Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Summary:

Rancho San Joaquin Middle is a highly-ranked public middle school located in Irvine, California, serving grades 7-8 with an enrollment of 807 students. This exceptional school is part of the Irvine Unified School District, which is ranked 108 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rancho San Joaquin Middle consistently ranks among the top middle schools in California, with a statewide ranking between 44-97 over the past 10 years and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school excels across various student subgroups, ranking in the top 10-20% of California middle schools for English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Multi-racial students, as well as the top 25-30% for Hispanic, Asian, and Female students. Rancho San Joaquin Middle also maintains relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 3.2% to 12.3% over the past 5 years, significantly lower than the state average. The school's test scores consistently outperform the Irvine Unified School District and the state of California, with proficiency rates often 20-30 percentage points higher than the state averages.

Compared to other highly-ranked Irvine Unified middle schools, such as Sierra Vista Middle and Jeffrey Trail Middle, Rancho San Joaquin Middle's performance is on par or exceeds these exceptional schools. In contrast, the nearby Santa Ana Unified middle schools, such as Julia C. Lathrop Intermediate and Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate, have significantly lower academic performance, with proficiency rates 20-30 percentage points below the state averages. The Tustin Unified middle schools, such as Columbus Tustin Middle and C.E. Utt Middle, also demonstrate strong academic performance, though not quite at the same level as Rancho San Joaquin Middle.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 4861 Michelson Dr.
       Irvine, CA  92612-2826


(949) 936-6500

District: Irvine Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
72nd of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,160 Help


Students who attend Rancho San Joaquin Middle usually attend:

High:    University High

Feeder schools for Rancho San Joaquin Middle:

Elementary:    Alderwood Elementary
    Bonita Canyon Elementary
    Turtle Rock Elementary
    University Park Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  25.2 Help
Number of students:  878

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
44.5%
White:
31.0%
Hispanic:
11.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  22.7% Help


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 Compare Rancho San Joaquin Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Rancho San Joaquin Middle ranks better than 97.4% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 2nd among 6 ranked middle schools in the Irvine Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.58. (See more...)
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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Asian (44.5%), White (31%), Hispanic (11.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 22.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rancho San Joaquin Middle is 25.2. 3 middle schools in the Irvine Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Rancho San Joaquin Middle employs 34.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rancho San Joaquin Middle is $6,160. 3 middle schools in the Irvine Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rancho San Joaquin Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Rancho San Joaquin Middle 72nd of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Rancho San Joaquin Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle 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:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Irvine Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Irvine Unified 108th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Rancho San Joaquin Middle

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Rank History for all students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 93.68 68th 1769 96.2%
2005 94.47 57th 1777 96.8%
2006 93.67 62nd 1804 96.6%
2007 92.35 75th 1999 96.2%
2008 92.22 72nd 2005 96.4%
2009 91.76 70th 2063 96.6%
2010 90.71 90th 2179 95.9%
2011 89.88 90th 2236 96.0%
2012 89.33 97th 2259 95.7%
2013 89.98 85th 2379 96.4%
2015 95.61 88th 2477 96.4%
2016 96.73 46th 2497 98.2%
2017 97.23 54th 2508 97.8%
2018 97.35 44th 2480 98.2%
2019 97.84 44th 2715 98.4%
2022 97.71 63rd 2740 97.7%
2023 97.61 73rd 2802 97.4%
2024 97.58 72nd 2777 97.4%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.86 5th 462 98.9%
2019 91.08 15th 554 97.3%
2022 91.93 18th 665 97.3%
2023 89.82 32nd 678 95.3%
2024 92.23 13th 699 98.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 99.69 12th 1364 99.1%
2019 99.30 16th 1442 98.9%
2022 99.99 1st 1540 99.9%
2023 95.89 30th 1529 98.0%
2024 99.15 9th 1477 99.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 99.21 16th 1538 99.0%
2024 92.36 81st 1550 94.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.96 130th 2230 94.2%
2019 92.14 121st 2369 94.9%
2022 95.29 74th 2458 97.0%
2023 95.87 74th 2549 97.1%
2024 94.75 110th 2575 95.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.00 63rd 2262 97.2%
2019 96.67 46th 2380 98.1%
2022 96.65 80th 2509 96.8%
2023 96.89 75th 2547 97.1%
2024 96.66 77th 2546 97.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 99.98 1st 1369 99.9%
2019 99.03 17th 1491 98.9%
2022 97.98 29th 1531 98.1%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 93.18 5th 193 97.4%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 98.02 34th 2273 98.5%
2019 98.30 37th 2407 98.5%
2022 97.92 51st 2527 98.0%
2023 97.56 66th 2558 97.4%
2024 97.48 62nd 2547 97.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.48 101st 700 85.6%
2019 82.66 70th 745 90.6%
2022 86.20 38th 733 94.8%
2023 84.43 50th 718 93.0%
2024 82.87 77th 741 89.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 58.86 209th 614 66.0%
2024 65.39 167th 626 73.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.47 87th 2072 95.8%
2019 91.57 112th 2213 94.9%
2022 94.04 78th 2359 96.7%
2023 86.92 192nd 2391 92.0%
2024 85.88 198th 2383 91.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.30 100th 1496 93.3%
2019 91.50 55th 1602 96.6%
2022 81.17 225th 1555 85.5%
2023 83.65 177th 1552 88.6%
2024 85.78 138th 1535 91.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle 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.

