South High

Summary:

South High is a public high school located in Torrance, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,841 students. It is part of the Torrance Unified School District, which is ranked 191 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South High has consistently performed well, ranking among the top high schools in California. In the 2023-2024 school year, it ranked 110th out of 2,323 California high schools and received a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. This high ranking has been maintained over the years, with South High ranking in the top 150 schools in the state for the past several years. The school's students consistently outperform the state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, as well as the California Science Test (CAST). South High also has a high graduation rate of 95.4% and an exceptionally low dropout rate of 0.0%, both significantly better than the state averages.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Torrance High and West High, South High outperforms them in academic performance, graduation rates, and student group outcomes. However, the school has experienced a gradual increase in chronic absenteeism, from 1.3% in 2017-2018 to 12.3% in 2022-2023, which is a potential area of concern. Overall, South High's impressive academic achievements and well-rounded student outcomes make it a standout school in the region.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 4801 Pacific Coast Hwy.
       Torrance, CA  90505-5544


(310) 533-4352

District: Torrance Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
110th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $5,604 Help


Feeder schools for South High:

Elementary:    Joseph Arnold Elementary
    Riviera Elementary
    Seaside Elementary
    Walteria Elementary
Middle:    Calle Mayor Middle
    Edward J. Richardson Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  21.4 Help
Number of students:  1,841

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
37.6%
White:
26.9%
Hispanic:
22.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details South High ranks better than 95.3% of high schools in California. It also ranks first among 5 ranked high schools in the Torrance Unified School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.11. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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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
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Compare Details Student population at South High is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (37.6%), White (26.9%), Hispanic (22.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 16.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Torrance Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South High is 21.4, which is the 3rd best among 5 high schools in the Torrance Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare South High employs 85.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at South High is $5,604, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Torrance Unified School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South High:

SchoolDigger ranks South High 110th of 2323 California public high schools. (See South 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:


Torrance Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Torrance Unified 191st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for South High

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Rank History for all students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 66.58 240th 1653 85.5%
2005 70.45 244th 1901 87.2%
2006 72.71 231st 1968 88.3%
2007 73.30 208th 2063 89.9%
2008 74.02 205th 2117 90.3%
2009 75.73 180th 2238 92.0%
2010 70.35 282nd 2281 87.6%
2011 75.92 193rd 2367 91.8%
2012 79.65 146th 2354 93.8%
2013 79.95 141st 2426 94.2%
2015 89.00 196th 1994 90.2%
2016 92.06 141st 2039 93.1%
2017 87.71 250th 2021 87.6%
2018 91.52 165th 2017 91.8%
2019 90.40 173rd 2133 91.9%
2022 94.92 116th 2123 94.5%
2023 92.19 134th 2348 94.3%
2024 93.11 110th 2323 95.3%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.28 86th 366 76.5%
2019 65.87 142nd 422 66.4%
2022 77.35 97th 515 81.2%
2023 75.45 134th 786 83.0%
2024 78.45 110th 804 86.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.00 127th 938 86.5%
2019 93.36 27th 941 97.1%
2022 88.54 35th 1044 96.6%
2023 80.81 31st 1323 97.7%
2024 76.36 59th 1350 95.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 80.32 115th 1547 92.6%
2024 47.78 544th 1534 64.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.59 154th 1862 91.7%
2019 82.39 249th 1937 87.1%
2022 95.61 73rd 1943 96.2%
2023 95.06 90th 2247 96.0%
2024 92.43 101st 2235 95.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.65 179th 1760 89.8%
2019 92.57 125th 1833 93.2%
2022 94.72 96th 1858 94.8%
2023 92.93 112th 2118 94.7%
2024 94.64 64th 2098 96.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.87 64th 1052 93.9%
2019 78.93 149th 1117 86.7%
2022 87.58 92nd 1161 92.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.27 141st 1834 92.3%
2019 81.44 294th 1880 84.4%
2022 93.58 124th 1916 93.5%
2023 89.72 175th 2207 92.1%
2024 89.90 153rd 2172 93.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.99 177th 581 69.5%
2019 64.05 233rd 582 60.0%
2022 76.88 134th 581 76.9%
2023 73.81 183rd 731 75.0%
2024 75.43 161st 712 77.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 70.11 118th 522 77.4%
2023 77.18 117th 720 83.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.37 135th 1742 92.3%
2019 88.08 145th 1814 92.0%
2022 87.61 157th 1861 91.6%
2023 89.78 118th 2142 94.5%
2024 91.96 84th 2125 96.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.20 333rd 1173 71.6%
2019 70.37 331st 1222 72.9%
2022 82.09 180th 1204 85.0%
2023 72.18 279th 1434 80.5%
2024 76.04 214th 1406 84.8%
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.

