Is Portola High a good school?

Yes! Portola High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 78 th of 2323 California high schools.

How many students attend Portola High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,293 students attended Portola High.

What is the racial makeup of Portola High?

Students at Portola High are 61% Asian, 18% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools feed into Portola High?

Portola High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Beacon Park Elementary : Cadence Park Elementary : Loma Ridge Elementary Elementary : Portola Springs Elementary Elementary : Woodbury Elementary Middle : Jeffrey Trail Middle

Portola High

Summary:

Portola High is a public high school located in Irvine, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,293 students. It 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. Portola High has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in California, ranking 78th out of 2,323 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Portola High consistently outperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores, with 81.08% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 68.35% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the Irvine Unified School District averages of 71.62% and 61.86%, respectively, and the California state averages of 55.73% and 27.9%. The school has also maintained an impressive 4-year graduation rate, ranging from 93.2% to 95.5% over the past four school years, with a low dropout rate of 1.8% to 2.0% during the same period. Portola High's performance is consistently high across various student subgroups, including Female Students, Male Students, Hispanic Students, English Language Learner Students, Special Education Students, and Low Socio-Economic Status Students.

While Portola High's academic performance and key metrics generally outperform the nearby schools in the Irvine Unified School District, such as Northwood High, Woodbridge High, and Irvine High, the school may need to focus on addressing any achievement gaps or barriers faced by Asian Students and African American Students, as these subgroups have lower rankings compared to other subgroups. Additionally, Portola High's relatively low percentage of free and reduced-lunch recipients, at around 16% in recent years, may contribute to its strong academic performance and other positive outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1001 Cadence
Irvine, CA 92618-0833

(949) 936-8200

District: Irvine Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,044

Feeder schools for Portola High:

Elementary:	Beacon Park
	Cadence Park
	Loma Ridge Elementary
	Portola Springs Elementary
	More...
	Woodbury Elementary
Middle:	Jeffrey Trail Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 27.5

Number of students: 2,293

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

60.8%

White:

18.4%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 16.4%

See top rated California high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Portola High ranks better than 96.6% of high schools in California. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Irvine Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.18. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Portola 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 Portola High has the largest high school student body size in the Irvine Unified School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portola High is $8,044, which is the 2^nd highest among 6 high schools in the Irvine Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Portola High:

SchoolDigger ranks Portola High 78^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Portola 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:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Irvine Unified:

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

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Rank History for Portola High

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Rank History for all students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	93.76	122^nd	2133	94.3%
2021	95.39	46^th	1290	96.4%
2022	98.08	43^rd	2123	98.0%
2023	95.67	76^th	2348	96.8%
2024	95.18	78^th	2323	96.6%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	51.64	223^rd	422	47.2%
2022	75.14	110^th	515	78.6%
2023	75.92	131^st	786	83.3%
2024	79.79	93^rd	804	88.4%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	97.85	15^th	941	98.4%
2022	96.19	16^th	1044	98.5%
2023	61.93	124^th	1323	90.6%
2024	99.14	2^nd	1350	99.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.89	285^th	1547	81.6%
2024	89.59	51^st	1534	96.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	86.39	187^th	1937	90.3%
2021	95.32	42^nd	1126	96.3%
2022	96.72	62^nd	1943	96.8%
2023	90.78	136^th	2247	93.9%
2024	93.42	86^th	2235	96.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	91.60	134^th	1833	92.7%
2021	92.50	72^nd	1054	93.2%
2022	96.79	61^st	1858	96.7%
2023	95.66	64^th	2118	97.0%
2024	93.06	98^th	2098	95.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	85.96	97^th	1117	91.3%
2022	84.47	106^th	1161	90.9%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	93.28	6^th	168	96.4%
2023	93.83	10^th	233	95.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	94.17	99^th	1880	94.7%
2021	96.69	36^th	1122	96.8%
2022	98.44	38^th	1916	98.0%
2023	94.59	91^st	2207	95.9%
2024	95.60	75^th	2172	96.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	72.36	171^st	582	70.6%
2022	81.67	92^nd	581	84.2%
2023	73.45	190^th	731	74.0%
2024	69.16	226^th	712	68.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	56.91	246^th	721	65.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	69.72	438^th	1814	75.9%
2022	97.67	47^th	1861	97.5%
2023	94.58	70^th	2142	96.7%
2024	90.01	106^th	2125	95.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Portola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	70.77	325^th	1222	73.4%
2022	82.58	165^th	1204	86.3%
2023	67.19	346^th	1434	75.9%
2024	71.30	289^th	1406	79.4%

