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San Diego SCPA

Q: Is San Diego SCPA a good school?

San Diego SCPA ranks 399 th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

399^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 82% of California high schools

Summary

San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) is a highly-ranked public school serving grades 6-12 in the San Diego Unified district, where its specialized arts focus helps over 1,200 students achieve exceptional graduation rates and attendance.

The school stands out for its remarkable success in keeping students engaged and on track to graduate. With a 98.9% graduation rate and a chronic absenteeism rate of just 8.1%—less than half the district and state averages—SCPA creates an environment where students want to be. This "SCPA Effect" is particularly evident when compared to nearby high schools like Lincoln High (33.1% chronic absenteeism) and Sweetwater High (19.5% chronic absenteeism), demonstrating the power of its engaging, arts-integrated model.

SCPA is also notably effective in supporting all students, achieving top-tier rankings for subgroups including special education and homeless students. While English Language Arts proficiency is a strength, math scores are an area for growth. Impressively, the school achieves these strong outcomes with moderate per-student spending, outperforming some nearby schools that spend significantly more, such as Lincoln High. This shows that a focused mission and positive culture can drive success across the board.

1,297

Students ?

24.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,565

Per pupil spending ?

58.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2425 Dusk Dr.
San Diego, CA 92139-2412

(619) 470-0555

District: San Diego Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

47.7%

Asian:

19.2%

White:

15.0%

See top rated California high schools

Compare San Diego SCPA to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 83rd percentile in 2013 → 82nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 18% of California high schools

✓99% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg49%

California avg41%

Middle school

973^rd of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

399^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 11% (2015) to top 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 24High Schools in the San Diego Unified

577^th of 1,543San Diego 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.2	973 of 2761	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.4	1159 of 2783	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	857 of 2781	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.9	833 of 2740	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.2	1021 of 2715	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.3	1279 of 2480	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.4	1179 of 2508	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.5	1097 of 2497	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.0	794 of 2477	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.2	1143 of 2379	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.1	1115 of 2259	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	34.8	1500 of 2236	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.5	1029 of 2179	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	41.8	1162 of 2063	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	44.9	1041 of 2005	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	37.0	1191 of 1999	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	37.6	1075 of 1804	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	42.5	948 of 1777	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	47.1	838 of 1769	52.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.4	231 of 609	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.7	336 of 627	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.0	177 of 613	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	71.8	139 of 637	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	50.4	276 of 643	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	236 of 600	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	55.5	472 of 1531	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.0	363 of 1491	75.7%	★★★★☆
2018	52.5	451 of 1369	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	1054 of 2533	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.9	1122 of 2551	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.1	791 of 2531	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.5	764 of 2509	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.9	986 of 2380	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.7	1329 of 2262	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.3	1047 of 2395	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.7	1132 of 2388	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.6	710 of 2374	70.1%	★★★★☆
2022	64.1	628 of 2359	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	52.5	871 of 2213	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.0	1236 of 2072	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.3	139 of 477	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	62.7	85 of 320	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	86.6	19 of 336	94.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.4	775 of 2542	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	964 of 2579	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.1	494 of 2531	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.0	516 of 2458	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	56.0	848 of 2369	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.3	1130 of 2230	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	807 of 2534	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.7	1052 of 2552	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.6	831 of 2538	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	795 of 2527	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.5	971 of 2407	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.0	1152 of 2273	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	72.2	47 of 194	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	48.3	99 of 193	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.1	444 of 726	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.3	528 of 701	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.8	380 of 677	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	444 of 665	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	411 of 554	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	414 of 462	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.9	357 of 1566	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	56.2	461 of 1552	70.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.4	293 of 1531	80.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.7	527 of 1520	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.9	474 of 1537	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.5	649 of 1543	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.4	582 of 1555	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.0	545 of 1602	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.4	905 of 1496	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	80.6	399 of 2162	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	84.7	329 of 2159	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	84.9	321 of 2170	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	87.7	238 of 2123	88.8%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	401 of 2133	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	577 of 2017	71.4%	★★★★☆
2017	86.7	272 of 2021	86.5%	★★★★☆
2016	86.8	255 of 2039	87.5%	★★★★☆
2015	87.4	227 of 1994	88.6%	★★★★☆
2013	65.0	420 of 2426	82.7%	★★★★☆
2012	58.0	588 of 2354	75.0%	★★★★☆
2011	56.5	626 of 2367	73.6%	★★★★☆
2010	45.4	882 of 2281	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.1	881 of 2238	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	39.1	936 of 2117	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	39.2	897 of 2063	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	36.6	933 of 1968	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	34.8	925 of 1901	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	26.4	1030 of 1653	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	96.4	18 of 521	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	72.9	107 of 522	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	52.2	244 of 592	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	88.9	80 of 1161	93.1%	★★★★★
2019	60.0	285 of 1117	74.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.3	399 of 1906	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	80.0	362 of 1915	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	79.6	359 of 1915	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	276 of 1858	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	71.0	449 of 1833	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	573 of 1760	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.8	342 of 1900	82.0%	★★★★☆
2024	89.5	146 of 1902	92.3%	★★★★★
2023	76.9	358 of 1917	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.6	242 of 1861	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	79.4	279 of 1814	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	61.8	639 of 1742	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	86.4	32 of 410	92.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.8	359 of 2013	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	88.3	205 of 2026	89.9%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	260 of 2030	87.2%	★★★★☆
2022	89.4	159 of 1943	91.8%	★★★★★
2019	79.6	297 of 1937	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	444 of 1862	76.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	82.4	322 of 1942	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	87.9	233 of 1948	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	88.7	229 of 1963	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	92.7	140 of 1916	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	84.3	261 of 1880	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	65.5	618 of 1834	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	82.8	25 of 175	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	51 of 190	73.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	361 of 577	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.3	254 of 541	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	83.7	55 of 515	89.3%	★★★★☆
2019	54.1	206 of 422	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.8	213 of 366	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	86.1	112 of 1252	91.1%	★★★★★
2024	100.0	5 of 1216	99.6%	★★★★★
2023	81.7	135 of 1197	88.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	84.2	139 of 1155	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	86.6	117 of 1173	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	71.7	325 of 1193	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	120 of 1204	90.0%	★★★★★
2019	73.7	273 of 1222	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	374 of 1173	68.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Middle school

