Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Buhach Colony High

Q: Is Buhach Colony High a good school?

Buhach Colony High ranks 1032 nd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1032^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 52% of California high schools

Summary

Buhach Colony High is a public high school located in Atwater, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,658 students. The school is part of the Merced Union High School District, which is ranked 1134 out of 1543 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Buhach Colony High consistently performs better than the district average in English Language Arts (ELA) and Science proficiency, with 53.03% and 31.88% of students proficient or better, respectively, in the 2024-2025 school year. However, the school lags behind the state average in both ELA (56.96%) and Mathematics (30.5%) proficiency for 11th-grade students. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with some subgroups, such as Asian and White students, performing much lower than the state average. The school's lower rankings for its English Language Learner, Special Education, and Homeless student subgroups suggest a need to focus on supporting these vulnerable populations.

Buhach Colony High performs better than the nearby Golden Valley High and Merced High in ELA and Science proficiency, but lags behind El Capitan High in these areas. The school also has a higher spending per student compared to the nearby public schools. However, Buhach Colony High's high chronic absenteeism rates, which are consistently higher than the state average, may be an area of concern that requires further investigation and targeted interventions.

1,704

Students ?

22.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,560

Per pupil spending ?

78.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1800 Buhach Rd.
Atwater, CA 95301-4592

(209) 325-1400

District: Merced Union High

Feeder schools for Buhach Colony High:

Elementary:	Bellevue Elementary
	McSwain Elementary
	Peggy Heller Elementary
	Shaffer Elementary
	More...
	Thomas Olaeta Elementary
	Washington Elementary
Middle:	Bellevue Senior Elementary
	Rudolph Rivera Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.7%

White:

15.3%

Asian:

9.9%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Buhach Colony High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 39th percentile in 2024 → 52nd in 2025

Strengths

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 52nd (2025) from a 39th-percentile low (2024)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Merced Union High

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (33% vs 41% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 22 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg26%

California avg41%

1,032^nd of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 8High Schools in the Merced Union High

1134^th of 1,543Merced 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
2025	50.3	1032 of 2162	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.7	1322 of 2159	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.7	1327 of 2170	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.6	1188 of 2123	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.0	766 of 1290	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.0	1009 of 2133	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	999 of 2017	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.1	1001 of 2021	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.1	689 of 2039	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	61.8	711 of 1994	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.9	518 of 2426	78.6%	★★★★☆
2012	64.8	419 of 2354	82.2%	★★★★☆
2011	48.4	838 of 2367	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.3	855 of 2281	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	39.3	1045 of 2238	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	39.8	918 of 2117	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	41.5	837 of 2063	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	31.9	1044 of 1968	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.2	916 of 1901	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	29.9	934 of 1653	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	51.3	211 of 521	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.0	301 of 522	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.3	320 of 592	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	21.0	472 of 585	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.1	524 of 573	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	539 of 591	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.9	519 of 581	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.7	508 of 582	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	489 of 581	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	26.3	944 of 1161	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.7	392 of 555	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.5	827 of 1117	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.4	894 of 1052	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	36.1	682 of 1085	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.1	928 of 1064	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.1	400 of 1044	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.6	304 of 467	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.7	669 of 941	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.4	438 of 938	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.3	981 of 1906	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	1171 of 1915	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.5	1329 of 1915	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	1061 of 1858	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.2	666 of 1054	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	1053 of 1833	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.0	874 of 1760	50.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.7	873 of 1900	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.0	1132 of 1902	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.7	1182 of 1917	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.3	1113 of 1861	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.9	954 of 1814	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.9	973 of 1742	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	8.8	322 of 328	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	44.4	152 of 290	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	985 of 2013	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.0	1314 of 2026	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	1263 of 2030	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.1	1171 of 1943	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.4	699 of 1126	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	929 of 1937	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.9	913 of 1862	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	940 of 1942	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.9	1288 of 1948	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.4	1158 of 1963	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.6	1152 of 1916	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	723 of 1122	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.8	842 of 1880	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.7	1010 of 1834	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	43 of 85	49.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.7	353 of 577	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	842 of 1252	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.0	995 of 1216	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.2	680 of 1197	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	747 of 1155	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.8	1002 of 1173	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	1006 of 1193	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.4	841 of 1204	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.3	705 of 1222	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.5	607 of 1173	48.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2023)60th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2025)54th percentile~ school

Male (2025)52nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)51st percentile~ school

Migrant (2025)49th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)39th percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)37th percentile~ school

White (2025)35th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2025)33rd percentile-20 vs school

Asian (2025)19th percentile-33 vs school

Disabled (2022)19th percentile-25 vs school

Homeless (2024)2nd percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy53%+4 vs state

Science32%~ state avg

Mathematics15%-22 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Buhach Colony High and help other families decide.

