Is Kearny Digital Media & Design a good school?

Kearny Digital Media & Design ranks 580 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Kearny Digital Media & Design?

In the 2023-24 school year, 341 students attended Kearny Digital Media & Design.

What is the racial makeup of Kearny Digital Media & Design?

Students at Kearny Digital Media & Design are 58% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 12% White, 9% Two or more races, 8% African American.

What schools feed into Kearny Digital Media & Design?

Kearny Digital Media & Design is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Angier Elementary Elementary : Carson Elementary Elementary : Chesterton Elementary Elementary : Cubberley Elementary Elementary : Fletcher Elementary Elementary : Jones Elementary Elementary : Juarez Elementary Elementary : Linda Vista Elementary Elementary : Ross Elementary Elementary : Wegeforth Elementary Middle : Montgomery Middle Middle : Taft Middle

Kearny Digital Media & Design

Summary:

Kearny Digital Media & Design is a public high school in San Diego, California, serving 344 students in grades 9-12 and part of the San Diego Unified School District.

Kearny Digital Media & Design consistently ranks among the top 25% of California high schools, with strong academic performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments, where 74.68% of 11th-grade students are proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 20.25% in Mathematics. The school also maintains a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 93.2% to 100% over the past five years, and a low dropout rate. While the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism, it remains lower than the district average. Kearny Digital Media & Design's performance is generally strong across different student subgroups, though Asian and multi-racial students show relatively weaker results.

Compared to nearby schools within the San Diego Unified School District, such as Clairemont High and Twain High, Kearny Digital Media & Design consistently outperforms them on academic metrics, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The school's proximity to other Kearny-branded schools, such as Kearny School of Biomedical Science and Technology and Kearny Eng Innov & Design, may contribute to its strong performance, and its ability to support students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds is also noteworthy.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1954 Komet Way
San Diego, CA 92111-5731

(858) 496-8370

District: San Diego Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,590

Feeder schools for Kearny Digital Media & Design:

Elementary:	Angier Elementary
	Carson Elementary
	Chesterton Elementary
	Cubberley Elementary
	More...
	Fletcher Elementary
	Jones Elementary
	Juarez Elementary
	Linda Vista Elementary
	Ross Elementary
	Wegeforth Elementary
Middle:	Montgomery Middle
	Taft Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 25.1

Number of students: 341

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.1%

Asian:

12.6%

White:

12.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.3%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Kearny Digital Media & Design to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kearny Digital Media & Design ranks better than 75% of high schools in California. It also ranks 13^th among 24 ranked high schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.63. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Kearny Digital Media & Design 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 Student population at Kearny Digital Media & Design is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (58.1%), Asian (12.6%), White (12%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kearny Digital Media & Design is 25.1. 19 high schools in the San Diego Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Kearny Digital Media & Design employs 13.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kearny Digital Media & Design is $8,590. 12 high schools in the San Diego Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kearny Digital Media & Design:

SchoolDigger ranks Kearny Digital Media & Design 580^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Kearny Digital Media & Design in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

San Diego Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Diego Unified 604^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Kearny Digital Media & Design

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Rank History for all students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2005	76.89	130^th	1901	93.2%
2006	78.43	142^nd	1968	92.8%
2007	42.19	821^st	2063	60.2%
2008	48.83	707^th	2117	66.6%
2009	53.60	638^th	2238	71.5%
2010	54.73	628^th	2281	72.5%
2011	66.68	358^th	2367	84.9%
2012	59.57	548^th	2354	76.7%
2013	55.44	642^nd	2426	73.5%
2015	72.85	490^th	1994	75.4%
2016	85.97	265^th	2039	87.0%
2017	82.31	366^th	2021	81.9%
2018	81.72	377^th	2017	81.3%
2019	83.36	303^rd	2133	85.8%
2022	67.56	572^nd	2123	73.1%
2023	55.60	741^st	2348	68.4%
2024	62.63	580^th	2323	75.0%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	51.29	253^rd	515	50.9%
2023	8.69	702^nd	786	10.7%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.69	390^th	1547	74.8%
2024	56.05	395^th	1534	74.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	87.31	205^th	1862	89.0%
2019	88.27	160^th	1937	91.7%
2022	77.61	318^th	1943	83.6%
2023	73.17	383^rd	2247	83.0%
2024	66.80	472^nd	2235	78.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	85.68	245^th	1760	86.1%
2019	88.40	179^th	1833	90.2%
2022	65.25	533^rd	1858	71.3%
2023	53.27	754^th	2118	64.4%
2024	53.30	746^th	2098	64.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	75.22	167^th	1052	84.1%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.20	148^th	233	36.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	76.68	422^nd	1834	77.0%
2019	80.97	307^th	1880	83.7%
2022	70.13	492^nd	1916	74.3%
2023	56.23	678^th	2207	69.3%
2024	65.44	522^nd	2172	76.0%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	41.01	460^th	731	37.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.50	200^th	1742	88.5%
2019	92.78	84^th	1814	95.4%
2022	69.65	441^st	1861	76.3%
2023	57.33	648^th	2142	69.7%
2024	65.26	492^nd	2125	76.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	53.11	619^th	1173	47.2%
2023	62.05	411^th	1434	71.3%
2024	72.34	271^st	1406	80.7%