South 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 South High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1116 13 295 102 12 n/a n/a 0 1538
1989 1006 13 319 101 11 n/a n/a 0 1450
1990 950 14 311 92 9 n/a n/a 0 1376
1991 954 22 351 108 3 n/a n/a 0 1438
1992 918 23 376 124 2 n/a n/a 0 1443
1993 902 26 404 131 1 n/a n/a 0 1464
1994 898 24 445 128 1 n/a n/a 0 1496
1995 983 28 506 165 4 n/a n/a 0 1686
1996 983 28 506 165 4 n/a n/a 0 1686
1997 1035 23 574 197 4 n/a n/a 0 1833
1998 1057 21 593 178 3 n/a n/a 0 1852
1999 1072 24 584 183 4 n/a n/a 1 1868
2000 1147 30 587 172 6 n/a n/a 0 1942
2001 1111 44 561 158 9 n/a n/a 0 1883
2002 1135 45 567 174 7 n/a n/a 0 1928
2003 1135 45 567 174 7 n/a n/a 0 1928
2004 1130 48 645 176 6 n/a n/a 9 2014
2005 1151 44 664 211 11 n/a n/a 9 2090
2006 1172 60 738 207 14 n/a n/a 12 2203
2007 1148 52 729 213 16 n/a n/a 40 2198
2008 1140 47 745 241 17 n/a n/a 0 2190
2009 1086 37 789 239 11 12 61 0 2235
2010 1043 42 818 258 18 9 46 0 2234
2011 990 47 795 263 20 7 43 0 2165
2012 965 54 767 269 19 9 55 0 2138
2013 979 59 767 297 17 9 53 0 2181
2014 952 60 739 308 12 14 73 0 2158
2015 889 51 713 313 11 12 143 0 2132
2016 829 51 721 328 7 10 164 0 2110
2017 793 47 701 354 7 11 164 0 2077
2018 772 44 685 358 4 7 172 0 2042
2019 771 54 721 368 4 9 147 0 2074
2020 677 54 722 372 7 7 150 0 1989
2021 637 57 717 390 7 5 163 0 1976
2022 594 53 713 421 6 4 171 0 1962
2023 496 47 692 416 5 2 183 0 1841

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 South High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1538 66.1 23.2 n/a
1989 1450 63.0 23.0 n/a
1990 1376 64.9 21.2 n/a
1991 1438 63.0 22.8 n/a
1992 1443 64.0 22.5 2.4
1993 1464 64.0 22.9 3.6
1994 1496 66.0 22.7 4.7
1995 1686 74.2 22.7 8.4
1996 1686 74.2 22.7 8.4
1997 1833 77.7 23.6 6.7
1998 1852 83.5 22.2 7
1999 1868 83.3 22.4 6.2
2000 1942 91.9 21.1 5.3
2001 1883 89.9 20.9 5.1
2002 1928 92.3 20.9 5.9
2003 1928 92.3 20.9 5.9
2004 2014 84.6 23.8 6.7
2005 2090 90.0 23.2 6
2006 2203 90.9 24.2 6.3
2007 2198 95.2 23.1 5.1
2008 2190 106.1 20.6 6.8
2009 2235 91.1 21.6 6.7
2010 2234 88.6 25.2 8.1
2011 2165 n/a n/a 9.6
2012 2138 82.0 26.0 n/a
2013 2181 87.0 25.0 15.1
2014 2158 82.0 26.3 13.8
2015 2132 89.0 23.9 15.5
2016 2110 91.0 23.1 16.1
2017 2077 90.4 22.9 14.6
2018 2042 85.5 23.8 19.4
2019 2074 90.0 23.0 18.4
2020 1989 n/a n/a 17.3
2021 1976 83.8 23.5 18.5
2022 1962 86.3 22.7 16
2023 1841 85.7 21.4 16.2

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 South High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1538 66.1 23.2 n/a
1989 1450 63.0 23.0 n/a
1990 1376 64.9 21.2 n/a
1991 1438 63.0 22.8 n/a
1992 1443 64.0 22.5 2.4
1993 1464 64.0 22.9 3.6
1994 1496 66.0 22.7 4.7
1995 1686 74.2 22.7 8.4
1996 1686 74.2 22.7 8.4
1997 1833 77.7 23.6 6.7
1998 1852 83.5 22.2 7
1999 1868 83.3 22.4 6.2
2000 1942 91.9 21.1 5.3
2001 1883 89.9 20.9 5.1
2002 1928 92.3 20.9 5.9
2003 1928 92.3 20.9 5.9
2004 2014 84.6 23.8 6.7
2005 2090 90.0 23.2 6
2006 2203 90.9 24.2 6.3
2007 2198 95.2 23.1 5.1
2008 2190 106.1 20.6 6.8
2009 2235 91.1 21.6 6.7
2010 2234 88.6 25.2 8.1
2011 2165 n/a n/a 9.6
2012 2138 82.0 26.0 n/a
2013 2181 87.0 25.0 15.1
2014 2158 82.0 26.3 13.8
2015 2132 89.0 23.9 15.5
2016 2110 91.0 23.1 16.1
2017 2077 90.4 22.9 14.6
2018 2042 85.5 23.8 19.4
2019 2074 90.0 23.0 18.4
2020 1989 n/a n/a 17.3
2021 1976 83.8 23.5 18.5
2022 1962 86.3 22.7 16
2023 1841 85.7 21.4 16.2

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 South High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $5,604

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

Impact of COVID-19 on South 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 173rd of 2133 High schoolsRanks 134th of 2348 High schools
 2.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (South High)72.373.4
 1.1%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Torrance Unified)68.976
 7.1%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (South High)64.364
 0.2%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Torrance Unified)54.449.2
 5.2%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (South High)50.853.4
 2.6%
   11th Grade Science (Torrance Unified)47.548.6
 1.1%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%
12th Grade Science (South High)43.447.6
 4.2%
   12th Grade Science (Torrance Unified)38.834
 4.8%
   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 Students20741841
 11.2%
African American5447
 13%
American Indian45
 25%
Asian721692
 4%
Hispanic368416
 13%
Pacific Islander92
 77.8%
White771496
 35.7%
Two or More Races147183
 24.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients18.4%16.2%
 2.2%


Schools Near South High









Frequently Asked Questions about South High

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,841 students attended South High.

Students at South High are 38% Asian, 27% White, 23% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Yes! South High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 110th of 2323 California high schools.

South High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Joseph Arnold Elementary
Elementary : Riviera Elementary
Elementary : Seaside Elementary
Elementary : Walteria Elementary
Middle : Calle Mayor Middle
Middle : Edward J. Richardson 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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