John Muir High

Summary:

John Muir High is a public high school in Pasadena, California, serving 1,012 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Pasadena Unified School District, which is ranked 730 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, John Muir High consistently ranks in the bottom half of California high schools, with standardized test scores significantly below the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 38.52% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 51.94% for the district and 55.73% for the state. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with White and multi-racial students generally outperforming their African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner peers. While Blair High and Pasadena High, two other high schools in the district, tend to have higher academic achievement, John Muir High outperforms the nearby Rose City High, a continuation school.

Additionally, John Muir High faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.3% to 40.2% over the past five years, and a relatively high dropout rate, which has ranged from 3.7% to 6.0% during the same period. These issues may be influenced by the school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 85.28% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. The school's student-teacher ratio, ranging from 18.9 to 21.1 over the past three years, could also be a contributing factor to its academic struggles.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1905 North Lincoln Ave.
       Pasadena, CA  91103-1315


(626) 396-5600

District: Pasadena Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1391st of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,951 Help


Feeder schools for John Muir High:

Elementary:    Altadena Elementary
    Madison Elementary
    Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary
    Washington Elementary STEM Magnet
Middle:    Octavia E. Butler Magnet

Student/teacher ratio:  21.1 Help
Number of students:  1,012

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
66.5%
African American:
21.0%
White:
7.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  85.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details John Muir High ranks worse than 59.9% of high schools in California. It also ranks 4th among 5 ranked high schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.25. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at John Muir 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (66.5%), African American (21%), White (7.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 85.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John Muir High is 21.1. 2 high schools in the Pasadena Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare John Muir High employs 47.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at John Muir High is $9,951, which is the 2nd highest among 5 high schools in the Pasadena Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John Muir High:

SchoolDigger ranks John Muir High 1391st of 2323 California public high schools. (See John Muir High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Pasadena Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pasadena Unified 730th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for John Muir High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 27.11 1009th 1653 39.0%
2005 25.55 1184th 1901 37.7%
2006 23.08 1303rd 1968 33.8%
2007 21.67 1435th 2063 30.4%
2008 25.19 1314th 2117 37.9%
2009 28.28 1471st 2238 34.3%
2010 22.98 1499th 2281 34.3%
2011 24.64 1470th 2367 37.9%
2012 22.99 1506th 2354 36.0%
2013 22.05 1577th 2426 35.0%
2015 35.30 1261st 1994 36.8%
2016 30.90 1348th 2039 33.9%
2017 43.71 1159th 2021 42.7%
2018 42.49 1169th 2017 42.0%
2019 27.03 1487th 2133 30.3%
2021 87.14 169th 1290 86.9%
2022 32.74 1364th 2123 35.8%
2023 33.44 1322nd 2348 43.7%
2024 31.25 1391st 2323 40.1%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 92.70 21st 786 97.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.40 739th 938 21.2%
2019 28.13 855th 941 9.1%
2022 26.81 988th 1044 5.4%
2023 37.35 538th 1323 59.3%
2024 23.03 1163rd 1350 13.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.78 835th 1547 46.0%
2024 20.74 1327th 1534 13.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.83 1085th 1862 41.7%
2019 32.73 1307th 1937 32.5%
2022 30.94 1337th 1943 31.2%
2023 29.18 1433rd 2247 36.2%
2024 27.29 1485th 2235 33.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 35.14 188th 290 35.2%
2023 16.77 373rd 417 10.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.42 1084th 1760 38.4%
2019 33.46 1200th 1833 34.5%
2022 25.65 1371st 1858 26.2%
2023 31.27 1308th 2118 38.2%
2024 38.14 1125th 2098 46.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.31 527th 1052 49.9%
2019 22.01 978th 1117 12.4%
2022 31.48 784th 1161 32.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 4.02 167th 168 0.6%
2023 8.27 228th 233 2.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.85 1105th 1834 39.7%
2019 23.06 1389th 1880 26.1%
2022 36.15 1135th 1916 40.8%
2023 33.61 1233rd 2207 44.1%
2024 20.88 1573rd 2172 27.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.32 230th 582 60.5%
2019 42.48 314th 592 47.0%
2022 39.44 293rd 522 43.9%
2023 41.15 383rd 720 46.8%
2024 40.65 381st 721 47.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.44 949th 1742 45.5%
2019 34.27 1192nd 1814 34.3%
2022 34.03 1223rd 1861 34.3%
2023 30.31 1369th 2142 36.1%
2024 32.66 1312th 2125 38.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at John Muir High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 60.82 432nd 1434 69.9%
2024 49.15 606th 1406 56.9%
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.

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





Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Open Quote We moved from private to attend Muir and couldn't be happier. The offerings for student to interact and be more hands on are the real reason why we feel this is a good move. Close Quote



