4	9.1	55.6			80.3	80.3				54.6	54.6	$9,350
Capistrano Valley High	Public	9-12	26301 Via Escolar	Mission Viejo	92692	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 364-6100	1,981	95	20.9	39.1%	930 (46.9%)	23 (1.2%)	638 (32.2%)	198 (10.0%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	179 (9.0%)	83.7	268^th of 2323 public high schools	88.5%		90.1	173^rd of 2348 public high schools	92.6%	95		48.9		48.4			70.0	70.0				43.2	43.2	$10,165
San Clemente High	Public	9-12	700 Avenido Pico	San Clemente	92673	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 492-4165	2,765	125	22.0	35.5%	1,705 (61.7%)	15 (0.5%)	760 (27.5%)	56 (2.0%)	7 (0.3%)	6 (0.2%)	209 (7.6%)	84.3	259^th of 2323 public high schools	88.9%		90	178^th of 2348 public high schools	92.4%	81		27.0	10.5	21.4			76.0	76.0				45.5	45.5	$9,772

Frequently Asked Questions about California Preparatory Academy

What district is California Preparatory Academy in?

Capistrano Unified

Is California Preparatory Academy a good school?

Yes. California Preparatory Academy ranks in the top 9.0% of California high schools.

What is the racial makeup of California Preparatory Academy?

Students at California Preparatory Academy are 65% White, 19% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

How many students attend California Preparatory Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 225 students attended California Preparatory Academy.

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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.