Rate Buhach Colony High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Buhach Colony 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 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 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
Buhach Colony High	Public	9-12	1800 Buhach Rd.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1400	1,704	76	22.5	78.5%	261 (15.3%)	36 (2.1%)	1,187 (69.7%)	169 (9.9%)	14 (0.8%)	2 (0.1%)	34 (2.0%)	50.3	1032^nd of 2162 public high schools	52.3%		36.7	1322^nd of 2159 public high schools	38.8%	290		31.6	40.0	31.9		53.0	53.0		15.3	15.3	$13,560	$1,548	$12,012
Valley Atwater Community	Public	6-12	1800 Matthew Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4550	122	8	15.6	94.3%	14 (11.5%)	3 (2.5%)	100 (82.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.3%)	8.2	2108^th of 2162 public high schools	2.5%		9	2122^nd of 2159 public high schools	1.7%	14	0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0	9.8	6.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	$20,948	$1,944	$19,004
Atwater High	Public	9-12	2201 Fruitland Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1200	2,029	98	20.6	82.1%	251 (12.4%)	30 (1.5%)	1,654 (81.5%)	54 (2.7%)	8 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (1.6%)	35.9	1362^nd of 2162 public high schools	37.0%		37.9	1294^th of 2159 public high schools	40.1%	68		22.2	7.1	21.7		41.5	41.5		13.5	13.5	$13,130	$1,908	$11,222
Come Back Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	350 West Yosemite Ave	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 386-6025	128	5	27.2	88.3%	20 (15.6%)	3 (2.3%)	99 (77.3%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	3 (2.3%)								(n/a)			4.8	4.8							$11,488	$752	$10,736
Merced High	Public	9-12	205 West Olive Ave.	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1000	1,943	86	22.5	79.4%	262 (13.5%)	107 (5.5%)	1,326 (68.2%)	142 (7.3%)	12 (0.6%)	7 (0.4%)	84 (4.3%)	36	1358^th of 2162 public high schools	37.2%		36	1339^th of 2159 public high schools	38.0%	19		21.1		21.6		41.6	41.6		14.5	14.5	$12,194	$1,105	$11,089
Merced County Regional Occupational Program	Public	11-12	632 West 13th St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(209) 381-6740	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
El Capitan High	Public	9-12	100 West Farmland	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 384-5500	1,793	85	21.1	76.2%	243 (13.6%)	89 (5.0%)	1,173 (65.4%)	226 (12.6%)	3 (0.2%)	7 (0.4%)	47 (2.6%)	47.5	1085^th of 2162 public high schools	49.8%		47.3	1073^rd of 2159 public high schools	50.3%	12		28.5	20.0	28.2		53.6	53.6		14.3	14.3	$12,870	$2,058	$10,812
Yosemite High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1600	342	21	16.0	83.3%	39 (11.4%)	18 (5.3%)	266 (77.8%)	10 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.0%)	10.5	1999^th of 2162 public high schools	7.5%		9.7	2088^th of 2159 public high schools	3.3%	89		4.7		4.4		10.8	10.8		2.3	2.3	$20,460	$3,034	$17,426
Independence High (Alternative)	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1600	87	10	8.2	88.5%	13 (14.9%)	9 (10.3%)	61 (70.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	12.1	1910^th of 2162 public high schools	11.7%		12.4	1921^st of 2159 public high schools	11.0%	11		5.3		4.7		20.5	20.5		0.0	0.0	$27,616	$1,539	$26,077
Sequoia High	Public	9-12	1900 G St.	Merced	95340	Merced County	Merced Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 325-1700	77	9	8.9	90.9%	10 (13.0%)	3 (3.9%)	63 (81.8%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$35,926	$5,721	$30,205

Frequently Asked Questions about Buhach Colony High

Is Buhach Colony High a good school?

Buhach Colony High ranks 1032^nd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Buhach Colony High?

Buhach Colony High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bellevue Elementary
Elementary : McSwain Elementary
Elementary : Peggy Heller Elementary
Elementary : Shaffer Elementary
Elementary : Thomas Olaeta Elementary
Elementary : Washington Elementary
Middle : Bellevue Senior Elementary
Middle : Rudolph Rivera Middle

How many students attend Buhach Colony High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,704 students attended Buhach Colony High.

What is the racial makeup of Buhach Colony High?

Students at Buhach Colony High are 70% Hispanic, 15% White, 10% Asian, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Buhach Colony High in?

Merced Union High

Rate Buhach Colony High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia High School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Atwater, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Buhach Colony High!

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.