Is Del Norte High a good school?

Yes! Del Norte High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 44 th of 2323 California high schools.

How many students attend Del Norte High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,531 students attended Del Norte High.

What is the racial makeup of Del Norte High?

Students at Del Norte High are 42% Asian, 35% White, 11% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Del Norte High?

Del Norte High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Del Sur Elementary Elementary : Monterey Ridge Elementary Elementary : Stone Ranch Elementary Elementary : Willow Grove Elementary Middle : Oak Valley Middle

Del Norte High

Summary:

Del Norte High is a public high school located in San Diego, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,531 students. The school is part of the Poway Unified School District, which is ranked 125 out of 1,568 districts in California and is rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Del Norte High consistently ranks among the top high schools in California, ranking 44th out of 2,323 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students perform exceptionally well on standardized tests, with 83.22% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 76.9% proficient or better in Mathematics in the 2023-2024 school year. Del Norte High's performance on the CAST Science assessment is also impressive, with 63.45% of 12th-grade students proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 57.87% for the Poway Unified School District and 26.73% for the state. The school has consistently maintained a high four-year graduation rate of 97.1% in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than the state average, and a low dropout rate of just 0.6% in the same year.

While Del Norte High outperforms its nearby counterparts, such as Westview High and Canyon Crest Academy, in academic performance, graduation rates, and test scores, the school faces some challenges, such as increasing chronic absenteeism, which has risen from 5.0% in the 2017-2018 school year to 12.1% in the 2022-2023 school year. Overall, Del Norte High's strong metrics and outcomes demonstrate a commitment to providing an excellent education for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

16601 Nighthawk Ln.
San Diego, CA 92127-4457

(858) 487-0877

District: Poway Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,079

Feeder schools for Del Norte High:

Elementary:	Del Sur Elementary
	Monterey Ridge Elementary
	Stone Ranch Elementary
	Willow Grove Elementary
Middle:	Oak Valley Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 26.5

Number of students: 2,531

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

42.2%

White:

35.1%

Hispanic:

10.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Del Norte High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Del Norte High ranks better than 98.1% of high schools in California. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked high schools in the Poway Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.37. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Del Norte High 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 Del Norte High has the largest high school student body size in the Poway Unified School District. Racial makeup is: Asian (42.2%), White (35.1%), Hispanic (10.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Poway Unified School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Del Norte High is 26.5, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Poway Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Del Norte High employs 95.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Del Norte High is $7,079, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Poway Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Del Norte High:

SchoolDigger ranks Del Norte High 44^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Del Norte High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Poway Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Poway Unified 125^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Del Norte High?

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Rank History for Del Norte High

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Rank History for all students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2010	81.94	112^th	2281	95.1%
2011	80.08	148^th	2367	93.7%
2012	69.39	311^th	2354	86.8%
2013	73.28	246^th	2426	89.9%
2015	95.88	55^th	1994	97.2%
2016	93.47	113^th	2039	94.5%
2017	96.73	40^th	2021	98.0%
2018	91.98	158^th	2017	92.2%
2019	97.30	51^st	2133	97.6%
2022	97.24	62^nd	2123	97.1%
2023	97.82	35^th	2348	98.5%
2024	97.37	44^th	2323	98.1%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	81.76	52^nd	366	85.8%
2019	85.36	42^nd	422	90.0%
2022	84.26	48^th	515	90.7%
2023	82.99	76^th	786	90.3%
2024	83.62	73^rd	804	90.9%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	98.02	23^rd	938	97.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	94.95	26^th	1547	98.3%
2024	96.99	19^th	1534	98.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	84.05	256^th	1862	86.3%
2019	96.64	50^th	1937	97.4%
2022	90.73	137^th	1943	92.9%
2023	86.74	187^th	2247	91.7%
2024	87.12	167^th	2235	92.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.02	155^th	1760	91.2%
2019	96.49	50^th	1833	97.3%
2022	96.96	54^th	1858	97.1%
2023	97.64	30^th	2118	98.6%
2024	96.47	44^th	2098	97.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	98.26	30^th	1052	97.1%
2019	97.44	30^th	1117	97.3%
2022	98.17	27^th	1161	97.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	92.07	146^th	1834	92.0%
2019	96.66	63^rd	1880	96.6%
2022	96.29	80^th	1916	95.8%
2023	97.59	45^th	2207	98.0%
2024	97.44	50^th	2172	97.7%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.69	115^th	581	80.2%
2019	88.37	39^th	582	93.3%
2022	86.53	50^th	581	91.4%
2023	88.51	31^st	731	95.8%
2024	86.59	46^th	712	93.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	96.18	11^th	522	97.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	88.21	174^th	1742	90.0%
2019	94.11	65^th	1814	96.4%
2022	88.57	142^nd	1861	92.4%
2023	96.57	48^th	2142	97.8%
2024	97.75	29^th	2125	98.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Del Norte High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.61	326^th	1173	72.2%
2019	84.59	133^rd	1222	89.1%
2022	82.17	176^th	1204	85.4%
2023	84.84	121^st	1434	91.6%
2024	80.38	158^th	1406	88.8%

