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La Canada High

Public Grades 7-12
18th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,162 California High Schools
Better than 99% of California high schools
Summary

La Canada High is a top-ranked public school serving grades 7-12 in the affluent community of La Canada, California, with nearly 2,000 students and is part of the highly-rated La Canada Unified district.

The school consistently delivers exceptional academic results, ranking in the 99th percentile statewide with a 98.9% graduation rate and proficiency scores that far exceed state averages. It achieves these top-tier outcomes efficiently, spending less per student than many nearby schools like Blair High or PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High. Impressively, the school excels at serving all student groups, with its Hispanic, special education, and economically disadvantaged students all scoring in the top 4% of similar students statewide, demonstrating effective support for diverse learners.

Compared to other local schools, La Canada High stands out for its consistent excellence as a comprehensive neighborhood school. While a specialized school like Anderson W. Clark Magnet High is also high-performing, La Canada achieves similar results while serving its entire local community. Its strong district support and effective practices result in very low dropout and chronic absenteeism rates, especially when contrasted with continuation schools in the area that serve at-risk populations with much higher spending and poorer outcomes.

1,989
Students ?
23.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$17,326
Per pupil spending ?
4.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 4463 Oak Grove Dr.
       La Canada, CA  91011-3738

(818) 952-4205

District: La Canada Unified


Feeder schools for La Canada High:

Elementary:    La Canada Elementary
    Palm Crest Elementary
    Paradise Canyon Elementary
Racial breakdown:

White:
44.0%
Asian:
31.2%
Hispanic:
13.4%
more
 See top rated California high schools

 Compare La Canada High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2013 → 99th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the California average (84% vs 41% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 1% of California high schools
99% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)
Worth a look
!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school84%
District avg84%
California avg41%
Middle school
12th of 2,761
California public middle schools ?
Top 1%▬ steady since 2015
See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
High school
18th of 2,162
California public high schools ?
Top 1%▬ steady since 2015
See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
7th of 1,543La Canada Unified among California districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202599.212 of 276199.6%★★★★★
202499.113 of 278399.5%★★★★★
202399.315 of 278199.5%★★★★★
202299.216 of 274099.4%★★★★★
201998.426 of 271599.0%★★★★★
201897.738 of 248098.5%★★★★★
201797.548 of 250898.1%★★★★★
201697.133 of 249798.7%★★★★★
201598.121 of 247799.2%★★★★★
201392.928 of 237998.8%★★★★★
201293.918 of 225999.2%★★★★★
201196.77 of 223699.7%★★★★★
201096.110 of 217999.5%★★★★★
200997.78 of 206399.6%★★★★★
200898.05 of 200599.8%★★★★★
200798.36 of 199999.7%★★★★★
200698.25 of 180499.7%★★★★★
200598.67 of 177799.6%★★★★★
200498.711 of 176999.4%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202589.39 of 73998.8%★★★★★
202488.319 of 74397.4%★★★★★
202388.317 of 71597.6%★★★★★
202287.229 of 73396.0%★★★★★
201982.967 of 74591.0%★★★★★
201882.080 of 70088.6%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202299.92 of 153199.9%★★★★★
201996.735 of 149197.7%★★★★★
201897.329 of 136997.9%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202599.27 of 253399.7%★★★★★
202499.010 of 255199.6%★★★★★
202399.014 of 253199.4%★★★★★
202298.717 of 250999.3%★★★★★
201997.825 of 238098.9%★★★★★
201896.838 of 226298.3%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202599.87 of 239599.7%★★★★★
202499.68 of 238899.7%★★★★★
202399.93 of 237499.9%★★★★★
202299.88 of 235999.7%★★★★★
201999.86 of 221399.7%★★★★★
201893.294 of 207295.5%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.533 of 254298.7%★★★★★
202499.96 of 257999.8%★★★★★
202399.57 of 253199.7%★★★★★
202299.97 of 245899.7%★★★★★
201995.758 of 236997.6%★★★★★
201896.350 of 223097.8%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.917 of 253499.3%★★★★★
202498.922 of 255299.1%★★★★★
202399.216 of 253899.4%★★★★★
202299.217 of 252799.3%★★★★★
201998.433 of 240798.6%★★★★★
201898.132 of 227398.6%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202595.17 of 72699.0%★★★★★
202491.818 of 70197.4%★★★★★
202395.55 of 67799.3%★★★★★
202293.38 of 66598.8%★★★★★
201988.228 of 55494.9%★★★★★
201887.824 of 46294.8%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202599.015 of 156699.0%★★★★★
202499.84 of 155299.7%★★★★★
202399.313 of 153199.2%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202593.925 of 152098.4%★★★★★
202495.312 of 153799.2%★★★★★
202395.015 of 154399.0%★★★★★
202295.817 of 155598.9%★★★★★
201992.446 of 160297.1%★★★★★
201892.336 of 149697.6%★★★★★
High school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.918 of 216299.2%★★★★★
202498.725 of 215998.8%★★★★★
202398.919 of 217099.1%★★★★★
202299.017 of 212399.2%★★★★★
201998.628 of 213398.7%★★★★★
201897.046 of 201797.7%★★★★★
201795.955 of 202197.3%★★★★★
201697.723 of 203998.9%★★★★★
201597.725 of 199498.7%★★★★★
201392.715 of 242699.4%★★★★★
201293.29 of 235499.6%★★★★★
201188.842 of 236798.2%★★★★★
201089.935 of 228198.5%★★★★★
200983.073 of 223896.7%★★★★★
200884.671 of 211796.6%★★★★★
200790.526 of 206398.7%★★★★★
200688.739 of 196898.0%★★★★★
200588.336 of 190198.1%★★★★★
200490.420 of 165398.8%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202589.224 of 58595.9%★★★★★
202489.820 of 57396.5%★★★★★
202388.229 of 59195.1%★★★★★
202289.823 of 58196.0%★★★★★
201989.034 of 58294.2%★★★★★
201881.993 of 58184.0%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202299.611 of 116199.1%★★★★★
201999.214 of 111798.7%★★★★★
201899.419 of 105298.2%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.313 of 190699.3%★★★★★
202498.120 of 191599.0%★★★★★
202398.418 of 191599.1%★★★★★
202298.320 of 185898.9%★★★★★
201998.321 of 183398.9%★★★★★
201895.843 of 176097.6%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.923 of 190098.8%★★★★★
202498.037 of 190298.1%★★★★★
202399.416 of 191799.2%★★★★★
202299.89 of 186199.5%★★★★★
201999.511 of 181499.4%★★★★★
201898.324 of 174298.6%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202594.977 of 201396.2%★★★★★
202498.335 of 202698.3%★★★★★
202399.324 of 203098.8%★★★★★
202298.729 of 194398.5%★★★★★
201989.0150 of 193792.3%★★★★★
201896.064 of 186296.6%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.823 of 194298.8%★★★★★
202498.830 of 194898.5%★★★★★
202399.220 of 196399.0%★★★★★
202299.221 of 191698.9%★★★★★
201998.635 of 188098.1%★★★★★
201897.647 of 183497.4%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202598.01 of 57799.8%★★★★★
202496.75 of 57499.1%★★★★★
202396.76 of 54198.9%★★★★★
202292.018 of 51596.5%★★★★★
201993.510 of 42297.6%★★★★★
201889.727 of 36692.6%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202597.135 of 125297.2%★★★★★
202492.958 of 121695.2%★★★★★
202399.97 of 119799.4%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202592.051 of 115595.6%★★★★★
202494.633 of 117397.2%★★★★★
202396.623 of 119398.1%★★★★★
202294.931 of 120497.4%★★★★★
201994.534 of 122297.2%★★★★★
201892.642 of 117396.4%★★★★★
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Middle school
Disabled (2022)100th percentile~ school
Female (2025)100th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)100th percentile~ school
Male (2025)99th percentile~ school
Special Education (2025)99th percentile~ school
Multi-racial (2025)99th percentile~ school
Asian (2025)99th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)99th percentile~ school
White (2025)98th percentile~ school
High school
Multi-racial (2025)100th percentile~ school
Female (2025)99th percentile~ school
Disabled (2022)99th percentile~ school
Male (2025)99th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)99th percentile~ school
Special Education (2025)97th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)96th percentile-3 vs school
Asian (2025)96th percentile-3 vs school
White (2025)96th percentile-4 vs school
By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy91%+42 vs state
Mathematics83%+46 vs state
Science76%+43 vs state

