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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its California rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Aptos High

Q: Is Aptos High a good school?

Aptos High ranks 719 th of 2135 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

719^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,135 California High Schools

Better than 66% of California high schools

Summary

Aptos High is a public high school in the Aptos community, serving grades 9–12 and enrolling 1,274 students. Its clearest academic strength is English language arts, where 56% of students were proficient in 2025–26, above the state and district; the most important concern is science, where results were below the state and had declined over the four years reported.

In ELA, Aptos’s 56% proficiency rate was 7 percentage points above California and 28 points above the Pajaro Valley Unified rate; it ranked fourth among Aptos and eight nearby high schools, whose average was 41%. Math is a strong result locally, though not statewide: Aptos had 36% proficiency, ranking second in the same local group and well above the district’s 18%, but 2 points below the state’s 38%. Science is the weakest comparison: Aptos had 29% proficiency, 7 points below the state and 9 above the district, close to the nearby-school average of 28%. Graduation is another bright spot at 97%, compared with 88% statewide, while chronic absenteeism remains higher than the state rate: 26% versus 18%.

Science proficiency fell from 35% in 2022–23 to 29% in 2025–26, while the state rose from 30% to 36%, shifting Aptos from above to below the state. Math increased from 31% to 36% over that period. SchoolDigger rated Aptos three stars and placed it at the 66th percentile statewide in 2025–26, down from the 81st percentile in 2021–22. Its 21.9-to-1 student-teacher ratio in 2024–25 was the second-highest among nearby schools with reported ratios. Free/reduced lunch eligible students made up 48% in 2024–25, below the nearby-school average of 69%. One notable SchoolDigger subgroup result was the English Language Learner Students ranking: in 2023–24, it was at the 2nd percentile, compared with the school’s overall 75th percentile, a measure of the school’s effectiveness for that group.

1,274

Students ?

21.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,354

Per pupil spending ?

47.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

100 Mariner Way
Aptos, CA 95003-9641

(831) 728-7832

District: Pajaro Valley Unified

Feeder schools for Aptos High:

Elementary:	Bradley Elementary
	Calabasas Elementary
	Mar Vista Elementary
	Rio del Mar Elementary
	More...
	Valencia Elementary
Middle:	Aptos Junior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.1%

White:

40.1%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Aptos High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2015 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Pajaro Valley Unified

✓Above the California median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 18% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg22%

California avg42%

719^th of 2,135

California public high schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 14% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6High Schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified

1255^th of 1,530Pajaro Valley 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	719 of 2135	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.6	696 of 2162	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.2	548 of 2159	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	518 of 2170	76.1%	★★★★☆
2022	78.6	402 of 2123	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	70.2	529 of 2133	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	75.9	470 of 2017	76.7%	★★★★☆
2017	83.7	341 of 2021	83.1%	★★★★☆
2016	84.5	294 of 2039	85.6%	★★★★☆
2015	88.2	211 of 1994	89.4%	★★★★☆
2013	65.1	417 of 2426	82.8%	★★★★☆
2012	62.7	473 of 2354	79.9%	★★★★☆
2011	60.3	504 of 2367	78.7%	★★★★☆
2010	60.5	509 of 2281	77.7%	★★★★☆
2009	56.8	553 of 2238	75.3%	★★★★☆
2008	55.8	555 of 2117	73.8%	★★★★☆
2007	59.7	463 of 2063	77.6%	★★★★☆
2006	57.7	513 of 1968	73.9%	★★★★☆
2005	58.5	437 of 1901	77.0%	★★★★☆
2004	48.1	530 of 1653	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	43.6	500 of 1161	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	359 of 1117	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.3	129 of 1052	87.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	23.8	1059 of 1085	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	45.0	438 of 1064	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.3	492 of 1044	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.6	801 of 941	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.1	361 of 938	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	568 of 1864	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.9	581 of 1906	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.4	524 of 1915	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.1	393 of 1915	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	77.0	366 of 1858	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	68.5	486 of 1833	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.8	516 of 1760	70.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	967 of 1880	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.7	1008 of 1900	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	947 of 1902	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.2	708 of 1917	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.5	562 of 1861	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.4	716 of 1814	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	584 of 1742	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	51.2	947 of 1997	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.3	1030 of 2013	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.6	581 of 2026	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	452 of 2030	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	72.4	392 of 1943	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	56.0	768 of 1937	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	667 of 1862	64.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	876 of 1930	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.4	837 of 1942	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.9	548 of 1948	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	63.2	616 of 1963	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.0	394 of 1916	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.9	559 of 1880	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	435 of 1834	76.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	43.5	344 of 588	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.5	432 of 577	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.7	330 of 574	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.6	633 of 1235	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.7	813 of 1252	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.1	651 of 1216	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.9	395 of 1197	67.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	465 of 1130	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.0	461 of 1155	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.6	400 of 1173	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.5	404 of 1193	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.2	230 of 1204	80.9%	★★★★☆
2019	63.6	436 of 1222	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.5	342 of 1173	70.8%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)70th percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)59th percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2022)57th percentile-24 vs school