Enrollment information for John Muir High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 445 989 98 439 1 n/a n/a 0 1972
1989 425 910 92 473 1 n/a n/a 0 1901
1990 411 897 90 574 1 n/a n/a 0 1973
1991 305 895 69 553 1 n/a n/a 0 1823
1992 289 839 49 598 1 n/a n/a 0 1776
1993 243 831 46 578 1 n/a n/a 0 1699
1994 222 897 31 607 1 n/a n/a 0 1758
1995 169 665 31 490 1 n/a n/a 0 1356
1996 169 665 31 490 1 n/a n/a 0 1356
1997 171 724 36 601 1 n/a n/a 0 1533
1998 137 786 28 644 2 n/a n/a 0 1597
1999 129 782 29 634 1 n/a n/a 0 1575
2000 130 743 33 613 0 n/a n/a 0 1519
2001 127 696 26 550 2 n/a n/a 0 1401
2002 127 636 27 572 0 n/a n/a 0 1362
2003 127 636 27 572 0 n/a n/a 0 1362
2004 113 661 28 635 0 n/a n/a 2 1439
2005 87 577 24 600 3 n/a n/a 1 1292
2006 59 558 15 536 0 n/a n/a 0 1168
2007 57 500 17 714 1 n/a n/a 10 1299
2008 53 450 11 778 1 n/a n/a 0 1293
2009 44 382 18 733 0 3 23 0 1203
2010 35 354 19 723 4 1 21 0 1157
2011 26 318 14 726 0 2 14 0 1100
2012 21 316 15 700 2 0 16 0 1070
2013 27 330 8 730 0 0 17 0 1112
2014 21 260 7 690 0 0 11 0 989
2015 21 256 10 620 1 1 10 0 919
2016 15 231 11 638 1 0 6 0 902
2017 18 219 14 628 1 0 17 0 897
2018 16 199 15 638 2 0 22 0 892
2019 15 222 13 608 1 1 19 0 879
2020 24 193 11 561 1 1 20 0 811
2021 43 223 11 626 1 2 20 1 927
2022 52 209 16 636 1 1 19 2 936
2023 72 213 16 673 1 1 33 3 1012

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 John Muir High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1972 77.8 25.3 n/a
1989 1901 73.8 25.7 n/a
1990 1973 73.8 26.7 n/a
1991 1823 75.0 24.3 n/a
1992 1776 76.2 23.3 24
1993 1699 69.1 24.6 29.3
1994 1758 70.8 24.8 33.9
1995 1356 61.4 22.1 40.3
1996 1356 61.4 22.1 40.3
1997 1533 66.9 22.9 48.6
1998 1597 63.6 25.1 47.3
1999 1575 66.4 23.7 49.5
2000 1519 72.6 20.9 48.3
2001 1401 70.0 20.0 43.8
2002 1362 64.0 21.3 51
2003 1362 64.0 21.3 51
2004 1439 60.4 23.8 52.6
2005 1292 63.4 20.4 56.5
2006 1168 55.0 21.2 61.1
2007 1299 53.9 24.1 58.2
2008 1293 72.2 17.9 0
2009 1203 67.0 15.4 61.6
2010 1157 66.3 17.4 76.7
2011 1100 n/a n/a 78.3
2012 1070 58.4 18.3 n/a
2013 1112 57.9 19.1 81.1
2014 989 55.2 17.9 84.2
2015 919 55.0 16.7 80.7
2016 902 55.0 16.4 76.4
2017 897 49.8 18.0 75.9
2018 892 46.2 19.2 75.7
2019 879 45.1 19.4 71.1
2020 811 n/a n/a 85
2021 927 45.5 20.3 85.9
2022 936 49.4 18.9 85.1
2023 1012 47.7 21.1 85.3

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 John Muir High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1972 77.8 25.3 n/a
1989 1901 73.8 25.7 n/a
1990 1973 73.8 26.7 n/a
1991 1823 75.0 24.3 n/a
1992 1776 76.2 23.3 24
1993 1699 69.1 24.6 29.3
1994 1758 70.8 24.8 33.9
1995 1356 61.4 22.1 40.3
1996 1356 61.4 22.1 40.3
1997 1533 66.9 22.9 48.6
1998 1597 63.6 25.1 47.3
1999 1575 66.4 23.7 49.5
2000 1519 72.6 20.9 48.3
2001 1401 70.0 20.0 43.8
2002 1362 64.0 21.3 51
2003 1362 64.0 21.3 51
2004 1439 60.4 23.8 52.6
2005 1292 63.4 20.4 56.5
2006 1168 55.0 21.2 61.1
2007 1299 53.9 24.1 58.2
2008 1293 72.2 17.9 0
2009 1203 67.0 15.4 61.6
2010 1157 66.3 17.4 76.7
2011 1100 n/a n/a 78.3
2012 1070 58.4 18.3 n/a
2013 1112 57.9 19.1 81.1
2014 989 55.2 17.9 84.2
2015 919 55.0 16.7 80.7
2016 902 55.0 16.4 76.4
2017 897 49.8 18.0 75.9
2018 892 46.2 19.2 75.7
2019 879 45.1 19.4 71.1
2020 811 n/a n/a 85
2021 927 45.5 20.3 85.9
2022 936 49.4 18.9 85.1
2023 1012 47.7 21.1 85.3

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 John Muir High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $9,951

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

Impact of COVID-19 on John Muir 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 1487th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1322nd of 2348 High schools
 13.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (John Muir High)34.940.2
 5.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Pasadena Unified)46.651.6
 5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (John Muir High)14.614.3
 0.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Pasadena Unified)22.424.1
 1.7%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (John Muir High)12.117.1
 5.1%
   11th Grade Science (Pasadena Unified)20.829.4
 8.6%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%
12th Grade Science (John Muir High)4.66.7
 2.2%
   12th Grade Science (Pasadena Unified)11.211.8
 0.6%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.8
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students8791012
 15.1%
African American222213
 4.1%
American Indian11
Asian1316
 23.1%
Hispanic608673
 10.7%
Pacific Islander11
White1572
 380%
Two or More Races1933
 73.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients71.1%85.3%
 14.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about John Muir High

John Muir High ranks 1391st of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at John Muir High are 67% Hispanic, 21% African American, 7% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,012 students attended John Muir High.


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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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