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 Del Norte High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2010	486	35	170	59	2	2	33	0	787
2011	734	55	269	99	3	4	28	0	1192
2012	886	60	409	155	4	6	54	0	1574
2013	957	59	524	172	5	10	73	0	1800
2014	898	41	586	169	5	9	71	0	1779
2015	926	55	665	195	4	7	81	0	1933
2016	949	55	720	205	3	7	93	0	2032
2017	941	46	789	202	2	7	94	0	2081
2018	962	39	840	209	4	9	105	0	2168
2019	1026	37	928	218	3	10	129	0	2351
2020	943	37	943	256	5	8	266	1	2459
2021	946	37	998	261	2	6	229	2	2481
2022	937	38	1075	283	3	4	242	4	2586
2023	888	33	1069	276	4	5	251	5	2531

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 Del Norte High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	787	29.2	26.9	7.8
2011	1192	n/a	n/a	7.5
2012	1574	48.9	32.1	n/a
2013	1800	57.1	31.5	7.7
2014	1779	62.7	28.3	7.9
2015	1933	63.0	30.6	10.4
2016	2032	72.0	28.2	10.7
2017	2081	78.5	26.5	7.7
2018	2168	81.8	26.4	11.3
2019	2351	87.8	26.7	11.9
2020	2459	n/a	n/a	8.9
2021	2481	91.8	27.0	8.6
2022	2586	100.2	25.7	9.6
2023	2531	95.2	26.5	10.2

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 Del Norte High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	787	29.2	26.9	7.8
2011	1192	n/a	n/a	7.5
2012	1574	48.9	32.1	n/a
2013	1800	57.1	31.5	7.7
2014	1779	62.7	28.3	7.9
2015	1933	63.0	30.6	10.4
2016	2032	72.0	28.2	10.7
2017	2081	78.5	26.5	7.7
2018	2168	81.8	26.4	11.3
2019	2351	87.8	26.7	11.9
2020	2459	n/a	n/a	8.9
2021	2481	91.8	27.0	8.6
2022	2586	100.2	25.7	9.6
2023	2531	95.2	26.5	10.2

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 Del Norte High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$7,079

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Del Norte 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 51^st of 2133 High schools	Ranks 35^th of 2348 High schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Del Norte High)	86.7	85.5	1.2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Poway Unified)	77.7	80.8	3.2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Del Norte High)	82.1	76.8	5.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (Poway Unified)	69.4	65.2	4.2%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (Del Norte High)	52.9	65.2	12.3%
12th Grade Science (Poway Unified)	47.1	57.8	10.6%
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	2351	2531	7.7%
African American	37	33	10.8%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	928	1069	15.2%
Hispanic	218	276	26.6%
Pacific Islander	10	5	50%
White	1026	888	13.5%
Two or More Races	129	251	94.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.9%	10.2%	1.7%

