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Palmdale High

Q: Is Palmdale High a good school?

Palmdale High ranks 1526 th of 2137 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1526^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,137 California High Schools

Better than 29% of California high schools

Summary

Palmdale High is a public high school in Palmdale, in the Antelope Valley, serving 2,208 students in grades 9–12. Its results show a clear split across subjects, with math the school’s most serious academic concern: just 6% of students are proficient.

ELA is Palmdale’s strongest subject compared with nearby schools: 42% are proficient, the second-highest result among six schools, and above the nearby-school average of 35%. Its 41.5% result is nearly the same as the Antelope Valley Union High district’s 41.4%, though below California’s 49%. Math is much weaker: 6% are proficient, versus 16% districtwide and 38% statewide; Palmdale is second-lowest among the six nearby schools. Science is also below the state at 14% versus 36%, but it is second-highest in the nearby group and above that group’s 9% average.

Results have improved over time, but math remains the exception: from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026, ELA rose 12 percentage points and science rose 7, while math increased 3 points and its gap with the state widened by about 1 point. SchoolDigger places Palmdale in the 29th percentile with 1 star in 2025–2026, up from the 19th percentile in 2021–2022. Its 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 21.8:1, the lowest among the six nearby schools. In 2024–2025, 69% of students were reported as free/reduced lunch eligible, close to the nearby-school average of 68%. Attendance is another concern: chronic absenteeism was 31% in 2025–2026, compared with 18% statewide. SchoolDigger’s student-group rankings also point to areas needing attention: its ranking for how well the school serves Homeless Students was at the 4th percentile, down from the 42nd percentile in 2023–2024; for African American Students, it was at the 12th percentile, compared with the school’s overall 29th percentile.

2,208

Students ?

21.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,251

Per pupil spending ?

68.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

2137 East Avenue R
Palmdale, CA 93550-5415

(661) 273-3181

District: Antelope Valley Union High

Feeder schools for Palmdale High:

Elementary:	Barrel Springs Elementary
	Desert Rose Elementary
	Joshua Hills Elementary
	Palm Tree Elementary
	More...
	Tamarisk Elementary
	Tumbleweed Elementary
Middle:	Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.0%

African American:

14.4%

White:

2.9%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Palmdale High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 19th percentile in 2022 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 29th (2026) from a 19th-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (23% vs 42% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 18% California)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school23%

District avg27%

California avg42%

1,526^th of 2,137

California public high schools ?

Bottom 29%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 13High Schools in the Antelope Valley Union High

657^th of 968Antelope Valley Union High 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
2026	28.0	1526 of 2137	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.3	1667 of 2162	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	1634 of 2159	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	1683 of 2170	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	1728 of 2123	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.0	1601 of 2133	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	1455 of 2017	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.1	1418 of 2021	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.3	1442 of 2039	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.4	1317 of 1994	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	28.2	1373 of 2426	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	27.0	1392 of 2354	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	26.6	1419 of 2367	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	26.7	1367 of 2281	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	25.4	1602 of 2238	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.0	1254 of 2117	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	27.4	1212 of 2063	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	27.7	1163 of 1968	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	26.9	1134 of 1901	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2004	26.1	1039 of 1653	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	16.3	432 of 491	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.8	443 of 523	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	414 of 517	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.1	414 of 521	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.6	426 of 522	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.2	478 of 592	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.6	487 of 582	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	28.6	861 of 1161	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	842 of 1117	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.9	929 of 1052	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	32.4	787 of 1085	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.5	791 of 1064	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.5	781 of 1044	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.7	350 of 941	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	25.4	739 of 938	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	21.3	1483 of 1865	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.4	1483 of 1906	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	1506 of 1915	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.9	1586 of 1915	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	1586 of 1858	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.6	1470 of 1833	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	1393 of 1760	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	21.6	6 of 8	25.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.4	2 of 5	60.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	1296 of 1880	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.3	1425 of 1900	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.5	1376 of 1902	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.1	1446 of 1917	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.3	1489 of 1861	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.6	1296 of 1814	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	1223 of 1742	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	11.3	342 of 358	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.9	307 of 410	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.3	190 of 328	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	27.0	1476 of 1999	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	1552 of 2013	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	1499 of 2026	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	1539 of 2030	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.9	1583 of 1943	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	1416 of 1937	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	1321 of 1862	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	1374 of 1932	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.7	1545 of 1942	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	1488 of 1948	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	1523 of 1963	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	1572 of 1916	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	1416 of 1880	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	1322 of 1834	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	11.5	524 of 588	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	6.6	547 of 577	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.9	537 of 541	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	477 of 515	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.5	366 of 422	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	0.6	364 of 366	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	1016 of 1235	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.1	1075 of 1252	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.9	1048 of 1216	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	1002 of 1197	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	796 of 1132	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.8	948 of 1155	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	892 of 1173	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	1110 of 1193	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	1075 of 1204	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.7	965 of 1222	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.3	1032 of 1173	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)31st percentile~ school

White (2026)30th percentile~ school

Male (2026)29th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)27th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)26th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)26th percentile+7 vs school