Rancho San Joaquin Middle 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 Rancho San Joaquin Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 510 24 118 25 3 n/a n/a 0 680
1989 527 18 160 33 0 n/a n/a 0 738
1990 507 34 174 36 2 n/a n/a 0 753
1991 546 38 211 50 1 n/a n/a 0 846
1992 583 40 244 39 0 n/a n/a 0 906
1993 542 33 258 31 0 n/a n/a 0 864
1994 505 29 274 37 0 n/a n/a 0 845
1995 454 26 225 51 1 n/a n/a 0 757
1996 454 26 225 51 1 n/a n/a 0 757
1997 444 24 249 55 1 n/a n/a 0 773
1998 445 32 243 46 1 n/a n/a 0 767
1999 432 26 250 43 2 n/a n/a 0 753
2000 411 10 241 43 1 n/a n/a 14 720
2001 395 13 261 39 2 n/a n/a 26 736
2002 423 14 315 36 6 n/a n/a 15 809
2003 423 14 315 36 6 n/a n/a 15 809
2004 409 19 368 35 6 n/a n/a 15 852
2005 363 21 404 32 2 n/a n/a 20 842
2006 333 20 396 46 2 n/a n/a 26 823
2007 292 21 363 53 1 n/a n/a 42 772
2008 260 19 405 51 3 n/a n/a 0 738
2009 287 19 452 55 6 2 52 0 873
2010 295 13 432 47 6 3 67 0 863
2011 266 10 464 41 4 1 58 0 844
2012 255 14 475 61 4 1 40 0 850
2013 268 20 471 66 3 1 39 0 868
2014 296 22 447 71 3 2 38 0 879
2015 265 19 444 73 4 2 49 0 856
2016 283 16 439 72 3 3 47 0 863
2017 292 14 433 61 1 3 59 0 863
2018 235 12 457 62 0 1 86 0 853
2019 242 13 411 81 0 1 85 0 833
2020 248 16 414 93 0 0 78 1 850
2021 143 7 181 63 2 0 55 1 452
2022 232 16 309 97 0 1 90 1 746
2023 270 25 338 78 0 2 93 1 807
2024 272 26 391 102 0 1 86 0 878

