Summary:
The three high schools in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified include two comprehensive schools serving grades 9–12 and one continuation school serving grades 10–12; enrollment ranges from 41 to 2,075 students. In 2025–2026, the two comprehensive schools had strong 11th-grade test results, while Rancho del Mar High (Continuation) had much lower scores and notably higher chronic absenteeism. The most important difference is the gap between the comprehensive schools and the continuation school: the comprehensive schools’ 11th-grade averages were 81% in ELA, 63% in math and 66% in science, compared with 27%, 0% and 9% at Rancho del Mar.
Palos Verdes Peninsula High led the group in all three subjects, scoring 84% in ELA, 72% in math and 70% in science; Palos Verdes High followed with 77%, 54% and 63%. Peninsula High’s advantage over Palos Verdes High was 7 percentage points in ELA, 18 in math and 7 in science. Both comprehensive schools exceeded state results in every subject: Peninsula High was ahead by 27 points in ELA, 40 in math and 31 in science, while Palos Verdes High was ahead by 20, 22 and 25 points. Rancho del Mar’s reported scores were 27% in ELA, 0% in math and 9% in science; its chronic absenteeism was 85%, compared with 13% and 14% at the comprehensive schools.
The comprehensive schools’ all-grades scores fell in ELA and math from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, while science was nearly flat overall: their combined averages changed by −3 points in ELA, −5 in math and 0 in science. SchoolDigger statewide rankings also slipped: Peninsula High moved from rank 44 (98th percentile) to 61 (97th percentile), and Palos Verdes High from 73 (97th percentile) to 171 (92nd percentile). Their student–teacher ratios were similar, at 22.2 and 22.6. In 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible figures were 12% at Peninsula High, 8% at Palos Verdes High and 15% at Rancho del Mar. Rancho del Mar has no supplied 2024–2025 test scores, so it is not included in the score trend.
Thank you for your feedback!