Foster Care (2023)25th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)20th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)18th percentile-11 vs school

African American (2026)12th percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)11th percentile-18 vs school

Homeless (2026)4th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy41%-8 vs state

Science14%-22 vs state

Mathematics6%-32 vs state

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Schools Near Palmdale High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	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
Palmdale High	Public	9-12	2137 East Avenue R	Palmdale	93550	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 273-3181	2,208	101	21.8	68.5%	64 (2.9%)	317 (14.4%)	1,766 (80.0%)	22 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (1.8%)	28	1526^th of 2137 public high schools	28.6%		21.3	1667^th of 2162 public high schools	22.9%	141		11.1	16.7	13.6				41.5	41.5				6.3	6.3	$25,251	$23,390	$1,861
Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	1156 East Ave. S	Palmdale	93550	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(661) 575-1026	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
R. Rex Parris High	Public	9-12	38801 Clock Tower Plaza Dr.	Palmdale	93550	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 274-1230	469	21	21.9	83.6%	14 (3.0%)	67 (14.3%)	369 (78.7%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.3%)	9.9	1959^th of 2137 public high schools	8.3%		11.3	1952^nd of 2162 public high schools	9.7%	7		2.7	2.9	2.8				10.1	10.1				3.0	3.0	$20,674	$19,680	$994
William J. (Pete) Knight High	Public	9-12	37423 70th St. East	Palmdale	93552	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 533-9000	2,349	102	23.0	58.1%	76 (3.2%)	309 (13.2%)	1,854 (78.9%)	41 (1.7%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	65 (2.8%)	34.9	1375^th of 2137 public high schools	35.7%		32.8	1430^th of 2162 public high schools	33.9%	55		20.6	14.6	17.1				39.9	39.9				16.8	16.8	$24,711	$23,742	$969
Highland High	Public	9-12	39055 25th St. West	Palmdale	93551	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 538-0304	2,706	107	25.2	63.9%	196 (7.2%)	443 (16.4%)	1,837 (67.9%)	89 (3.3%)	9 (0.3%)	8 (0.3%)	124 (4.6%)	43.8	1175^th of 2137 public high schools	45.0%		32.4	1439^th of 2162 public high schools	33.4%	264		18.9	9.1	13.6				48.9	48.9				19.6	19.6	$21,703	$20,218	$1,485
Mission Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	43141 Business Center Pkwy Ste	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Mission Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(844) 788-3965	694	34	20.2	78.2%	142 (20.5%)	51 (7.3%)	420 (60.5%)	17 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	48 (6.9%)	56.9	884^th of 2137 public high schools	58.6%		54	948^th of 2162 public high schools	56.2%	64	24.4		38.9	28.6	27.3	24.2	20.9	40.6	32.5	22.7	24.2	31.9	37.0	32.8	$42,536	$42,464	$72
Assurance Learning Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	43145 Business Center Ste. 102	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Assurance Learning Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 272-1225	3,014	115	26.1	84.3%	310 (10.3%)	202 (6.7%)	2,308 (76.6%)	27 (0.9%)	10 (0.3%)	4 (0.1%)	139 (4.6%)								(n/a)
Eastside High	Public	9-12	3200 East Ave. J-8	Lancaster	93535	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 946-3800	2,631	105	25.1	68.5%	98 (3.7%)	582 (22.1%)	1,809 (68.8%)	32 (1.2%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	103 (3.9%)	24.1	1594^th of 2137 public high schools	25.4%		27.7	1534^th of 2162 public high schools	29.0%	60		14.3	5.0	9.3				35.6	35.6				7.5	7.5	$22,271	$21,454	$817
Empower Generations	Public, Virtual, Charter	9-12	44236 10th St. W. Ste. 105	Lancaster	93534	Los Angeles County	Empower Generations District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(661) 429-3264	81	2	36.4	85.2%	13 (16.0%)	32 (39.5%)	29 (35.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.4%)								(n/a)
Littlerock High	Public	9-12	10833 East Avenue R	Littlerock	93543	Los Angeles County	Antelope Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(661) 944-5209	1,507	68	22.2	66.3%	97 (6.4%)	56 (3.7%)	1,304 (86.5%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (2.9%)	32.2	1442^nd of 2137 public high schools	32.5%		21.9	1653^rd of 2162 public high schools	23.5%	211		8.3	0.0	4.2				41.4	41.4				13.8	13.8	$27,177	$26,366	$811

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmdale High

Is Palmdale High a good school?

Palmdale High ranks 1526^th of 2137 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Palmdale High?

Students at Palmdale High are 80% Hispanic, 14% African American, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Palmdale High?

Palmdale High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Barrel Springs Elementary
Elementary : Desert Rose Elementary
Elementary : Joshua Hills Elementary
Elementary : Palm Tree Elementary
Elementary : Tamarisk Elementary
Elementary : Tumbleweed Elementary
Middle : Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy

What district is Palmdale High in?

Antelope Valley Union High

How many students attend Palmdale High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,208 students attended Palmdale High.

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.