2.0
4 ratings · 4 written reviews
51
40
30
20
13
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What people are saying
by a parent
Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Open Quote Just an amazing school with fantastic teachers. La Canada by far is one of the best school system. Your kids are going to get the best education and prepare them for the future. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Open Quote The is no reason to move into the La Canada Unified School District. Instead of instilling success, the district gives a program which embraces failure, called "Challenge Success." Instead of hard date on college acceptances, the LCUSD hides the true fact that the college most attended by its graduates will be Pasadena City College, and refuses to present hard date on the failure to La Canada High School to place its students in decent 4 year colleges. When the parents ask for security, the district gives you a wellness center ... for the teachers. As a family that has lived here for over a decade, I can tell you ... run. It's not worth it. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Open Quote An over rated school that is insensitive to various ethnic and minorities in the neighborhood. The teaching professionals are quite stale in their tenure and have been in place for a long, long time. As such, not much improvements have taken place in their quality of classroom instruction. Exacerbating the problem is the student body from a neighboring community that is surprisingly exclusive in its intolerance for anyone or anything outside of the accepted norm. In the end, social interactions among various groups of students are quite limited. School cohesion is lacking and the overall experience as a child attending this school suffers. A very un-California like experience. Parents contemplating a move here should consider other school districts around the area like South Pasadena and San Marino. Close Quote


by a student
Monday, October 31, 2011

Open Quote The teachers assign way too much work and the administration doesn't help the kids. If you aren't academically gifted and don't fit into are different than the other kids in any way because of how they dress or what they like or for being themselves, this isn't a good place for them. The kids are mean, horrible people for the most part and it was one of the worst experiences I went through. I was ridiculed by the students and the administration and the teachers didn't want to deal with my sister or I because we have ADHD. Often times, other kids would call me stupid because I didn't have a 4.0 GPA and was artistically driven. If your child is academically gifted, good at taking tests, doesn't mind doing hours of homework and constantly competing with other kids, then send them to this school. However, if you want your child to have a more enjoyable high school experience where they're given to the environment to succeed and actually learn, then send them somewhere else. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about La Canada High

Students at La Canada High are 44% White, 31% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races.

Yes! La Canada High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 18th of 2162 California high schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,989 students attended La Canada High.

La Canada High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : La Canada Elementary
Elementary : Palm Crest Elementary
Elementary : Paradise Canyon Elementary


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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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