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Modesto High

Q: Is Modesto High a good school?

Modesto High ranks 1179 th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1179^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 45% of California high schools

Summary

Modesto High is a large public high school serving grades 9-12 to approximately 2,300 students in the Modesto City High district, consistently earning a 2-star state rating that places it in the middle of California high schools.

The school maintains a strong graduation rate that exceeds the state average, but faces significant challenges with chronic student absenteeism, which is notably higher than at many neighboring schools like Fred C. Beyer High and those in the Ceres Unified district. Academic proficiency in core subjects is generally near or slightly below the district average, with math and science scores being particular areas for improvement. While per-student spending has increased in recent years, nearby schools such as Ceres High and the charter school Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy achieve higher rankings with similar or lower funding, suggesting differences in how resources are used.

Performance varies considerably for different student groups, and the school's statewide ranking has declined over the past decade. Comparisons within its own district show that Fred C. Beyer High is a higher performer, while comparisons to schools in Ceres Unified highlight that much lower absenteeism rates there coincide with better outcomes, pointing to attendance as a key factor. Overall, the data indicates that addressing attendance and learning from the practices of higher-performing schools with similar student populations could be important pathways for Modesto High to improve its academic results.

2,292

Students ?

22.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,957

Per pupil spending ?

83.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

18 H St.
Modesto, CA 95351-3203

(209) 574-1776

District: Modesto City High

Feeder schools for Modesto High:

Elementary:	Burbank Elementary
	Franklin Elementary
	Harriette Kirschen Elementary
	Hart-Ransom Elementary
	More...
	James Marshall Elementary
	Paradise Elementary
	Robertson Road Elementary
	Shiloh Elementary
Middle:	Mark Twain Junior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

77.1%

Asian:

7.3%

Two or more races:

6.5%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Modesto High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2015 → 45th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (29% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg30%

California avg41%

1,179^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 31% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 8High Schools in the Modesto City High

873^rd of 1,543Modesto City 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	43.5	1179 of 2162	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	1367 of 2159	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.1	1322 of 2170	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	1251 of 2123	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.8	608 of 1290	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.8	1060 of 2133	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.1	756 of 2017	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.5	828 of 2021	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.7	635 of 2039	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	66.4	628 of 1994	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.4	620 of 2426	74.4%	★★★★☆
2012	57.6	601 of 2354	74.5%	★★★★☆
2011	62.7	448 of 2367	81.1%	★★★★☆
2010	61.5	479 of 2281	79.0%	★★★★☆
2009	65.7	327 of 2238	85.4%	★★★★☆
2008	69.9	274 of 2117	87.1%	★★★★☆
2007	72.7	216 of 2063	89.5%	★★★★☆
2006	70.7	273 of 1968	86.1%	★★★★☆
2005	65.4	333 of 1901	82.5%	★★★★☆
2004	68.1	218 of 1653	86.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	33.9	318 of 521	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.4	130 of 522	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	83.9	68 of 592	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	34.0	375 of 582	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.5	465 of 585	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	492 of 573	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.7	529 of 591	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.0	472 of 581	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	465 of 582	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.2	371 of 581	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	26.1	948 of 1161	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.4	323 of 555	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.3	714 of 1117	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.2	815 of 1052	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	44.4	473 of 1085	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.0	464 of 1064	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.7	597 of 1044	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.0	166 of 467	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.9	697 of 941	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	636 of 938	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.5	1226 of 1906	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	1267 of 1915	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.9	1230 of 1915	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	1096 of 1858	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.1	549 of 1054	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.4	934 of 1833	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.4	765 of 1760	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.7	1075 of 1900	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.1	1283 of 1902	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.3	1219 of 1917	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	1168 of 1861	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.3	866 of 1814	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.6	668 of 1742	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	1162 of 2013	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.6	1350 of 2026	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	1320 of 2030	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.0	1247 of 1943	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.9	578 of 1126	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	1030 of 1937	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.7	732 of 1862	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.0	977 of 1942	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	1261 of 1948	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.0	1237 of 1963	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.5	1210 of 1916	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.6	597 of 1122	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.5	944 of 1880	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.0	702 of 1834	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.3	377 of 577	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	6.3	546 of 574	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	397 of 541	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.7	443 of 515	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	73.5	105 of 422	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	36.9	243 of 366	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.3	1047 of 1252	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	927 of 1216	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.4	741 of 1197	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.3	628 of 1155	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.3	486 of 1173	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.8	743 of 1193	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.1	519 of 1204	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	432 of 1222	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.4	329 of 1173	72.0%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)56th percentile+20 vs school

Male (2025)50th percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)46th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)43rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile-3 vs school

African American (2023)39th percentile~ school

Female (2025)36th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)35th percentile-11 vs school

Asian (2025)21st percentile-25 vs school

Disabled (2022)18th percentile-23 vs school

Special Education (2025)16th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy45%-4 vs state

Science23%-10 vs state

Mathematics20%-17 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, April 23, 2012

Modesto High School offers an excellent education for the aspiring student, a plethora of sports and clubs, and a wide sense of community. Although some look down on the school because of its undesirable location, Modesto High is very secure. I have attended the school for four years and have never once encountered any of the rumored gang fights or shootings that some say Modesto High is notorious for. That is a lie. I have received a great education here from a wonderful staff of well-experienced and concerned teachers. The arts programs, including drama, dance, band, orchestra, and choir, are all outstanding. Each performance I see feels like a real professional show. Our sports teams are also very accomplished. The IB Program, similar, yet perhaps more demanding than AP classes, has taught me very much and has helped me find my way into a career that I will enjoy. Close Quote

