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Salinas High

Public Grades 9-12
523rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,162 California High Schools
Better than 76% of California high schools
Summary

Salinas High is a large, comprehensive public high school serving grades 9-12 to nearly 2,400 students in the Salinas Union High district, consistently ranking as a top performer in its area despite serving a community with significant economic need.

Academically, Salinas High stands out clearly from other local high schools. It ranks in the 76th percentile statewide, significantly higher than nearby schools like Rancho San Juan High (56th percentile), Alisal High (56th), Everett Alvarez High (42nd), and North Salinas High (41st). This strength is reflected in its high graduation rate of 92.9% and its students' proficiency in English, which is 12-21 points higher than these district peers. The school has shown a remarkable decade-long trend of improvement, moving from an average to a well-above-average state ranking.

The school is notably effective in supporting all its students, with those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds ranking in the 82nd percentile statewide. It also operates efficiently, with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district and strong outcomes despite lower per-student spending than some alternatives. While mathematics scores present an opportunity for growth, and English Learners need targeted support, Salinas High's overall record of elevating achievement for its community makes it a standout success story within the Salinas Union High district.

2,380
Students ?
21.6
Student/teacher ratio ?
$26,699
Per pupil spending ?
77.5%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 726 South Main St.
       Salinas, CA  93901-3243

(831) 796-7400

District: Salinas Union High


Feeder schools for Salinas High:

Elementary:    Los Padres Elementary
    Mission Park Elementary
    Monterey Park Elementary
    Roosevelt Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Buena Vista Middle
    San Benancio Middle
    Washington Middle
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
76.1%
White:
16.8%
Two or more races:
3.0%
more
 See top rated California high schools

 Compare Salinas High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2013 → 76th in 2025
Strengths
Ranks in the top 24% of California high schools
93% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)
Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2013
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school46%
District avg29%
California avg41%
523rd of 2,162
California public high schools ?
Top 24%▲ up 20 pts since 2015
From top 44% (2015) to top 24% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
1st of 7High Schools in the Salinas Union High
981st of 1,543Salinas 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202573.6523 of 216275.8%★★★★☆
202473.2520 of 215975.9%★★★★☆
202362.4706 of 217067.5%★★★☆☆
202253.3864 of 212359.3%★★★☆☆
201962.2692 of 213367.6%★★★☆☆
201864.8711 of 201764.7%★★★☆☆
201769.9606 of 202170.0%★★★★☆
201665.3663 of 203967.5%★★★☆☆
201554.5886 of 199455.6%★★★☆☆
201344.0955 of 242660.6%★★★☆☆
201248.9823 of 235465.0%★★★☆☆
201151.0767 of 236767.6%★★★☆☆
201044.3904 of 228160.4%★★★☆☆
200946.5840 of 223862.5%★★★☆☆
200845.7775 of 211763.4%★★★☆☆
200746.2732 of 206364.5%★★★☆☆
200642.5787 of 196860.0%★★★☆☆
200534.9923 of 190151.4%★★★☆☆
200438.2741 of 165355.2%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202485.163 of 57389.0%★★★★☆
202365.5243 of 59158.9%★★★☆☆
202253.9305 of 58147.5%★★☆☆☆
201972.9165 of 58271.6%★★★★☆
201863.3248 of 58157.3%★★★☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202240.0577 of 116150.3%★★★☆☆
201943.0506 of 111754.7%★★★☆☆
201826.7778 of 105226.0%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202428.6872 of 108519.6%★☆☆☆☆
202327.0985 of 10647.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202244.4411 of 104460.6%★★★☆☆
201938.6495 of 94147.4%★★☆☆☆
201828.0677 of 93827.8%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202575.9426 of 190677.6%★★★★☆
202471.6475 of 191575.2%★★★★☆
202362.3628 of 191567.2%★★★☆☆
202253.1755 of 185859.4%★★★☆☆
201959.7642 of 183365.0%★★★☆☆
201864.5631 of 176064.1%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202577.2355 of 190081.3%★★★★☆
202470.6468 of 190275.4%★★★★☆
202363.0604 of 191768.5%★★★☆☆
202251.2805 of 186156.7%★★★☆☆
201961.2609 of 181466.4%★★★☆☆
201860.7665 of 174261.8%★★★☆☆

Homeless

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202550.8182 of 41055.6%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202578.2372 of 201381.5%★★★★☆
202477.1383 of 202681.1%★★★★☆
202369.9477 of 203076.5%★★★★☆
202249.1869 of 194355.3%★★★☆☆
201953.7828 of 193757.3%★★★☆☆
201855.3826 of 186255.6%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202567.8559 of 194271.2%★★★★☆
202470.8504 of 194874.1%★★★★☆
202358.5699 of 196364.4%★★★☆☆
202248.7850 of 191655.6%★★★☆☆
201959.8660 of 188064.9%★★★☆☆
201858.3750 of 183459.1%★★★☆☆

Migrant

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202554.333 of 8561.2%★★★☆☆
202429.262 of 8527.1%★☆☆☆☆
202337.154 of 7427.0%★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202557.5250 of 57756.7%★★★☆☆
202461.4221 of 57461.5%★★★☆☆
202359.1231 of 54157.3%★★★☆☆
202243.4297 of 51542.3%★★☆☆☆
201964.3153 of 42263.7%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202554.0424 of 125266.1%★★★☆☆
202461.7317 of 121673.9%★★★★☆
202340.5597 of 119750.1%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202580.0203 of 115582.4%★★★★☆
202488.497 of 117391.7%★★★★★
202363.5430 of 119364.0%★★★☆☆
202258.4485 of 120459.7%★★★☆☆
201962.3456 of 122262.7%★★★☆☆
201871.6350 of 117370.2%★★★★☆
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)
Asian (2024)89th percentile+13 vs school
White (2025)82nd percentile+7 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile+6 vs school
Hispanic (2025)81st percentile+6 vs school
Female (2025)78th percentile~ school
Male (2025)71st percentile-5 vs school
Special Education (2025)66th percentile-10 vs school
Migrant (2025)61st percentile-15 vs school
Multi-racial (2025)57th percentile-19 vs school
Homeless (2025)56th percentile-20 vs school
Disabled (2022)50th percentile-9 vs school
English Language Learner (2024)20th percentile-56 vs school
By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy69%+20 vs state
Science37%+4 vs state
Mathematics34%-3 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Salinas High

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,380 students attended Salinas High.

Students at Salinas High are 76% Hispanic, 17% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Salinas High ranks 523rd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Salinas High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Los Padres Elementary
Elementary : Mission Park Elementary
Elementary : Monterey Park Elementary
Elementary : Roosevelt Elementary
Elementary : Sherwood Elementary
Elementary : Spreckels Elementary
Elementary : Toro Park Elementary
Elementary : University Park Elementary
Elementary : Washington Elementary
Middle : Buena Vista Middle
Middle : San Benancio Middle
Middle : Washington Middle

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Latest California data All new data »
2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026
2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026
2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025


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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