Sweetwater High

Summary:

Sweetwater High is a public high school located in National City, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,679 students. The school faces significant challenges, with academic performance consistently below district and state averages, declining graduation rates, and high chronic absenteeism.

Sweetwater High's standardized test scores are concerning, with only 44.09% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and just 11.11% proficient or better in Mathematics in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's performance in Science assessments is also below the district and state, with only 23.65% of 10th-grade students and 8.7% of 12th-grade students proficient or better. Compared to nearby Hilltop Senior High and Chula Vista Senior High, both of which are part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, Sweetwater High's academic performance is significantly lower.

Sweetwater High's four-year graduation rate of 88.4% in 2022-2023 is lower than the district average of 92.65%, and the school's dropout rate has been increasing, from 3.6% in 2018-2019 to 6.2% in 2022-2023. Additionally, the school has a high chronic absenteeism rate, reaching 30% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the district average of 27.55%. These challenges may be linked to the high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 88.84% of Sweetwater High students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 2900 Highland Ave.
       National City, CA  91950-7415


(619) 474-9700

District: Sweetwater Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1215th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,020 Help


Feeder schools for Sweetwater High:

Elementary:    Central Elementary
    El Toyon Elementary
    Ira Harbison
    John A. Otis Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Granger Junior High
    National City Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  24.3 Help
Number of students:  2,425

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
76.5%
Asian:
12.2%
White:
7.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  89.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sweetwater High ranks worse than 52.3% of high schools in California. It also ranks 9th among 14 ranked high schools in the Sweetwater Union High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.91. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sweetwater 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 (76.5%), Asian (12.2%), White (7.5%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 89.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Sweetwater Union High School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sweetwater High is 24.3. 13 high schools in the Sweetwater Union High School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sweetwater High employs 99.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sweetwater High is $6,020. 13 high schools in the Sweetwater Union High School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sweetwater High:

SchoolDigger ranks Sweetwater High 1215th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Sweetwater High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Sweetwater Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Sweetwater Union High 745th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Sweetwater High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 34.68 817th 1653 50.6%
2005 43.54 725th 1901 61.9%
2006 38.45 879th 1968 55.3%
2007 48.60 687th 2063 66.7%
2008 50.49 669th 2117 68.4%
2009 53.68 634th 2238 71.7%
2010 51.73 710th 2281 68.9%
2011 68.04 329th 2367 86.1%
2012 58.40 581st 2354 75.3%
2013 53.78 684th 2426 71.8%
2015 54.35 890th 1994 55.4%
2016 54.81 900th 2039 55.9%
2017 49.41 1037th 2021 48.7%
2018 50.69 1001st 2017 50.4%
2019 43.09 1152nd 2133 46.0%
2021 37.77 797th 1290 38.2%
2022 30.33 1425th 2123 32.9%
2023 23.67 1598th 2348 31.9%
2024 36.91 1215th 2323 47.7%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.79 156th 366 57.4%
2019 31.60 305th 422 27.7%
2022 30.10 389th 515 24.5%
2024 22.87 579th 804 28.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.29 335th 938 64.3%
2019 49.64 289th 941 69.3%
2021 47.42 196th 467 58.0%
2022 41.35 491st 1044 53.0%
2023 29.63 829th 1323 37.3%
2024 39.68 474th 1350 64.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.73 1253rd 1547 19.0%
2024 42.94 638th 1534 58.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.10 721st 1862 61.3%
2019 52.05 875th 1937 54.8%
2021 43.16 653rd 1126 42.0%
2022 38.04 1173rd 1943 39.6%
2023 29.49 1423rd 2247 36.7%
2024 47.45 917th 2235 59.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.96 1024th 1760 41.8%
2019 38.71 1098th 1833 40.1%
2021 31.52 749th 1054 28.9%
2022 27.65 1321st 1858 28.9%
2023 22.16 1544th 2118 27.1%
2024 34.40 1235th 2098 41.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.45 351st 1052 66.6%
2019 35.66 629th 1117 43.7%
2022 32.58 752nd 1161 35.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.77 878th 1834 52.1%
2019 42.42 1042nd 1880 44.6%
2021 37.43 696th 1122 38.0%
2022 30.91 1268th 1916 33.8%
2023 22.90 1533rd 2207 30.5%
2024 37.68 1113th 2172 48.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 8.62 675th 731 7.7%
2024 14.69 606th 712 14.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.04 598th 720 16.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.26 861st 1742 50.6%
2019 44.34 1015th 1814 44.0%
2022 33.13 1242nd 1861 33.3%
2023 22.34 1557th 2142 27.3%
2024 33.96 1279th 2125 39.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sweetwater High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 8.75 1108th 1204 8.0%
2023 8.92 1259th 1434 12.2%
2024 26.59 968th 1406 31.2%
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.

