Is Middle College High a good school?

Yes! Middle College High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 58 th of 2323 California high schools.

How many students attend Middle College High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 407 students attended Middle College High.

What is the racial makeup of Middle College High?

Students at Middle College High are 91% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 1% White.

Middle College High

Summary:

Middle College High is a public high school located in Santa Ana, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 381 students. This exceptional school consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and outperforming both the district and state averages across a range of academic metrics.

Middle College High's academic performance is truly remarkable. In the 2023-2024 school year, 94.62% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to just 43.39% for the Santa Ana Unified district and 55.73% for the state. The school's proficiency rates in CAST Science assessments are also much higher, with 78.49% of 11th-graders scoring proficient or better, compared to 17.72% for the district and 32.08% for the state. Additionally, Middle College High maintains a very high four-year graduation rate of 98.9% and a low dropout rate of just 1.1%, significantly outperforming the district and state averages.

When compared to other high schools in the Santa Ana Unified district, such as Valley High and Lorin Griset Academy, Middle College High's academic achievements are truly remarkable. For example, in 2023-2024, Middle College High's 11th-grade ELA/Literacy proficiency rate was 94.62%, compared to just 27.19% for Valley High and 10.17% for Lorin Griset Academy. The school's low chronic absenteeism rate of 4.4% in 2022-2023 is also a stark contrast to the much higher rates at Valley High (27.9%) and Lorin Griset Academy (85.4%).

Detail:

Public 9-12

1530 West 17th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706-3398

(714) 953-3900

District: Santa Ana Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,434

Student/teacher ratio: 20.8

Number of students: 407

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.9%

Asian:

6.1%

White:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.9%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Middle College High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Middle College High ranks better than 97.5% of high schools in California. It also ranks first among 10 ranked high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.38. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Middle College 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (90.9%), Asian (6.1%), White (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Middle College High is 20.8. 7 high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Middle College High employs 19.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Middle College High is $8,434. 6 high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Middle College High:

SchoolDigger ranks Middle College High 58^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Middle College High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Santa Ana Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Ana Unified 1241^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Middle College High.

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Your rating for Middle College High?

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Rank History for Middle College High

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Rank History for all students at Middle College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	47.18	552^nd	1653	66.6%
2005	51.08	570^th	1901	70.0%
2006	59.13	484^th	1968	75.4%
2007	63.78	377^th	2063	81.7%
2008	70.37	267^th	2117	87.4%
2009	77.64	151^st	2238	93.3%
2010	72.23	248^th	2281	89.1%
2011	76.81	176^th	2367	92.6%
2012	80.78	133^rd	2354	94.4%
2013	86.13	63^rd	2426	97.4%
2015	93.52	115^th	1994	94.2%
2016	91.77	148^th	2039	92.7%
2017	92.86	133^rd	2021	93.4%
2018	81.64	382^nd	2017	81.1%
2019	92.54	139^th	2133	93.5%
2021	92.30	97^th	1290	92.5%
2022	96.97	68^th	2123	96.8%
2023	95.31	81^st	2348	96.6%
2024	96.38	58^th	2323	97.5%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Middle College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	87.98	191^st	1862	89.7%
2019	97.79	36^th	1937	98.1%
2021	96.47	33^rd	1126	97.1%
2022	98.74	28^th	1943	98.6%
2023	98.64	28^th	2247	98.8%
2024	99.46	13^th	2235	99.4%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Middle College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	99.77	1^st	290	99.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Middle College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.75	486^th	1760	72.4%
2019	86.85	210^th	1833	88.5%
2021	85.79	140^th	1054	86.7%
2022	92.15	150^th	1858	91.9%
2023	91.47	126^th	2118	94.1%
2024	93.87	80^th	2098	96.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Middle College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.95	245^th	1834	86.6%
2019	93.78	106^th	1880	94.4%
2021	94.08	68^th	1122	93.9%
2022	98.90	27^th	1916	98.6%
2023	97.99	34^th	2207	98.5%
2024	98.54	26^th	2172	98.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Middle College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	88.63	163^rd	1742	90.6%
2019	96.84	43^rd	1814	97.6%
2022	99.68	11^th	1861	99.4%
2023	98.81	20^th	2142	99.1%
2024	98.89	21^st	2125	99.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Thursday, July 18, 2013

I am a former student of Middle College High school. I absolutely loved the atmosphere MCHS presented to its student. Because there is only about 300 students, the students are able to get one on one time with their teachers if needed. Unlike regular high school that have 3000 students, your child will not get lost in the Crowd. I am currently a Sophomore at Cal State University Fullerton and I can honestly say I would not be here if it was not for the caring faculty and staff. I am proud to be part of the prestigious Alumni of Middle College. There is absolutely no better school in Orange County than Middle College High School! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, June 29, 2011