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 Portola High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2017	93	5	248	31	1	1	17	0	396
2018	194	14	552	62	1	4	36	0	863
2019	304	25	864	114	1	8	66	0	1382
2020	394	31	1162	179	2	9	116	2	1895
2021	319	18	942	149	1	7	101	2	1539
2022	390	40	1276	207	1	14	161	8	2097
2023	421	36	1394	228	1	10	191	12	2293

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 Portola High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	396	20.0	19.7	10.9
2018	863	37.7	22.8	15.5
2019	1382	52.7	26.2	18.6
2020	1895	n/a	n/a	16.7
2021	1539	60.7	25.3	17
2022	2097	86.5	24.2	16.2
2023	2293	83.1	27.5	16.4

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 Portola High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	396	20.0	19.7	10.9
2018	863	37.7	22.8	15.5
2019	1382	52.7	26.2	18.6
2020	1895	n/a	n/a	16.7
2021	1539	60.7	25.3	17
2022	2097	86.5	24.2	16.2
2023	2293	83.1	27.5	16.4

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 Portola High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$8,044

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Portola 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 122^nd of 2133 High schools	Ranks 76^th of 2348 High schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Portola High)	73.7	81.9	8.2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Irvine Unified)	76.2	77.1	0.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Portola High)	69.7	68.2	1.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Irvine Unified)	70.7	66.1	4.6%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Portola High)	59.9	58.8	1%
11th Grade Science (Irvine Unified)	66.5	61.9	4.7%
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	1382	2293	65.9%
African American	25	36	44%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	864	1394	61.3%
Hispanic	114	228	100%
Pacific Islander	8	10	25%
White	304	421	38.5%
Two or More Races	66	191	189.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.6%	16.4%	2.2%

