Summary
Hillsdale Middle serves grades 6–8 in El Cajon and enrolls 1,481 students, the largest enrollment among the nearby schools listed, which range from 215 to 942 students. Nearby schools vary widely in statewide standing. In 2025–2026, SchoolDigger ranked Hillsdale 692nd of 2,703 schools, at the 74th percentile with four stars. Its most important strength is that it led nearby schools serving the same grades in all three tested subjects, while also scoring above the state and district.
In 2025–2026, Hillsdale’s proficiency was 57% in English language arts, 45% in math and 44% in science, compared with state results of 49%, 38% and 36%. Among nearby grade 6–8 schools, it narrowly topped Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy in ELA (56.8% versus 56.4%), and led by 6 points in math and 7 in science. It also outscored the next-highest Greenfield Middle in ELA by 36 points, and Cajon Valley Middle in math by 33 and science by 27. The main nearby exception is College Preparatory Middle, which scored higher in all three subjects; it serves grades 5–8, so its all-grade results cover a different grade span.
Scores have risen since 2022–2023, especially in math and science: Hillsdale gained 8 points in math and 7 in science, compared with state gains of 4 and 6 points. ELA rose 3 points, about the same as the state. Hillsdale’s SchoolDigger percentile has stayed around 73–74 in recent years. Its 22:1 student-teacher ratio in 2024–2025 was higher than most nearby schools, and it reported 73% free/reduced lunch eligible that year, despite the state providing free meals to all students. SchoolDigger’s subgroup ranking was notably lower for Asian students, at the 25th percentile versus 74th overall; its ranking for multi-racial students was at the 36th percentile, down 13 points from the previous year.
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