My daughter was accepted into Middle College High School, and we are very excited about her opportunity. However, there are a few concerns:
1) Office staff treats parents like they are some kind of alien. They are not helpful and barely polite.
2) We attended end of year open house, and I was surprised by the level of work I saw displayed. I expected remarkable and saw average or just below.
3) The school continues to hammer the point home that they don't have any sports (obviously why 60-70% of student body are obese) and very few student activities. Could they offer students at least a glint of high school for those of us who want happy well-adjusted teenagers?... Close Quote

Enrollment information for Middle College High

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1998	10	2	2	68	1	n/a	n/a	0	83
1999	12	5	13	130	0	n/a	n/a	0	160
2000	19	5	11	199	0	n/a	n/a	2	236
2001	20	4	7	197	1	n/a	n/a	0	229
2002	25	8	3	192	4	n/a	n/a	0	232
2003	25	8	3	192	4	n/a	n/a	0	232
2004	23	9	7	247	0	n/a	n/a	0	286
2005	18	12	11	232	0	n/a	n/a	0	273
2006	22	11	11	239	0	n/a	n/a	0	283
2007	24	7	11	246	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
2008	15	7	9	264	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	295
2009	10	4	8	287	0	1	0	0	310
2010	16	6	9	289	0	1	1	0	322
2011	10	6	7	286	0	0	1	0	310
2012	7	5	6	285	1	0	1	0	305
2013	5	5	3	303	1	0	1	0	318
2014	4	2	4	307	2	0	0	0	319
2015	3	2	4	318	1	0	0	0	328
2016	3	1	5	327	0	0	0	0	336
2017	4	0	10	330	0	0	0	0	344
2018	4	0	9	335	0	0	0	0	348
2019	2	0	15	332	0	0	0	0	349
2020	5	1	19	432	1	0	1	0	459
2021	3	0	14	349	0	0	2	0	368
2022	3	0	18	339	0	0	4	0	364
2023	3	0	22	353	1	0	2	0	381
2024	6	1	25	370	2	0	3	0	407

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 Middle College High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	83	4.0	20.8	62.7
1999	160	7.0	22.9	45
2000	236	10.0	23.6	41.5
2001	229	9.7	23.6	47.2
2002	232	9.7	23.9	47.8
2003	232	9.7	23.9	47.8
2004	286	11.0	26.0	54.2
2005	273	12.5	21.8	54.2
2006	283	12.0	23.6	49.8
2007	288	9.3	31.0	53.5
2008	295	14.5	20.3	64.1
2009	310	12.6	21.1	67.4
2010	322	13.0	24.7	74.5
2011	310	n/a	n/a	79.7
2012	305	12.6	24.1	n/a
2013	318	13.2	24.0	77.7
2014	319	13.0	24.5	84.6
2015	328	13.0	25.2	90.5
2016	336	13.0	25.8	95.5
2017	344	13.6	25.1	89.5
2018	348	14.4	24.0	73.9
2019	349	14.3	24.3	77.4
2020	459	n/a	n/a	69.1
2021	368	15.4	23.8	80.4
2022	364	15.1	24.0	51.4
2023	381	17.5	21.7	72.4
2024	407	19.5	20.8	75.9

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 Middle College High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	83	4.0	20.8	62.7
1999	160	7.0	22.9	45
2000	236	10.0	23.6	41.5
2001	229	9.7	23.6	47.2
2002	232	9.7	23.9	47.8
2003	232	9.7	23.9	47.8
2004	286	11.0	26.0	54.2
2005	273	12.5	21.8	54.2
2006	283	12.0	23.6	49.8
2007	288	9.3	31.0	53.5
2008	295	14.5	20.3	64.1
2009	310	12.6	21.1	67.4
2010	322	13.0	24.7	74.5
2011	310	n/a	n/a	79.7
2012	305	12.6	24.1	n/a
2013	318	13.2	24.0	77.7
2014	319	13.0	24.5	84.6
2015	328	13.0	25.2	90.5
2016	336	13.0	25.8	95.5
2017	344	13.6	25.1	89.5
2018	348	14.4	24.0	73.9
2019	349	14.3	24.3	77.4
2020	459	n/a	n/a	69.1
2021	368	15.4	23.8	80.4
2022	364	15.1	24.0	51.4
2023	381	17.5	21.7	72.4
2024	407	19.5	20.8	75.9

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 Middle College High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$8,434

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Middle College 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 139^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 81^st of 2348 High schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Middle College High)	79.3	93.4	14.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Ana Unified)	35.3	40.8	5.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Middle College High)	67.1	52.2	14.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Ana Unified)	20.4	15.5	4.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Middle College High)	47.6	72.8	25.3%
11th Grade Science (Santa Ana Unified)	14.4	19	4.6%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	349	381	9.2%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	1
Asian	15	22	46.7%
Hispanic	332	353	6.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	2	3	50%
Two or More Races	0	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.4%	72.4%	4.9%

