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Coast Union High

Public Grades 9-12

1647^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 24% of California high schools

Summary

Coast Union High is a very small public high school serving about 159 students in grades 9-12 in the coastal community of Cambria, part of the Coast Unified school district.

This school presents a complex picture for parents. On one hand, it boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate and a remarkably low student-to-teacher ratio of 10-to-1, thanks to very high per-student spending. On the other hand, its academic performance on state tests has been extremely volatile, with recent scores in English and Math dropping significantly below both state averages and those of the larger, nearby Morro Bay High. The school also reports a high rate of chronic student absenteeism, which can impact learning.

When compared to Morro Bay High in the neighboring San Luis Coastal Unified district, the differences are stark. While Coast Union spends more than twice per student and has smaller classes, Morro Bay High maintains more consistent and higher academic results with a lower chronic absenteeism rate. This contrast highlights that while Coast Union High successfully supports students to graduation, there are significant questions about the effectiveness of its resources in translating to stable academic achievement.

159

Students ?

10.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$42,281

Per pupil spending ?

88.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2950 Santa Rosa Creek Rd.
Cambria, CA 93428-3506

(805) 927-3889

District: Coast Unified

Feeder schools for Coast Union High:

Elementary:	Cambria Grammar
Middle:	Santa Lucia Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

79.2%

White:

17.0%

Two or more races:

3.1%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 24th in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (18% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 19% California)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg29%

California avg41%

1,647^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 40 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1100^th of 1,543Coast 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.3	1647 of 2162	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	1546 of 2159	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	87.2	269 of 2170	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	66.0	601 of 2123	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	36.3	821 of 1290	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	75.6	443 of 2133	79.2%	★★★★☆
2018	64.1	722 of 2017	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	81.8	377 of 2021	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	77.6	414 of 2039	79.7%	★★★★☆
2015	61.0	726 of 1994	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.2	731 of 2426	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.2	506 of 2354	78.5%	★★★★☆
2011	57.5	602 of 2367	74.6%	★★★★☆
2010	60.9	493 of 2281	78.4%	★★★★☆
2009	59.9	474 of 2238	78.8%	★★★★☆
2008	62.2	434 of 2117	79.5%	★★★★☆
2007	69.9	264 of 2063	87.2%	★★★★☆
2006	66.1	349 of 1968	82.3%	★★★★☆
2005	66.5	307 of 1901	83.9%	★★★★☆
2004	53.0	451 of 1653	72.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.1	1437 of 1906	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.4	1809 of 1915	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	71.7	478 of 1915	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	73.8	412 of 1858	77.8%	★★★★☆
2021	20.7	869 of 1054	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	69.5	474 of 1833	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	56.2	782 of 1760	55.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	1460 of 1900	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.0	1485 of 1902	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	90.6	142 of 1917	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	56.9	682 of 1861	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	551 of 1814	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.7	917 of 1742	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.2	1472 of 2013	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	1679 of 2026	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	84.1	273 of 2030	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	65.5	534 of 1943	72.5%	★★★★☆
2021	42.3	672 of 1126	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.1	538 of 1937	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	46.5	1042 of 1862	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	17.8	1564 of 1942	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.0	1106 of 1948	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	91.0	192 of 1963	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	55.7	728 of 1916	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.1	498 of 1122	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.0	413 of 1880	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.5	641 of 1834	65.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	85.3	131 of 1204	89.1%	★★★★☆
2019	87.5	106 of 1222	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	82.1	190 of 1173	83.8%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2022)89th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)27th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)25th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)19th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy30%-19 vs state

Science15%-18 vs state

Mathematics8%-29 vs state

★

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Schools Near Coast Union High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Coast Union High	Public	9-12	2950 Santa Rosa Creek Rd.	Cambria	93428	San Luis Obispo County	Coast Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 927-3889	159	16	10.1	88.7%	27 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	126 (79.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.1%)	22.3	1647^th of 2162 public high schools	23.8%		27.5	1546^th of 2159 public high schools	28.4%	101	13.5	15.0	29.7	29.7	8.1	8.1	$42,281	$10,115	$32,166
Leffingwell High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	2820 Santa Rosa Creek Rd.	Cambria	93428	San Luis Obispo County	Coast Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 927-7148	5	1	6.5		2 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							$51,892	$9,848	$42,044
Morro Bay High	Public	9-12	235 Atascadero Rd.	Morro Bay	93442	San Luis Obispo County	San Luis Coastal Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 771-1845	751	42	17.8	51.1%	427 (56.9%)	2 (0.3%)	238 (31.7%)	36 (4.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.3%)	77.9	448^th of 2162 public high schools	79.3%		78.3	431^st of 2159 public high schools	80.0%	17	40.1	40.0	69.6	69.6	38.9	38.9	$20,818	$1,985	$18,833

Frequently Asked Questions about Coast Union High

What is the racial makeup of Coast Union High?

Students at Coast Union High are 79% Hispanic, 17% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Coast Union High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 159 students attended Coast Union High.

Is Coast Union High a good school?

Coast Union High ranks in the bottom 23.8% of California high schools.

What district is Coast Union High in?

Coast Unified

What schools feed into Coast Union High?

Coast Union High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cambria Grammar
Middle : Santa Lucia Middle

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Schools in Cambria, CA

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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.