Palo Alto High

Public 9-12

50 Embarcadero Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94301-2321

(650) 329-3701

SchoolDigger Rank:
38^th of 2,125 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,583

Feeder schools for Palo Alto High:

Elementary:	Addison Elementary
	Duveneck Elementary
	Escondido Elementary
	Walter Hays Elementary
Middle:	Frank S. Greene Junior Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 2,010

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.4%

Asian:

35.4%

Hispanic:

13.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 9.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Palo Alto High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Palo Alto High ranks better than 98.2% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2022 the calculated Average Standard Score was 98.26. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Palo Alto High is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (38.4%), Asian (35.4%), Hispanic (13.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 9.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palo Alto High is 17.2. (See more...)

Compare Palo Alto High employs 116.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palo Alto High is $15,583.

Schooldigger 2022 Rankings:

Palo Alto High:

SchoolDigger ranks Palo Alto High 38^th of 2125 California public high schools. (See Palo Alto High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Palo Alto Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Palo Alto Unified 35^th of 2062 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Palo Alto High

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Rank History for all students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	91.99	11^th	1653	99.3%
2005	90.21	26^th	1901	98.6%
2006	86.59	54^th	1968	97.3%
2007	92.01	19^th	2063	99.1%
2008	90.82	18^th	2117	99.1%
2009	83.48	67^th	2238	97.0%
2010	82.85	98^th	2281	95.7%
2011	83.28	98^th	2367	95.9%
2012	83.27	98^th	2354	95.8%
2013	85.19	75^th	2426	96.9%
2015	96.32	44^th	1994	97.8%
2016	97.08	30^th	2039	98.5%
2017	95.24	71^st	2021	96.5%
2018	94.77	89^th	2017	95.6%
2019	97.82	39^th	2133	98.2%
2021	97.05	31^st	1290	97.6%
2022	98.26	37^th	2123	98.3%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	87.43	32^nd	422	92.4%
2022	91.49	22^nd	515	95.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	87.25	169^th	1937	91.3%
2021	87.85	109^th	1126	90.3%
2022	82.40	236^th	1943	87.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.47	13^th	1760	99.3%
2019	97.50	35^th	1833	98.1%
2021	97.55	11^th	1054	99.0%
2022	98.16	27^th	1858	98.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	99.89	4^th	1117	99.6%
2022	99.15	17^th	1161	98.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	93.62	123^rd	1834	93.3%
2019	97.38	52^nd	1880	97.2%
2021	94.29	65^th	1122	94.2%
2022	97.65	56^th	1916	97.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	81.74	94^th	581	83.8%
2019	89.57	29^th	582	95.0%
2022	83.21	75^th	581	87.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	85.95	172^nd	1814	90.5%
2022	93.95	85^th	1861	95.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Palo Alto High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	84.19	154^th	1173	86.9%
2019	92.79	54^th	1222	95.6%
2022	91.80	64^th	1204	94.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

by a student
Monday, October 27, 2014

I am a student at Paly and I can confidently say that this school is crushing my spirit. But at least we have good test scores, right? Close Quote

Enrollment information for Palo Alto High

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1204	66	112	33	2	n/a	n/a	0	1417
1989	1067	57	124	29	2	n/a	n/a	0	1279
1990	979	48	130	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	1186
1991	936	42	120	23	4	n/a	n/a	0	1125
1992	928	50	125	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	1142
1993	918	53	127	35	3	n/a	n/a	0	1136
1994	960	58	137	41	3	n/a	n/a	0	1199
1995	965	64	159	50	7	n/a	n/a	0	1245
1996	965	64	159	50	7	n/a	n/a	0	1245
1997	1018	60	180	56	6	n/a	n/a	0	1320
1998	1043	67	204	63	10	n/a	n/a	0	1387
1999	1112	80	218	64	15	n/a	n/a	0	1489
2000	1138	76	230	76	10	n/a	n/a	0	1530
2001	1143	70	229	86	10	n/a	n/a	3	1541
2002	1158	89	256	110	3	n/a	n/a	10	1626
2003	1158	89	256	110	3	n/a	n/a	10	1626
2004	1123	94	282	111	4	n/a	n/a	48	1662
2005	1091	89	304	120	5	n/a	n/a	89	1698
2006	1072	83	351	117	4	n/a	n/a	101	1728
2007	990	66	328	102	4	n/a	n/a	200	1690
2008	973	67	343	112	5	n/a	n/a	0	1500
2009	991	81	368	113	3	9	207	0	1772
2010	1062	76	384	176	2	5	145	0	1850
2011	1071	66	419	161	2	9	124	0	1852
2012	1035	65	462	172	1	10	142	0	1887
2013	1072	66	500	195	2	17	105	0	1957
2014	1030	67	539	199	8	14	87	0	1944
2015	974	67	587	194	11	19	91	0	1943
2016	976	66	622	187	13	21	109	0	1994
2017	926	61	650	206	9	17	123	0	1992
2018	952	51	689	218	6	19	137	0	2072
2019	964	44	711	252	5	14	134	0	2124
2020	933	46	765	270	6	15	142	0	2177
2021	869	28	738	270	7	14	159	0	2085
2022	771	33	711	275	5	17	198	0	2010