Schools Near Portola 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 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
Portola High	Public	9-12	1001 Cadence	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-8200	2,293	83	27.5	16.4%	421 (18.4%)	36 (1.6%)	228 (9.9%)	1,394 (60.8%)	1 (0.0%)	10 (0.4%)	191 (8.3%)	95.2	78^th of 2323 public high schools	96.6%		95.7	76^th of 2348 public high schools	96.8%	2	58.0	39.1	57.3	81.1	81.1	68.4	68.4	$8,044
El Toro High	Public	9-12	25255 Toledo Way	Lake Forest	92630	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 586-6333	2,031	89	22.9	48.5%	717 (35.3%)	35 (1.7%)	850 (41.9%)	288 (14.2%)	3 (0.1%)	5 (0.2%)	129 (6.4%)	79.6	333^rd of 2323 public high schools	85.7%		74.7	415^th of 2348 public high schools	82.3%	82	46.9	27.3	46.4	67.0	67.0	38.6	38.6	$6,328
Trabuco Hills High	Public	9-12	27501 Mustang Run	Mission Viejo	92691	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 768-1934	2,579	112	23.0	36.6%	1,187 (46.0%)	33 (1.3%)	715 (27.7%)	419 (16.2%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	209 (8.1%)	80.3	324^th of 2323 public high schools	86.1%		81.2	306^th of 2348 public high schools	87.0%	18	43.6		43.4	69.6	69.6	41.0	41.0	$6,207
Silverado High	Public	9-12	25632 Peter A. Hartman Way	Mission Viejo	92691	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 586-8800	264	17	15.3	79.5%	54 (20.5%)	4 (1.5%)	190 (72.0%)	9 (3.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	10.2	2003^rd of 2323 public high schools	13.8%		12.3	1932^nd of 2348 public high schools	17.7%	71	1.4		1.3	19.1	19.1	0.0	0.0	$13,657
Irvine High	Public	9-12	4321 Walnut Ave.	Irvine	92604	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-7000	1,862	77	24.2	21.4%	431 (23.1%)	37 (2.0%)	279 (15.0%)	943 (50.6%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	160 (8.6%)	89.1	175^th of 2323 public high schools	92.5%		91.4	154^th of 2348 public high schools	93.4%	21	49.1	30.4	48.2	70.6	70.6	60.7	60.7	$6,934
Northwood High	Public	9-12	4515 Portola Pkwy.	Irvine	92620	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-7200	2,251	82	27.5	18.6%	417 (18.5%)	37 (1.6%)	201 (8.9%)	1,371 (60.9%)	5 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	207 (9.2%)	92.8	114^th of 2323 public high schools	95.1%		94.7	93^rd of 2348 public high schools	96.0%	21	58.4	18.8	57.4	71.7	71.7	66.4	66.4	$6,296
Arnold O. Beckman High	Public	9-12	3588 Bryan Ave.	Irvine	92602	Orange County	Tustin Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 734-2900	2,798	105	26.5	23.6%	607 (21.7%)	81 (2.9%)	675 (24.1%)	1,253 (44.8%)	4 (0.1%)	9 (0.3%)	159 (5.7%)	96.3	60^th of 2323 public high schools	97.4%		92.9	124^th of 2348 public high schools	94.7%	64	67.9		67.4	85.9	85.9	61.1	61.1	$10,175
Woodbridge High	Public	9-12	2 Meadowbrook	Irvine	92604	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 786-1104	2,218	93	23.7	23.1%	749 (33.8%)	66 (3.0%)	329 (14.8%)	814 (36.7%)	6 (0.3%)	8 (0.4%)	242 (10.9%)	87.9	199^th of 2323 public high schools	91.4%		96.4	64^th of 2348 public high schools	97.3%	135	56.1	50.0	55.8	67.1	67.1	50.9	50.9	$6,402
Laguna Hills High	Public	9-12	25401 Paseo de Valencia	Laguna Hills	92653	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 770-5447	1,434	65	21.9	53.0%	470 (32.8%)	12 (0.8%)	719 (50.1%)	151 (10.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (5.2%)	63.3	573^rd of 2323 public high schools	75.3%		73.3	431^st of 2348 public high schools	81.6%	142	35.1		34.9	53.8	53.8	31.8	31.8	$7,052
Mission Viejo High	Public	9-12	25025 Chrisanta Dr.	Mission Viejo	92691	Orange County	Saddleback Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 837-7722	1,646	75	21.8	40.9%	777 (47.2%)	24 (1.5%)	579 (35.2%)	148 (9.0%)	3 (0.2%)	9 (0.5%)	101 (6.1%)	81.1	315^th of 2323 public high schools	86.4%		90	177^th of 2348 public high schools	92.5%	138	48.8		48.6	70.5	70.5	37.6	37.6	$6,741

Portola High

Portola High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Irvine Unified:

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Rank History for Portola High

Rank History for all students at Portola High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Portola High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Portola High

Rank History for Special Education students at Portola High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portola High

Rank History for Female students at Portola High

Rank History for Disabled students at Portola High

Rank History for Military Connected students at Portola High

Rank History for Male students at Portola High

Rank History for Asian students at Portola High

Rank History for African American students at Portola High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Portola High

Rank History for White students at Portola High

Enrollment information for Portola High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Portola High

Student/Teacher Ratio Portola High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Portola High

Impact of COVID-19 on Portola High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Portola High

Frequently Asked Questions about Portola High

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