Special Education (2025)77th percentile+12 vs school

Military Connected (2025)76th percentile+11 vs school

Homeless (2025)71st percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)70th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2022)69th percentile~ school

Male (2025)68th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)65th percentile~ school

African American (2025)62nd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)58th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)56th percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)39th percentile-26 vs school

High school

African American (2023)97th percentile+11 vs school

Disabled (2022)93rd percentile+4 vs school

Homeless (2025)92nd percentile+11 vs school

Special Education (2025)91st percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)88th percentile+6 vs school

Military Connected (2025)86th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)83rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)82nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)79th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)37th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy59%+11 vs state

Science38%+5 vs state

Mathematics35%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near San Diego SCPA

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
San Diego SCPA	Public	6-12	2425 Dusk Dr.	San Diego	92139	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 470-0555	1,297	53	24.5	58.4%	194 (15.0%)	81 (6.2%)	619 (47.7%)	249 (19.2%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	138 (10.6%)	80.6	399^th of 2162 public high schools	81.5%		84.7	329^th of 2159 public high schools	84.8%	70	30.8		45.1		37.9	51.6	52.6	54.4	77.6	59.4	35.3	39.4	30.5	34.5	34.7	$18,565	$3,688	$14,877
Morse High	Public	9-12	6905 Skyline Dr.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 510-4700	1,591	72	22.0	80.1%	32 (2.0%)	194 (12.2%)	795 (50.0%)	442 (27.8%)	3 (0.2%)	18 (1.1%)	106 (6.7%)	61.8	769^th of 2162 public high schools	64.4%		58.5	805^th of 2159 public high schools	62.7%	36			32.8		32.8				58.4	58.4				27.8	27.8	$19,296	$3,664	$15,632
Ingenuity Charter	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	6130 Skyline Dr.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	Ingenuity Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(619) 262-2046	188	9	21.9	86.7%	12 (6.4%)	26 (13.8%)	121 (64.4%)	11 (5.9%)	4 (2.1%)	3 (1.6%)	11 (5.9%)	20.4	1684^th of 2162 public high schools	22.1%		24.4	1599^th of 2159 public high schools	25.9%	85	11.8		14.3		16.3		33.3	17.7	27.8	25.7		8.3	5.9	5.5	5.7	$11,368	$565	$10,803
Altus Schools South Bay	Public, Charter	7-12	3252 Bonita Rd.	Chula Vista	91910	San Diego County	Altus Schools South Bay District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 678-2020	372	11	33.9	76.1%	21 (5.6%)	29 (7.8%)	294 (79.0%)	12 (3.2%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	10 (2.7%)	48.3	1070^th of 2162 public high schools	50.5%		48.1	1055^th of 2159 public high schools	51.1%	15	14.6	18.9	48.0	17.1	22.1		33.3	24.4	56.6	40.7		12.5	4.9	13.2	10.2	$16,105	$1,604	$14,501