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 Rancho San Joaquin Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 680 29.6 22.9 n/a
1989 738 33.7 21.8 n/a
1990 753 33.4 22.5 n/a
1991 846 36.8 22.9 n/a
1992 906 37.4 24.2 6
1993 864 31.0 27.9 7.5
1994 845 37.2 22.7 8.5
1995 757 28.9 26.2 12.4
1996 757 28.9 26.2 12.4
1997 773 34.8 22.2 11.8
1998 767 39.2 19.6 10.8
1999 753 32.2 23.4 10.2
2000 720 29.6 24.3 6.8
2001 736 29.6 24.9 4.6
2002 809 30.8 26.3 7.7
2003 809 30.8 26.3 7.7
2004 852 31.4 27.1 6.5
2005 842 32.8 25.7 5.6
2006 823 32.3 25.5 6.5
2007 772 30.9 25.0 9.9
2008 738 35.1 21.0 8.4
2009 873 32.9 23.0 6.6
2010 863 32.6 26.4 10.7
2011 844 n/a n/a 10.4
2012 850 28.3 30.0 n/a
2013 868 29.2 29.7 11.9
2014 879 27.9 31.4 14.2
2015 856 25.0 34.2 15.9
2016 863 30.0 28.7 13.4
2017 863 33.5 25.7 13.3
2018 853 32.4 26.3 16.3
2019 833 32.3 25.7 17.2
2020 850 n/a n/a 16.1
2021 452 17.7 25.4 22.1
2022 746 29.8 25.0 20.1
2023 807 32.0 25.1 19.5
2024 878 34.7 25.2 22.7

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 Rancho San Joaquin Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 680 29.6 22.9 n/a
1989 738 33.7 21.8 n/a
1990 753 33.4 22.5 n/a
1991 846 36.8 22.9 n/a
1992 906 37.4 24.2 6
1993 864 31.0 27.9 7.5
1994 845 37.2 22.7 8.5
1995 757 28.9 26.2 12.4
1996 757 28.9 26.2 12.4
1997 773 34.8 22.2 11.8
1998 767 39.2 19.6 10.8
1999 753 32.2 23.4 10.2
2000 720 29.6 24.3 6.8
2001 736 29.6 24.9 4.6
2002 809 30.8 26.3 7.7
2003 809 30.8 26.3 7.7
2004 852 31.4 27.1 6.5
2005 842 32.8 25.7 5.6
2006 823 32.3 25.5 6.5
2007 772 30.9 25.0 9.9
2008 738 35.1 21.0 8.4
2009 873 32.9 23.0 6.6
2010 863 32.6 26.4 10.7
2011 844 n/a n/a 10.4
2012 850 28.3 30.0 n/a
2013 868 29.2 29.7 11.9
2014 879 27.9 31.4 14.2
2015 856 25.0 34.2 15.9
2016 863 30.0 28.7 13.4
2017 863 33.5 25.7 13.3
2018 853 32.4 26.3 16.3
2019 833 32.3 25.7 17.2
2020 850 n/a n/a 16.1
2021 452 17.7 25.4 22.1
2022 746 29.8 25.0 20.1
2023 807 32.0 25.1 19.5
2024 878 34.7 25.2 22.7

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 Rancho San Joaquin Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,160

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Rancho San Joaquin Middle

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 44th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 73rd of 2802 Middle schools
 1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Rancho San Joaquin Middle)82.379.7
 2.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Irvine Unified)82.877.7
 5.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Rancho San Joaquin Middle)80.974.9
 5.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Irvine Unified)77.971.3
 6.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Rancho San Joaquin Middle)8678.3
 7.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Irvine Unified)79.777.9
 1.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Rancho San Joaquin Middle)85.770.8
 14.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Irvine Unified)76.268.5
 7.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Rancho San Joaquin Middle)73.870.8
 3%
   8th Grade Science (Irvine Unified)6666.3
 0.3%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students833807
 3.1%
African American1325
 92.3%
American Indian00
Asian411338
 17.8%
Hispanic8178
 3.7%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White242270
 11.6%
Two or More Races8593
 9.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients17.2%19.5%
 2.3%


Schools Near Rancho San Joaquin Middle









Frequently Asked Questions about Rancho San Joaquin Middle

Students who attend Rancho San Joaquin Middle usually go on to attend University High

Students at Rancho San Joaquin Middle are 45% Asian, 31% White, 12% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 3% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 878 students attended Rancho San Joaquin Middle.

Yes! Rancho San Joaquin Middle is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 72nd of 2777 California middle schools.


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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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