Schools Near Del Norte High

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 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Del Norte High	Public	9-12	16601 Nighthawk Ln.	San Diego	92127	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 487-0877	2,531	95	26.5	10.2%	888 (35.1%)	33 (1.3%)	276 (10.9%)	1,069 (42.2%)	4 (0.2%)	5 (0.2%)	251 (9.9%)	97.4	44^th of 2323 public high schools	98.1%		97.8	35^th of 2348 public high schools	98.5%	9			63.5	63.5	83.2	83.2	76.9	76.9	$7,079
Poway to Palomar Middle College High	Public	11-12	11111 Rancho Bernardo Rd.	San Diego	92127	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 679-2531	37	2	17.4	21.6%	12 (32.4%)	3 (8.1%)	11 (29.7%)	6 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (13.5%)	86.5	223^rd of 2323 public high schools	90.4%		81.9	300^th of 2348 public high schools	87.2%	77			65.5	65.5	71.1	71.1	42.1	42.1
Mt. Carmel High	Public	9-12	9550 Carmel Mountain Rd.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 484-1180	1,865	80	23.1	17.0%	669 (35.9%)	64 (3.4%)	400 (21.4%)	478 (25.6%)	2 (0.1%)	5 (0.3%)	247 (13.2%)	92.4	120^th of 2323 public high schools	94.8%		92	140^th of 2348 public high schools	94.0%	20			55.1	55.1	74.0	74.0	58.2	58.2	$8,057
Rancho Bernardo High	Public	9-12	13010 Paseo Lucido	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 485-4800	2,318	90	25.7	13.8%	978 (42.2%)	51 (2.2%)	450 (19.4%)	530 (22.9%)	4 (0.2%)	5 (0.2%)	298 (12.9%)	93.5	105^th of 2323 public high schools	95.5%		96.6	63^rd of 2348 public high schools	97.3%	42			54.4	54.4	79.4	79.4	58.0	58.0	$7,357
Westview High	Public	9-12	13500 Camino Del Sur	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 780-2000	2,257	91	24.9	10.2%	770 (34.1%)	33 (1.5%)	268 (11.9%)	908 (40.2%)	3 (0.1%)	7 (0.3%)	267 (11.8%)	98	28^th of 2323 public high schools	98.8%		97.8	34^th of 2348 public high schools	98.6%	6			64.4	64.4	92.0	92.0	71.7	71.7	$7,081
Abraxas Continuation High	Public	9-12	12450 Glenoak Rd.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-5900	218	20	11.0	33.5%	80 (36.7%)	15 (6.9%)	67 (30.7%)	33 (15.1%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (9.2%)	10.2	2004^th of 2323 public high schools	13.7%					(n/a)					17.7	17.7	0.0	0.0	$28,192
Audeo Charter School III	Public, Charter	6-12	200 East Via Rancho Pkwy.	Escondido	92025	San Diego County	Audeo Charter School III District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 678-2050	111	4	30.7	60.4%	19 (17.1%)	4 (3.6%)	77 (69.4%)	4 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.3%)	21.5	1637^th of 2323 public high schools	29.5%		27	1505^th of 2348 public high schools	35.9%	132				11.1	27.3	29.0	18.2	10.0
Canyon Crest Academy	Public	9-12	5951 Village Center Loop Rd.	San Diego	92130	San Diego County	San Dieguito Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 350-0253	2,336	85	27.3	11.0%	947 (40.5%)	12 (0.5%)	199 (8.5%)	980 (42.0%)	1 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	183 (7.8%)	99	12^th of 2323 public high schools	99.5%		99.2	13^th of 2348 public high schools	99.4%	1		76.0		75.9	91.9	91.9	82.5	82.5	$6,606
San Pasqual High	Public	9-12	3300 Bear Valley Pkwy.	Escondido	92025	San Diego County	Escondido Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 291-6000	1,936	93	20.8	73.7%	457 (23.6%)	39 (2.0%)	1,314 (67.9%)	88 (4.5%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	28 (1.4%)	59.2	654^th of 2323 public high schools	71.8%		54.7	768^th of 2348 public high schools	67.3%	114	23.0		16.7	22.5	69.3	69.3	27.2	27.2	$7,857
Poway High	Public	9-12	15500 Espola Rd.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-0245	2,233	91	24.4	22.4%	1,092 (48.9%)	20 (0.9%)	699 (31.3%)	175 (7.8%)	3 (0.1%)	5 (0.2%)	235 (10.5%)	82	294^th of 2323 public high schools	87.3%		85.7	231^st of 2348 public high schools	90.2%	63			48.2	48.2	62.7	62.7	44.3	44.3	$7,705

Del Norte High

Del Norte High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Poway Unified:

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Rank History for Del Norte High

Rank History for all students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Del Norte High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Special Education students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Female students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Disabled students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Male students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Asian students at Del Norte High

Rank History for African American students at Del Norte High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Del Norte High

Rank History for White students at Del Norte High

Enrollment information for Del Norte High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Del Norte High

Student/Teacher Ratio Del Norte High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Del Norte High

Impact of COVID-19 on Del Norte High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Del Norte High

Frequently Asked Questions about Del Norte High

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