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Carmel High

Public Grades 9-12
87th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,162 California High Schools
Better than 96% of California high schools
Summary

Carmel High is a public high school located in Carmel, California, serving 799 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Carmel Unified School District, which is ranked 86 out of 1,543 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Carmel High has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in California, with a statewide ranking that has ranged from 45 to 197 over the past 10 years. The school's exceptional performance is evident in its students' academic achievements, which consistently outpace state and district averages in standardized tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, 81.71% of Carmel High's 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 56.96% statewide, and 65.73% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 30.5% statewide. The school's science performance is also impressive, with 61.49% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in the California Science Test, compared to 34.31% statewide.

Carmel High's strong performance extends beyond academics, with high graduation rates ranging from 86.2% to 98.3% and low dropout rates between 0.9% and 8.9% in recent years. The school serves a diverse student population and maintains a focus on equity and inclusion, with high rankings across different student subgroups. Additionally, Carmel High's relatively high spending per student, ranging from $26,384 to $37,287, and low student-to-teacher ratio, between 15.4 and 16.4, suggest a commitment to providing students with the resources and support they need to succeed. When compared to nearby schools, such as Salinas High, Carmel High stands out as a top-performing institution in the region.

780
Students ?
14.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$37,287
Per pupil spending ?
15.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 3600 Ocean Ave.
       Carmel, CA  93923-8239

(831) 624-1821

District: Carmel Unified


Feeder schools for Carmel High:

Elementary:    Captain Cooper Elementary
    Carmel River Elementary
    Tularcitos Elementary
Middle:    Carmel Middle
Racial breakdown:

White:
63.7%
Hispanic:
19.6%
Two or more races:
10.6%
more
 See top rated California high schools

 Compare Carmel High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2015 → 96th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the California average (70% vs 41% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 4% of California high schools
98% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school70%
District avg68%
California avg41%
87th of 2,162
California public high schools ?
Top 4%▲ up 1 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
86th of 1,543Carmel 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202595.487 of 216296.0%★★★★★
202491.1197 of 215990.9%★★★★★
202392.3184 of 217091.5%★★★★★
202293.6142 of 212393.3%★★★★★
202192.495 of 129092.6%★★★★★
201996.566 of 213396.9%★★★★★
201895.869 of 201796.6%★★★★★
201794.2105 of 202194.8%★★★★★
201696.345 of 203997.8%★★★★★
201594.099 of 199495.0%★★★★★
201377.0182 of 242692.5%★★★★★
201282.5112 of 235495.2%★★★★★
201182.9106 of 236795.5%★★★★★
201078.3160 of 228193.0%★★★★★
200978.7130 of 223894.2%★★★★★
200881.7105 of 211795.0%★★★★★
200775.3187 of 206390.9%★★★★★
200676.4175 of 196891.1%★★★★★
200580.692 of 190195.2%★★★★★
200467.9225 of 165386.4%★★★★☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202284.266 of 58188.6%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202286.498 of 116191.6%★★★★★
201981.9124 of 111788.9%★★★★☆
201891.475 of 105292.9%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202595.465 of 190696.6%★★★★★
202489.7185 of 191590.3%★★★★★
202392.8137 of 191592.8%★★★★★
202293.4121 of 185893.5%★★★★★
202190.794 of 105491.1%★★★★★
201996.065 of 183396.5%★★★★★
201894.176 of 176095.7%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202592.2104 of 190094.5%★★★★★
202464.4585 of 190269.2%★★★☆☆
202388.7159 of 191791.7%★★★★★
202288.3144 of 186192.3%★★★★★
201992.294 of 181494.8%★★★★★
201893.791 of 174294.8%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202592.9101 of 201395.0%★★★★★
202478.9347 of 202682.9%★★★★☆
202376.0387 of 203080.9%★★★★☆
202288.6168 of 194391.4%★★★★★
202189.392 of 112691.8%★★★★★
201994.281 of 193795.8%★★★★★
201891.0145 of 186292.2%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202594.1109 of 194294.4%★★★★★
202489.8196 of 194889.9%★★★★☆
202389.8216 of 196389.0%★★★★☆
202291.9152 of 191692.1%★★★★★
202192.291 of 112291.9%★★★★★
201995.286 of 188095.4%★★★★★
201896.367 of 183496.3%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202588.355 of 57790.5%★★★★★
202488.545 of 57492.2%★★★★★
202366.6179 of 54166.9%★★★☆☆
202267.9160 of 51568.9%★★★☆☆
201977.387 of 42279.4%★★★★☆
201894.48 of 36697.8%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202572.5212 of 125283.1%★★★★☆
202458.3360 of 121670.4%★★★★☆
202378.7154 of 119787.1%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202589.970 of 115593.9%★★★★★
202480.0205 of 117382.5%★★★★☆
202383.8170 of 119385.8%★★★★☆
202282.3174 of 120485.5%★★★★☆
201990.077 of 122293.7%★★★★★
201892.345 of 117396.2%★★★★★
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)
Female (2025)97th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)95th percentile~ school
Male (2025)94th percentile~ school
White (2025)94th percentile~ school
Disabled (2022)92nd percentile~ school
Multi-racial (2025)90th percentile-6 vs school
Asian (2022)89th percentile-5 vs school
Special Education (2025)83rd percentile-13 vs school
By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy82%+33 vs state
Mathematics66%+28 vs state
Science61%+29 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Carmel High

In the 2024-25 school year, 780 students attended Carmel High.

Yes! Carmel High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 87th of 2162 California high schools.

Carmel High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Captain Cooper Elementary
Elementary : Carmel River Elementary
Elementary : Tularcitos Elementary
Middle : Carmel Middle

Students at Carmel High are 64% White, 20% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 5% Asian.


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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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