Male (2026)55th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)53rd percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)49th percentile-18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)49th percentile-18 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)41st percentile-25 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)2nd percentile-72 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy56%+7 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science29%-7 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Aptos 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

What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 2, 2018

This is a better high school in the area.
They have school buses still even.
This school starts at 7:45am though. Close Quote

Schools Near Aptos High

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	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
Aptos High	Public	9-12	100 Mariner Way	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-7832	1,274	58	21.9	47.6%	511 (40.1%)	4 (0.3%)	676 (53.1%)	26 (2.0%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	51 (4.0%)	64.8	719^th of 2135 public high schools	66.3%		64.6	696^th of 2162 public high schools	67.8%	23		28.0	28.6	56.1	56.1	36.2	36.2	$21,354	$1,647	$19,707
Delta Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg 500	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 477-5212	113	9	13.2	38.9%	59 (52.2%)	1 (0.9%)	43 (38.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.3%)	39.7	1281^st of 2135 public high schools	40.0%		24.5	1605^th of 2162 public high schools	25.8%	324	17.9		17.7	62.1	62.1	10.3	10.3	$14,106	$261	$13,845
Renaissance High Continuation	Public	9-12	11 Spring Valley Rd.	La Selva Beach	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6344	112	16	7.2	92.9%	4 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (93.8%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.1	1882^nd of 2135 public high schools	11.9%		9	2068^th of 2162 public high schools	4.3%	186		4.0	4.0	11.6	11.6	2.4	2.4	$42,956	$2,030	$40,926
Soquel High	Public	9-12	401 Old San Jose Rd.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3909	1,074	54	19.9	29.1%	510 (47.5%)	7 (0.7%)	424 (39.5%)	17 (1.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	113 (10.5%)	78.5	440^th of 2135 public high schools	79.4%		80	411^th of 2162 public high schools	81.0%	29	50.2		49.6	67.8	67.8	38.6	38.6	$17,829	$778	$17,051
Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter	Public, Charter	12	229 Green Valley Rd.	Freedom	95076	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5697	207	8	27.4	12.1%	44 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	161 (77.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)		0.0	0.0					$25,592	$1,208	$24,384
Pajaro Valley High	Public	9-12	500 Harkins Slough Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-8102	1,293	60	21.6	84.3%	23 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1,253 (96.9%)	11 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	46.7	1103^rd of 2135 public high schools	48.3%		34.1	1397^th of 2162 public high schools	35.4%	294		25.3	26.3	51.0	51.0	14.5	14.5	$21,553	$2,066	$19,487
Diamond Technology Institute	Public, Charter	9-12	112 Diamond Dr.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6225	87	5	17.0	77.0%	4 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	64.1	732^nd of 2135 public high schools	65.7%		65.4	683^rd of 2162 public high schools	68.4%	49	36.4		36.4	77.3	77.3	22.7	22.7	$31,365	$1,735	$29,630
New School Community Day	Public	9-12	165 Harkins Slough Rd.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 761-6140	42	4	10.5	95.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	2072^nd of 2135 public high schools	3.0%		7.9	2125^th of 2162 public high schools	1.7%	53				8.0	8.0	0.0	0.0	$45,474	$2,607	$42,867
Harbor High	Public	9-12	300 La Fonda Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3810	1,013	55	18.5	38.2%	350 (34.6%)	6 (0.6%)	564 (55.7%)	27 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (6.3%)	64.1	731^st of 2135 public high schools	65.8%		66.4	667^th of 2162 public high schools	69.1%	64	44.3		43.2	55.3	55.3	29.2	29.2	$19,877	$1,305	$18,572
Watsonville High	Public	9-12	250 East Beach St.	Watsonville	95076	Santa Cruz County	Pajaro Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 728-6390	2,215	94	23.5	91.1%	52 (2.3%)	5 (0.2%)	2,136 (96.4%)	16 (0.7%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.1%)	33.9	1399^th of 2135 public high schools	34.5%		38.4	1303^rd of 2162 public high schools	39.7%	96		19.0	19.5	34.9	34.9	15.4	15.4	$20,254	$1,990	$18,264

Frequently Asked Questions about Aptos High

What schools feed into Aptos High?

Aptos High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bradley Elementary
Elementary : Calabasas Elementary
Elementary : Mar Vista Elementary
Elementary : Rio del Mar Elementary
Elementary : Valencia Elementary
Middle : Aptos Junior High

What district is Aptos High in?

Pajaro Valley Unified

Is Aptos High a good school?

Aptos High ranks 719^th of 2135 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Aptos High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,274 students attended Aptos High.

What is the racial makeup of Aptos High?

Students at Aptos High are 53% Hispanic, 40% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Aptos High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia High School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Aptos, CA

Sign up for updates!

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

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.