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Design Science Middle College High

Public Grades 9-12
172nd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,135 California High Schools
Better than 92% of California high schools
Summary

Design Science Middle College High is a 243-student, grades 9–12 school in Fresno, in California’s Central Valley, and part of Fresno Unified. Its academic results are strong across English language arts, mathematics, and science, with a 100% graduation rate in 2025–2026, compared with 91% in the district and 88% statewide. The clearest advantage is English language arts: 85% of students were proficient or above, versus 49% statewide and 40% in Fresno Unified.

The school also leads nearby reported results in English language arts and math, but science is a close comparison. Its English language arts rate was 6 points above Phillip J Patino School of Entrepreneurship, the next-highest nearby result, and its math rate was 9 points above Career Technical Education Charter. In science, Career Technical Education Charter was ahead by 2 points. Math is the school’s comparatively weaker subject, though its 54% proficiency rate still exceeded California’s 38% and the district’s 29%. Chronic absenteeism was also lower: 11%, compared with 27% in the district and 18% statewide.

Across 2022–2023 to 2025–2026, English language arts rose by 2 points and science by 4, while math fell by 3; the latest year brought an English language arts rebound but lower math and science results than the year before. SchoolDigger rated the school in the 92nd percentile statewide with five stars in 2025–2026. One notable exception is its statewide standing for Asian students: SchoolDigger placed this group at the 48th percentile in 2024–2025, versus the school’s overall 94th percentile that year. The 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 22, higher than eight of nine nearby schools with comparable figures. In that same year, 64% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible; only one of nine nearby schools reporting the same measure had a lower share.

243
Students ?
22.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$19,741
Per pupil spending ?
63.8%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in California receive free school meals.
 1101 E University Ave
       Fresno, CA  93741-6219

(559) 489-2270

District: Fresno Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
65.8%
Asian:
12.8%
White:
11.1%
more
 See top rated California high schools

 Compare Design Science Middle College High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2015 → 92nd in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the California average (65% vs 42% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 8% of California high schools
✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school65%
District avg33%
California avg42%
172nd of 2,135
California public high schools ?
Top 8%▼ down 5 pts since 2016
From top 3% (2016) to top 8% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
1st of 12High Schools in the Fresno Unified
980th of 1,530Fresno 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
202691.4172 of 213591.9%★★★★★
202593.3136 of 216293.7%★★★★★
202495.1108 of 215995.0%★★★★★
202394.1138 of 217093.6%★★★★★
202292.1167 of 212392.1%★★★★★
201991.7155 of 213392.7%★★★★★
201895.770 of 201796.5%★★★★★
201792.2146 of 202192.8%★★★★★
201695.658 of 203997.2%★★★★★
201594.682 of 199495.9%★★★★★
201378.8156 of 242693.6%★★★★★
201286.857 of 235497.6%★★★★★
201186.561 of 236797.4%★★★★★
201082.8100 of 228195.6%★★★★★
200967.4297 of 223886.7%★★★★☆
200872.2233 of 211789.0%★★★★☆
200758.6483 of 206376.6%★★★★☆
200679.3127 of 196893.5%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202555.4307 of 58547.5%★★☆☆☆
201957.7278 of 58252.2%★★★☆☆
201881.697 of 58183.3%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202680.3341 of 186481.7%★★★★☆
202593.8101 of 190694.7%★★★★★
202487.6231 of 191587.9%★★★★☆
202385.2264 of 191586.2%★★★★☆
202280.6314 of 185883.1%★★★★☆
201981.4298 of 183383.7%★★★★☆
201895.647 of 176097.3%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202692.3103 of 188094.5%★★★★★
202596.945 of 190097.6%★★★★★
202497.047 of 190297.5%★★★★★
202397.546 of 191797.6%★★★★★
202296.063 of 186196.6%★★★★★
201993.969 of 181496.2%★★★★★
201896.551 of 174297.1%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202694.389 of 199795.5%★★★★★
202594.284 of 201395.8%★★★★★
202496.269 of 202696.6%★★★★★
202395.779 of 203096.1%★★★★★
202294.190 of 194395.4%★★★★★
201994.083 of 193795.7%★★★★★
201897.930 of 186298.4%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202696.759 of 193096.9%★★★★★
202588.9200 of 194289.7%★★★★☆
202497.468 of 194896.5%★★★★★
202396.193 of 196395.3%★★★★★
202296.090 of 191695.3%★★★★★
201994.494 of 188095.0%★★★★★
201894.998 of 183494.7%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202290.180 of 120493.4%★★★★★
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)
Male (2026)97th percentile+5 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)96th percentile+4 vs school
Hispanic (2026)95th percentile+3 vs school
White (2022)93rd percentile~ school
Female (2026)82nd percentile-10 vs school
Asian (2025)48th percentile-46 vs school
By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy85%+36 vs state
Science56%+20 vs state
Mathematics54%+16 vs state

3.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
5★1
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★1
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What people are saying
by a student
Thursday, November 28, 2019

Open Quote Students don't get prepared for University at this school. Fresno City College Courses are super easy and don't challenge or teach you anything. I received a 4.0 every year and only received a 820 SAT score. This tells me that my grades were meaningless. I got into UC Irvine and flunked out my first year. All that Design Science students are used for is to improve Fresno City College's pass rate. Don't believe the good reviews of this school, the staff give students school swag for writing reviews or posting positive things on social media. I was forced to come here by my parents and regret not going to another High School that would have actually prepared me. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, February 10, 2017

Open Quote Design Science is a specialty school with an amazing staff and student body. The teachers work overtime to assure that students are on the road to college.
100 of the students graduate.
100 of the students attend college.
97 of the students go to a four year college after high school.

The school is currently housed on another school's campus but eventually they will get their own school. This school is a hidden gem in the Valley and my child loves it there and I am completely satisfied with the program as a parent. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Design Science Middle College High

In the 2024-25 school year, 243 students attended Design Science Middle College High.

Students at Design Science Middle College High are 66% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 11% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

Yes. Design Science Middle College High ranks in the top 8.1% of California high schools.

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Latest California data All new data »
2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026
2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026
2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026
2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 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.

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