Schools Near Middle College 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 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Middle College High	Public	9-12	1530 West 17th St.	Santa Ana	92706	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 953-3900	407	20	20.8	75.9%	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	370 (90.9%)	25 (6.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	96.4	58^th of 2323 public high schools	97.5%		95.3	81^st of 2348 public high schools	96.6%	23			78.5		78.5			94.6	94.6			55.9	55.9	$8,434
Samueli Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	1901 North Fairview St.	Santa Ana	92706	Orange County	Samueli Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 619-0245	822	39	21.1	75.2%	42 (5.1%)	9 (1.1%)	689 (83.8%)	50 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.9%)	49.2	885^th of 2323 public high schools	61.9%		56.6	719^th of 2348 public high schools	69.4%	166	35.5		25.8		31.0	36.6	56.1	57.5	50.3	13.9	33.1	17.2	21.3
Nova Academy Early College High	Public, Charter	9-12	500 West Santa Ana Blvd.	Santa Ana	92701	Orange County	Nova Academy Early College High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 569-0948	288	17	16.5	88.5%	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	272 (94.4%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	45.7	977^th of 2323 public high schools	57.9%		56	735^th of 2348 public high schools	68.7%	242				20.4	20.4			59.7	59.7			7.8	7.8
Ocsa	Public, Charter	7-12	1010 North Main St.	Santa Ana	92701	Orange County	OCSA District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 560-9000	2,288	133	17.1	15.4%	552 (24.1%)	18 (0.8%)	500 (21.9%)	873 (38.2%)	1 (0.0%)	7 (0.3%)	305 (13.3%)	97.5	42^nd of 2323 public high schools	98.2%		97.7	39^th of 2348 public high schools	98.3%	3	60.5	70.4			65.8	85.7	76.7	87.9	83.7	83.4	75.9	65.8	73.8
Santa Ana High	Public	9-12	520 West Walnut	Santa Ana	92701	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 567-4900	2,853	132	21.6	76.4%	7 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	2,817 (98.7%)	8 (0.3%)	7 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (0.3%)	30.4	1410^th of 2323 public high schools	39.3%		24.8	1569^th of 2348 public high schools	33.2%	159			13.9	0.0	13.5			42.9	42.9			10.7	10.7	$8,161
Santiago High	Public	9-12	12342 Trask Ave.	Garden Grove	92843	Orange County	Garden Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 663-6215	1,801	87	20.6	94.3%	25 (1.4%)	3 (0.2%)	1,506 (83.6%)	246 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (0.6%)	11 (0.6%)	49.7	865^th of 2323 public high schools	62.8%		56	734^th of 2348 public high schools	68.7%	131			26.1	5.0	25.2			50.9	50.9			23.2	23.2	$12,866
Lorin Griset Academy	Public	9-12	1915 West McFadden	Santa Ana	92704	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 648-2900	300	18	16.7	85.3%	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	297 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.8	2186^th of 2323 public high schools	5.9%		10	2063^rd of 2348 public high schools	12.1%	123			0.0	0.0	0.0			10.2	10.2			0.0	0.0	$10,109
REACH Academy	Public	6-12	1325 East 4th St.	Santa Ana	92701	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 431-1800	33	8	4.2	93.9%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (97.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.0%)	4.7	2309^th of 2323 public high schools	0.6%		5.9	2305^th of 2348 public high schools	1.8%	4	0.0				0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0	$51,115
Unity Middle College High	Public, Charter	9-12	1937 West Chapman Ave.	Orange	92868	Orange County	Unity Middle College High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 473-0723	55	5	10.9	58.2%	6 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (80.0%)	2 (3.6%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	18.4	1725^th of 2323 public high schools	25.7%		35.4	1266^th of 2348 public high schools	46.1%	459								25.0	25.0			8.3	8.3
Ednovate - Legacy College Prep.	Public, Charter	9-12	1450 17th St.	Santa Ana	92705	Orange County	Ednovate - Legacy College Prep. District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 988-2775	421	20	20.8	81.7%	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	410 (97.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	49.4	875^th of 2323 public high schools	62.3%		48	913^th of 2348 public high schools	61.1%	38				21.9	21.9			56.5	56.5			16.5	16.5

Middle College High

Middle College High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Santa Ana Unified:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Middle College High

Rank History for all students at Middle College High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Middle College High

Rank History for Homeless students at Middle College High

Rank History for Female students at Middle College High

Rank History for Male students at Middle College High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Middle College High

Review counts

Enrollment information for Middle College High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Middle College High

Student/Teacher Ratio Middle College High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Middle College High

Impact of COVID-19 on Middle College High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Middle College High

Frequently Asked Questions about Middle College High

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