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






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sweetwater High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 310 127 403 1274 12 n/a n/a 0 2126
1989 268 92 369 1289 11 n/a n/a 0 2029
1990 230 67 329 1229 16 n/a n/a 0 1871
1991 179 65 302 1220 13 n/a n/a 0 1779
1992 203 76 298 1509 14 n/a n/a 0 2100
1993 184 97 338 1534 12 n/a n/a 0 2165
1994 170 108 322 1584 12 n/a n/a 0 2196
1995 122 92 366 1674 14 n/a n/a 0 2268
1996 122 92 366 1674 14 n/a n/a 0 2268
1997 125 111 358 1688 13 n/a n/a 0 2295
1998 131 99 373 1653 15 n/a n/a 0 2271
1999 120 87 389 1695 12 n/a n/a 0 2303
2000 126 83 392 1821 14 n/a n/a 0 2436
2001 126 84 410 1909 6 n/a n/a 0 2535
2002 95 91 398 2080 17 n/a n/a 0 2681
2003 95 91 398 2080 17 n/a n/a 0 2681
2004 90 85 374 2114 19 n/a n/a 0 2682
2005 80 81 374 2125 13 n/a n/a 0 2673
2006 79 101 376 2205 13 n/a n/a 0 2774
2007 71 87 378 2241 12 n/a n/a 2 2791
2008 67 86 370 2283 10 n/a n/a 0 2816
2009 59 70 366 2340 9 26 18 0 2888
2010 51 49 299 1986 15 18 38 0 2456
2011 45 39 307 1982 11 16 40 0 2440
2012 36 40 336 1949 15 8 38 0 2422
2013 37 42 377 2295 19 11 52 0 2833
2014 31 43 370 2197 13 16 81 0 2751
2015 24 46 365 2241 13 9 63 0 2761
2016 31 39 361 2191 8 11 57 0 2698
2017 29 36 345 2204 3 11 47 0 2675
2018 32 34 353 2258 2 10 50 0 2739
2019 36 34 346 2157 3 13 47 0 2636
2020 62 28 363 2210 7 16 47 0 2733
2021 119 33 333 2246 16 12 50 0 2809
2022 154 39 341 2200 18 11 41 0 2804
2023 173 39 314 2080 15 10 48 0 2679
2024 181 35 297 1855 11 9 36 1 2425