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Palo Alto High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1417	75.0	18.8	n/a
1989	1279	67.2	19.0	n/a
1990	1186	68.2	17.3	n/a
1991	1125	63.5	17.7	n/a
1992	1142	64.5	17.7	n/a
1993	1136	67.0	17.0	2.1
1994	1199	60.7	19.8	1.4
1995	1245	68.2	18.3	2.7
1996	1245	68.2	18.3	2.7
1997	1320	65.9	20.0	2.5
1998	1387	71.4	19.4	3
1999	1489	77.0	19.3	3.6
2000	1530	84.1	18.2	3.7
2001	1541	82.9	18.6	4.2
2002	1626	85.7	19.0	3.5
2003	1626	85.7	19.0	3.5
2004	1662	91.2	18.2	3
2005	1698	90.6	18.7	4.1
2006	1728	96.3	17.9	4.6
2007	1690	102.2	16.5	5
2008	1500	120.4	12.5	6.7
2009	1772	105.3	15.0	6
2010	1850	99.8	18.5	6.5
2011	1852	n/a	n/a	6.4
2012	1887	104.3	18.0	n/a
2013	1957	108.0	18.1	7.1
2014	1944	110.6	17.5	6.8
2015	1943	115.0	16.8	8.2
2016	1994	106.0	18.8	6.8
2017	1992	127.5	15.6	8.9
2018	2072	127.8	16.2	10
2019	2124	117.0	18.1	7.9
2020	2177	n/a	n/a	8.1
2021	2085	117.6	17.7	8.2
2022	2010	116.2	17.2	9.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Palo Alto High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1417	75.0	18.8	n/a
1989	1279	67.2	19.0	n/a
1990	1186	68.2	17.3	n/a
1991	1125	63.5	17.7	n/a
1992	1142	64.5	17.7	n/a
1993	1136	67.0	17.0	2.1
1994	1199	60.7	19.8	1.4
1995	1245	68.2	18.3	2.7
1996	1245	68.2	18.3	2.7
1997	1320	65.9	20.0	2.5
1998	1387	71.4	19.4	3
1999	1489	77.0	19.3	3.6
2000	1530	84.1	18.2	3.7
2001	1541	82.9	18.6	4.2
2002	1626	85.7	19.0	3.5
2003	1626	85.7	19.0	3.5
2004	1662	91.2	18.2	3
2005	1698	90.6	18.7	4.1
2006	1728	96.3	17.9	4.6
2007	1690	102.2	16.5	5
2008	1500	120.4	12.5	6.7
2009	1772	105.3	15.0	6
2010	1850	99.8	18.5	6.5
2011	1852	n/a	n/a	6.4
2012	1887	104.3	18.0	n/a
2013	1957	108.0	18.1	7.1
2014	1944	110.6	17.5	6.8
2015	1943	115.0	16.8	8.2
2016	1994	106.0	18.8	6.8
2017	1992	127.5	15.6	8.9
2018	2072	127.8	16.2	10
2019	2124	117.0	18.1	7.9
2020	2177	n/a	n/a	8.1
2021	2085	117.6	17.7	8.2
2022	2010	116.2	17.2	9.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Palo Alto High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$15,583

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palo Alto High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Pandemic (2021-2022)	Change (%)
Ranks 39^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 37^th of 2123 High schools	0.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Pandemic (2021-2022)	Change (%)
10th Grade Science (Palo Alto High)	60.8	63.5	2.7%
10th Grade Science (Palo Alto Unified)	64.4	71.9	7.5%
10th Grade Science (California)	23.2	22.4	0.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palo Alto High)	84.8	88	3.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palo Alto Unified)	85.6	87.5	1.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	54.8	2.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Palo Alto High)	76.7	83.7	7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Palo Alto Unified)	80	82.6	2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27	5.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Pandemic (2020-2021)	Change (%)
Total Students	2124	2085	1.8%
African American	44	28	36.4%
American Indian	5	7	40%
Asian	711	738	3.8%
Hispanic	252	270	7.1%
Pacific Islander	14	14
White	964	869	9.9%
Two or More Races	134	159	18.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	7.9%	8.2%	0.3%