San Diego Workforce Innovation High	Public, Charter	9-12	2 Euclid Ave.	National City	91950	San Diego County	San Diego Workforce Innovation High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 432-4690	2,722	103	26.3	76.6%	449 (16.5%)	169 (6.2%)	1,859 (68.3%)	39 (1.4%)	16 (0.6%)	7 (0.3%)	167 (6.1%)	21.6	1659^th of 2162 public high schools	23.3%		24.9	1588^th of 2159 public high schools	26.4%	71				17.4	17.4				26.8	26.8				7.6	7.6
Lincoln High	Public	9-12	4777 Imperial Ave.	San Diego	92113	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 266-6500	1,487	62	24.0	89.8%	21 (1.4%)	288 (19.4%)	1,019 (68.5%)	72 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (1.0%)	70 (4.7%)	28.5	1514^th of 2162 public high schools	30.0%		18.5	1729^th of 2159 public high schools	19.9%	215			16.6		16.1				35.3	35.3				11.9	11.9	$22,332	$4,796	$17,536
Sweetwater High	Public	9-12	2900 Highland Ave.	National City	91950	San Diego County	Sweetwater Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 474-9700	2,290	90	25.3	89.2%	150 (6.6%)	34 (1.5%)	1,762 (76.9%)	297 (13.0%)	5 (0.2%)	10 (0.4%)	31 (1.4%)	39.4	1280^th of 2162 public high schools	40.8%		40.4	1230^th of 2159 public high schools	43.0%	50			0.9	17.9	15.1				40.6	40.6				18.1	18.1
Hilltop Senior High	Public	9-12	555 Claire Ave.	Chula Vista	91910	San Diego County	Sweetwater Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 476-4200	1,771	81	21.9	77.4%	237 (13.4%)	30 (1.7%)	1,396 (78.8%)	53 (3.0%)	7 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	46 (2.6%)	52.9	970^th of 2162 public high schools	55.1%		59.1	792^nd of 2159 public high schools	63.3%	178			27.8	9.1	27.3				60.6	60.6				18.4	18.4
Mount Miguel High	Public	9-12	8585 Blossom Ln.	Spring Valley	91977	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 664-8400	1,539	71	21.6	79.3%	102 (6.6%)	192 (12.5%)	1,044 (67.8%)	86 (5.6%)	3 (0.2%)	19 (1.2%)	93 (6.0%)	36.6	1341^st of 2162 public high schools	38.0%		39	1264^th of 2159 public high schools	41.5%	77			21.7	11.1	21.2				36.9	36.9				18.8	18.8	$22,334	$4,238	$18,096
Gompers Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	1005 47th St.	San Diego	92102	San Diego County	Gompers Preparatory Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 263-2171	1,175	56	20.8	83.0%	10 (0.9%)	37 (3.1%)	1,085 (92.3%)	33 (2.8%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	63.5	729^th of 2162 public high schools	66.3%		51.4	973^rd of 2159 public high schools	54.9%	244	19.3		39.2		29.1	36.0	36.9	41.4	68.2	45.6	21.9	13.6	13.8	17.7	16.8	$16,827	$1,947	$14,880

Frequently Asked Questions about San Diego SCPA

What district is San Diego SCPA in?

San Diego Unified

What is the racial makeup of San Diego SCPA?

Students at San Diego SCPA are 48% Hispanic, 19% Asian, 15% White, 11% Two or more races, 6% African American.

Is San Diego SCPA a good school?

San Diego SCPA ranks 399^th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend San Diego SCPA?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,297 students attended San Diego SCPA.

Rate San Diego SCPA!

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Schools in San Diego, CA

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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.