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.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Kearny Digital Media & Design

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2005	79	90	116	144	5	n/a	n/a	0	434
2006	85	105	113	156	4	n/a	n/a	0	463
2007	104	89	109	155	4	n/a	n/a	4	465
2008	110	76	99	154	7	n/a	n/a	0	446
2009	108	87	91	182	3	6	0	0	477
2010	89	82	86	207	3	4	14	0	485
2011	74	76	78	228	1	2	25	0	484
2012	65	77	72	208	1	1	33	0	457
2013	65	66	70	207	2	1	32	0	443
2014	59	75	62	209	2	2	28	0	437
2015	57	65	62	193	0	2	20	0	399
2016	61	51	55	212	0	3	26	0	408
2017	39	46	61	206	0	4	28	0	384
2018	44	46	67	208	1	6	34	0	406
2019	44	39	52	203	2	4	40	0	384
2020	43	33	53	186	3	4	37	0	359
2021	44	33	46	181	2	1	36	0	343
2022	51	33	40	184	0	0	46	1	355
2023	44	31	43	187	0	0	38	1	344
2024	41	26	43	198	1	1	30	1	341

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 Kearny Digital Media & Design

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	434	19.5	22.3	63.4
2006	463	23.1	20.0	72.4
2007	465	20.7	22.5	71.4
2008	446	33.0	13.5	72.4
2009	477	23.4	16.5	75.1
2010	485	24.4	19.8	76.3
2011	484	n/a	n/a	77.7
2012	457	24.6	18.5	n/a
2013	443	18.3	24.1	75.6
2014	437	19.3	22.5	69.6
2015	399	17.0	23.4	66.2
2016	408	17.0	24.0	72.1
2017	384	15.9	24.1	74.7
2018	406	15.0	27.0	77.6
2019	384	15.0	25.5	74
2020	359	n/a	n/a	75.5
2021	343	14.1	24.1	68.2
2022	355	14.7	24.0	70.1
2023	344	15.0	22.7	59.6
2024	341	13.5	25.1	73.3

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 Kearny Digital Media & Design

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	434	19.5	22.3	63.4
2006	463	23.1	20.0	72.4
2007	465	20.7	22.5	71.4
2008	446	33.0	13.5	72.4
2009	477	23.4	16.5	75.1
2010	485	24.4	19.8	76.3
2011	484	n/a	n/a	77.7
2012	457	24.6	18.5	n/a
2013	443	18.3	24.1	75.6
2014	437	19.3	22.5	69.6
2015	399	17.0	23.4	66.2
2016	408	17.0	24.0	72.1
2017	384	15.9	24.1	74.7
2018	406	15.0	27.0	77.6
2019	384	15.0	25.5	74
2020	359	n/a	n/a	75.5
2021	343	14.1	24.1	68.2
2022	355	14.7	24.0	70.1
2023	344	15.0	22.7	59.6
2024	341	13.5	25.1	73.3

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 Kearny Digital Media & Design

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$8,590

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kearny Digital Media & Design

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 303^rd of 2133 High schools	Ranks 741^st of 2348 High schools	17.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Kearny Digital Media & Design)	79.3	60.5	18.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (San Diego Unified)	60.5	60.6	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Kearny Digital Media & Design)	46.6	20.5	26.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (San Diego Unified)	35.7	32.2	3.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (Kearny Digital Media & Design)	15	15.4	0.4%
12th Grade Science (San Diego Unified)	27.7	28.7	1%
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	384	344	10.4%
African American	39	31	20.5%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	52	43	17.3%
Hispanic	203	187	7.9%
Pacific Islander	4	0	100%
White	44	44
Two or More Races	40	38	5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74%	59.6%	14.4%