Schools Near Palo Alto High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2022)				Ranking (2021)				CAST Science (2022)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2022)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2022)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	SchoolDigger Rating (2022)	Average Standard Score (2021)	Statewide Rank (2021)	State Percentile (2021)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Palo Alto High	Public	9-12	50 Embarcadero Rd.	Palo Alto	94301	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 329-3701	2,010	116	17.2	9.2%	771 (38.4%)	33 (1.6%)	275 (13.7%)	711 (35.4%)	5 (0.2%)	17 (0.8%)	198 (9.9%)	98.3	38^th of 2125 public high schools	98.2%		97	31^st of 1290 public high schools	97.6%	7	63.5		56.8	61.0	88.0	88.0	83.7	83.7	$15,583
Menlo-Atherton High	Public	9-12	555 Midfield Rd.	Atherton	94025	San Mateo County	Sequoia Union High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 322-5311	2,221	127	17.4	27.4%	882 (39.7%)	104 (4.7%)	861 (38.8%)	179 (8.1%)	12 (0.5%)	94 (4.2%)	89 (4.0%)	88.5	221^st of 2125 public high schools	89.6%					(n/a)		52.6	36.3	44.8	70.8	70.8	52.4	52.4	$9,732
East Palo Alto Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	1050 Myrtle St.	East Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	East Palo Alto Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 893-8900	343	26	12.9	59.2%	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.5%)	301 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.4%)	1 (0.3%)	16.6	1750^th of 2125 public high schools	17.6%					(n/a)		1.5	7.1	4.9	23.1	23.1	3.2	3.2
Oxford Day Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	1001 Beech St.	East Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Oxford Day Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 260-3152	100	4	25.0	62.0%	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.0%)	78 (78.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	16 (16.0%)	11.4	1986^th of 2125 public high schools	6.5%		27.6	942^nd of 1290 public high schools	27.0%	1044					13.0	13.0	0.0	0.0
KIPP Esperanza High	Public, Charter	9-12	1039 Garden St.	East Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	KIPP Esperanza High District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(415) 528-1546	194	16	12.1	94.8%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	192 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)
Henry M. Gunn High	Public	9-12	780 Arastradero Rd.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 354-8200	1,868	110	17.0	9.4%	572 (30.6%)	27 (1.4%)	219 (11.7%)	853 (45.7%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.4%)	186 (10.0%)	98.8	23^rd of 2125 public high schools	98.9%		98.2	12^th of 1290 public high schools	99.1%	11	79.1		82.8	80.6	87.4	87.4	82.3	82.3	$14,036
Tide Academy	Public	9-12	150 Jefferson Dr.	Menlo Park	94025	San Mateo County	Sequoia Union High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 369-1411	188	19	10.1	29.8%	58 (30.9%)	9 (4.8%)	100 (53.2%)	11 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	8 (4.3%)	88.2	226^th of 2125 public high schools	89.4%					(n/a)		59.0		59.0	68.4	68.4	40.5	40.5
Everest Public High	Public, Charter	9-12	455 Fifth Ave.	Redwood City	94063	San Mateo County	Everest Public High District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 366-1050	322	24	13.5	76.1%	19 (5.9%)	3 (0.9%)	286 (88.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	6 (1.9%)	39.1	1204^th of 2125 public high schools	43.3%					(n/a)			15.5	15.5	42.1	42.1	14.9	14.9
Woodside High	Public	9-12	199 Churchill Ave.	Woodside	94062	San Mateo County	Sequoia Union High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 367-9750	1,759	113	15.5	25.0%	760 (43.2%)	20 (1.1%)	836 (47.5%)	84 (4.8%)	4 (0.2%)	10 (0.6%)	44 (2.5%)	80.6	364^th of 2125 public high schools	82.9%					(n/a)		34.2	42.2	38.4	65.7	65.7	41.0	41.0	$11,106
Los Altos High	Public	9-12	201 Almond Ave.	Los Altos	94022	Santa Clara County	Mountain View-Los Altos Union High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(650) 940-8812	2,136	113	18.8	11.2%	753 (35.3%)	21 (1.0%)	585 (27.4%)	617 (28.9%)	4 (0.2%)	7 (0.3%)	134 (6.3%)	97.8	51^st of 2125 public high schools	97.6%		94.9	55^th of 1290 public high schools	95.7%	4			67.2	67.2	84.8	84.8	69.7	69.7

Frequently Asked Questions about Palo Alto High

What schools feed into Palo Alto High?

Palo Alto High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Addison Elementary
Elementary : Duveneck Elementary
Elementary : Escondido Elementary
Elementary : Walter Hays Elementary
Middle : Frank S. Greene Junior Middle

Is Palo Alto High a good school?

Yes! Palo Alto High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 38^th of 2125 California high schools.

How many students attend Palo Alto High?

In the 2021-22 school year, 2,010 students attended Palo Alto High.

What district is Palo Alto High in?

Palo Alto Unified

What is the racial makeup of Palo Alto High?

Students at Palo Alto High are 38% White, 35% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Rate Palo Alto 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. School Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data 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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