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 Sweetwater High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2126 71.4 29.7 n/a
1989 2029 75.0 27.0 n/a
1990 1871 72.8 25.7 n/a
1991 1779 68.5 25.9 n/a
1992 2100 69.6 30.1 30.2
1993 2165 87.3 24.8 29.7
1994 2196 89.7 24.5 42.9
1995 2268 88.9 25.5 54.3
1996 2268 88.9 25.5 54.3
1997 2295 92.6 24.8 53.7
1998 2271 93.3 24.3 73
1999 2303 93.4 24.7 54.9
2000 2436 97.7 24.9 40.7
2001 2535 105.8 24.0 65.5
2002 2681 114.9 23.3 60.2
2003 2681 114.9 23.3 60.2
2004 2682 115.6 23.2 88.4
2005 2673 109.5 24.4 60.7
2006 2774 111.9 24.8 60.7
2007 2791 115.1 24.2 55.5
2008 2816 130.0 21.7 48
2009 2888 111.8 22.6 70.8
2010 2456 111.8 21.9 84.1
2011 2440 n/a n/a 96.4
2012 2422 99.7 24.2 n/a
2013 2833 95.0 29.8 72.4
2014 2751 99.1 27.7 87.1
2015 2761 96.0 28.7 81.5
2016 2698 102.0 26.4 79.8
2017 2675 113.2 23.6 73.5
2018 2739 112.0 24.4 82
2019 2636 109.9 23.9 82.6
2020 2733 n/a n/a 81.9
2021 2809 114.7 24.4 76
2022 2804 113.1 24.7 68.3
2023 2679 108.2 24.7 88.8
2024 2425 99.5 24.3 89.5

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 Sweetwater High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2126 71.4 29.7 n/a
1989 2029 75.0 27.0 n/a
1990 1871 72.8 25.7 n/a
1991 1779 68.5 25.9 n/a
1992 2100 69.6 30.1 30.2
1993 2165 87.3 24.8 29.7
1994 2196 89.7 24.5 42.9
1995 2268 88.9 25.5 54.3
1996 2268 88.9 25.5 54.3
1997 2295 92.6 24.8 53.7
1998 2271 93.3 24.3 73
1999 2303 93.4 24.7 54.9
2000 2436 97.7 24.9 40.7
2001 2535 105.8 24.0 65.5
2002 2681 114.9 23.3 60.2
2003 2681 114.9 23.3 60.2
2004 2682 115.6 23.2 88.4
2005 2673 109.5 24.4 60.7
2006 2774 111.9 24.8 60.7
2007 2791 115.1 24.2 55.5
2008 2816 130.0 21.7 48
2009 2888 111.8 22.6 70.8
2010 2456 111.8 21.9 84.1
2011 2440 n/a n/a 96.4
2012 2422 99.7 24.2 n/a
2013 2833 95.0 29.8 72.4
2014 2751 99.1 27.7 87.1
2015 2761 96.0 28.7 81.5
2016 2698 102.0 26.4 79.8
2017 2675 113.2 23.6 73.5
2018 2739 112.0 24.4 82
2019 2636 109.9 23.9 82.6
2020 2733 n/a n/a 81.9
2021 2809 114.7 24.4 76
2022 2804 113.1 24.7 68.3
2023 2679 108.2 24.7 88.8
2024 2425 99.5 24.3 89.5

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 Sweetwater High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,020

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Sweetwater 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 1152nd of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1598th of 2348 High schools
 14%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sweetwater High)56.128.1
 27.9%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sweetwater Union High)58.552.2
 6.3%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Sweetwater High)24.48.4
 16%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Sweetwater Union High)28.522.6
 6%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
12th Grade Science (Sweetwater High)10.913.4
 2.6%
   12th Grade Science (Sweetwater Union High)20.424.6
 4.3%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students26362679
 1.6%
African American3439
 14.7%
American Indian315
 400%
Asian346314
 9.2%
Hispanic21572080
 3.6%
Pacific Islander1310
 23.1%
White36173
 380.6%
Two or More Races4748
 2.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients82.6%88.8%
 6.2%


Schools Near Sweetwater High









Frequently Asked Questions about Sweetwater High

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,425 students attended Sweetwater High.

Students at Sweetwater High are 76% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 7% White, 1% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Sweetwater High ranks 1215th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Sweetwater High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Central Elementary
Elementary : El Toyon Elementary
Elementary : Ira Harbison
Elementary : John A. Otis Elementary
Elementary : Kimball
Elementary : Las Palmas
Elementary : Lincoln Acres
Elementary : Olivewood
Elementary : Palmer Way
Elementary : Rancho de la Nacion
Middle : Granger Junior High
Middle : National City Middle


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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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