Schools Near Kearny Digital Media & Design

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 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
Kearny Digital Media & Design	Public	9-12	1954 Komet Way	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 496-8370	341	14	25.1	73.3%	41 (12.0%)	26 (7.6%)	198 (58.1%)	43 (12.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (8.8%)	62.6	580^th of 2323 public high schools	75.0%		55.6	741^st of 2348 public high schools	68.4%	161		24.0	24.0	74.7	74.7	20.3	20.3	$8,590
Kearny School of Biomedical Science and Technology	Public	9-12	1954 Komet Way	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 221-5300	335	10	31.9	80.3%	36 (10.7%)	25 (7.5%)	181 (54.0%)	62 (18.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.4%)	79.5	337^th of 2323 public high schools	85.5%		78.7	349^th of 2348 public high schools	85.1%	12		62.5	62.5	66.7	66.7	38.8	38.8	$8,681
Kearny College Connections	Public	9-12	1954 Komet Way	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 221-5300	336	14	23.2	73.8%	34 (10.1%)	41 (12.2%)	174 (51.8%)	60 (17.9%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	22 (6.5%)	75.5	392^nd of 2323 public high schools	83.1%		80.4	322^nd of 2348 public high schools	86.3%	70				70.0	70.0	34.4	34.4	$8,237
Kearny Eng Innov & Design	Public	9-12	1954 Komet Way	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 221-5300	296	12	24.7	62.8%	46 (15.5%)	28 (9.5%)	147 (49.7%)	43 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (10.1%)	75	401^st of 2323 public high schools	82.7%		81.3	305^th of 2348 public high schools	87.0%	96		28.6	28.6	80.7	80.7	31.6	31.6	$9,391
San Diego Metro Career and Technical	Public	9-12	7250 Mesa College Dr. Rm. K-20	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 388-2299	112	10	10.6	52.7%	41 (36.6%)	4 (3.6%)	46 (41.1%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (17.0%)	44.2	1022^nd of 2323 public high schools	56.0%		42.4	1063^rd of 2348 public high schools	54.7%	41	16.7		15.0	66.7	66.7	11.1	11.1	$17,159
School for Entrepreneurship and Technology	Public, Charter	9-12	3540 Aero Ct.	San Diego	92123	San Diego County	School for Entrepreneurship and Technology District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 874-4338	240	13	18.7	20.0%	140 (58.3%)	25 (10.4%)	46 (19.2%)	13 (5.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.3%)	86.1	234^th of 2323 public high schools	89.9%		80	326^th of 2348 public high schools	86.1%	92		56.3	56.3	78.0	78.0	39.0	39.0
High Technical High Mesa	Public, Charter	9-12	5331 Mt. Alifan	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	High Technical High Mesa District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 795-1810	431	21	20.5	38.1%	167 (38.7%)	11 (2.6%)	155 (36.0%)	45 (10.4%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	43 (10.0%)	76	382^nd of 2323 public high schools	83.6%		69.5	489^th of 2348 public high schools	79.2%	107		28.0	28.0	77.6	77.6	41.0	41.0
Twain High	Public	7-12	6402 Linda Vista Rd.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 800-5300	301	29	10.5	85.4%	28 (9.3%)	30 (10.0%)	203 (67.4%)	18 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (6.6%)	13.9	1846^th of 2323 public high schools	20.5%		20.5	1692^nd of 2348 public high schools	27.9%	154	8.7	7.8	8.5	16.9	16.9	3.1	3.1	$18,944
Madison High	Public	9-12	4833 Doliva Dr.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 536-0336	848	43	19.8	75.2%	105 (12.4%)	93 (11.0%)	525 (61.9%)	41 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.2%)	72 (8.5%)	35.8	1250^th of 2323 public high schools	46.2%		37.4	1217^th of 2348 public high schools	48.2%	33	22.2	33.3	22.8	39.9	39.9	13.0	13.0	$9,872
San Diego County Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	6401 Linda Vista Rd.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(858) 292-3500	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Kearny Digital Media & Design

Kearny Digital Media & Design:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

San Diego Unified:

What do you think?

Rank History for Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for all students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Special Education students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Female students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Disabled students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Military Connected students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Male students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Asian students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rank History for White students at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Enrollment information for Kearny Digital Media & Design

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kearny Digital Media & Design

Student/Teacher Ratio Kearny Digital Media & Design

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kearny Digital Media & Design

Impact of COVID-19 on Kearny Digital Media & Design

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Kearny Digital Media & Design

Frequently Asked Questions about Kearny Digital Media & Design

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