Schools Near Modesto 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 10th 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
Modesto High	Public	9-12	18 H St.	Modesto	95351	Stanislaus County	Modesto City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1776	2,292	104	22.0	83.7%	146 (6.4%)	46 (2.0%)	1,767 (77.1%)	168 (7.3%)	5 (0.2%)	10 (0.4%)	150 (6.5%)	43.5	1179^th of 2162 public high schools	45.5%		35.1	1367^th of 2159 public high schools	36.7%	188		8.4	28.9		22.7				45.3	45.3				19.9	19.9	$18,957	$2,731	$16,226
Yosemite Regional Occupational Program	Public	11-12	1100 H St.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Yosemite Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(209) 238-1500	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	819 Sunset Ave.	Modesto	95351	Stanislaus County	Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 521-3010	617	27	22.7	77.5%	35 (5.7%)	16 (2.6%)	491 (79.6%)	20 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (8.6%)	61.7	772^nd of 2162 public high schools	64.3%		56.8	840^th of 2159 public high schools	61.1%	68	9.1			41.9	18.3	26.5	21.9	21.8	59.7	29.3	12.0	13.8	7.3	16.4	12.0	$16,847	$1,713	$15,134
Stanislaus Alternative Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	1325 H St.	Modesto	95354	Stanislaus County	Stanislaus Alternative Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 238-8650	651	25	26.4	64.8%	134 (20.6%)	36 (5.5%)	433 (66.5%)	16 (2.5%)	7 (1.1%)	7 (1.1%)	15 (2.3%)								(n/a)				0.0	0.0											$11,938	$906	$11,032
Thomas Downey High	Public	9-12	1000 Coffee Rd.	Modesto	95355	Stanislaus County	Modesto City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1685	2,192	92	23.8	76.0%	396 (18.1%)	36 (1.6%)	1,514 (69.1%)	46 (2.1%)	7 (0.3%)	8 (0.4%)	185 (8.4%)	46.1	1113^th of 2162 public high schools	48.5%		38.8	1272^nd of 2159 public high schools	41.1%	159		7.4	28.8	13.3	24.2				47.9	47.9				20.5	20.5	$19,656	$2,735	$16,921
Robert Elliott Alternative Education Center	Public	9-12	1440 Sunrise Ave.	Modesto	95350	Stanislaus County	Modesto City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1701	479	33	14.4	87.9%	66 (13.8%)	19 (4.0%)	346 (72.2%)	7 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	34 (7.1%)	8.5	2095^th of 2162 public high schools	3.1%		11.6	1969^th of 2159 public high schools	8.8%	126			2.0		2.5				4.8	4.8				1.4	1.4	$23,165	$3,219	$19,946
Grace M. Davis High	Public	9-12	1200 West Rumble Rd.	Modesto	95350	Stanislaus County	Modesto City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 574-1668	2,083	95	21.9	80.2%	319 (15.3%)	63 (3.0%)	1,304 (62.6%)	170 (8.2%)	11 (0.5%)	18 (0.9%)	198 (9.5%)	32.5	1436^th of 2162 public high schools	33.6%		39.3	1256^th of 2159 public high schools	41.8%	180		7.6	21.9	5.3	18.4				39.8	39.8				12.2	12.2	$18,989	$2,805	$16,184
Ceres High	Public	9-12	2320 Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1920	1,660	74	22.5	87.0%	186 (11.2%)	23 (1.4%)	1,343 (80.9%)	80 (4.8%)	6 (0.4%)	6 (0.4%)	16 (1.0%)	59.8	828^th of 2162 public high schools	61.7%		47.5	1066^th of 2159 public high schools	50.6%	238			35.2		34.6				60.1	60.1				21.3	21.3	$18,554	$1,898	$16,656
Argus High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	2555 Lawrence St.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1800	189	10	18.5	93.1%	13 (6.9%)	1 (0.5%)	167 (88.4%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	2129^th of 2162 public high schools	1.5%		9.8	2085^th of 2159 public high schools	3.4%	44			1.8		3.3				1.8	1.8				0.0	0.0	$24,698	$2,544	$22,154
Central Valley High	Public	9-12	4033 Central Ave.	Ceres	95307	Stanislaus County	Ceres Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 556-1900	2,317	99	23.4	87.4%	168 (7.3%)	18 (0.8%)	1,953 (84.3%)	148 (6.4%)	7 (0.3%)	12 (0.5%)	11 (0.5%)	58.7	857^th of 2162 public high schools	60.4%		52.2	948^th of 2159 public high schools	56.1%	91			35.3		35.2				59.6	59.6				19.9	19.9	$17,519	$1,748	$15,771

Frequently Asked Questions about Modesto High

How many students attend Modesto High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,292 students attended Modesto High.

Is Modesto High a good school?

Modesto High ranks 1179^th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Modesto High?

Students at Modesto High are 77% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 6% White, 2% African American.

What schools feed into Modesto High?

Modesto High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Burbank Elementary
Elementary : Franklin Elementary
Elementary : Harriette Kirschen Elementary
Elementary : Hart-Ransom Elementary
Elementary : James Marshall Elementary
Elementary : Paradise Elementary
Elementary : Robertson Road Elementary
Elementary : Shiloh Elementary
Middle : Mark Twain Junior High

What district is Modesto High in?

Modesto City High

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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.