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Design Technical High

NOTE: this school is no longer listed as a functioning school by the National Center for Education Statistics. We continue to list this school on SchoolDigger for historical purposes.

It is possible that this school is still operating under a different district or under a different name. If you believe this to be the case, please search for this school by using the search box above.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

Summary

Design Technical High is a 552-student school serving grades 9–12 in Redwood City, in the San Mateo Union High district. Its 2025–2026 graduation rate was 98%, compared with 95% for the district and 88% statewide. Chronic absenteeism was 14%, matching the district and below the state’s 18%. Most importantly, Design Tech’s proficiency rates were higher than both district and state rates in all three tested subjects.

Science is a standout in the nearby-school comparison: Design Tech ranked second among six nearby comprehensive high schools, behind Carlmont High and just ahead of Aragon High. It ranked third in ELA and math. Compared with the five-school average, Design Tech was ahead by 18 points in science, 19 in ELA, and 15 in math; math is the narrowest of those margins. Its proficiency was 81% in ELA, 59% in math, and 64% in science, versus district rates of 69%, 51%, and 51%, respectively, and state rates of 49%, 38%, and 36%. Absenteeism is a relative concern beside some nearby schools: Design Tech’s 14% rate was higher than Aragon’s 7%, Hillsdale High’s 12%, and Carlmont’s 10%.

SchoolDigger rates Design Tech five stars and places it at the 95th statewide percentile for 2025–2026 (rank 100 of 2,137), up seven percentile points from the 88th percentile in 2016–2017. It trails Carlmont at the 98th percentile and Aragon at the 97th, but ranks above Hillsdale at the 85th, Sequoia High at the 72nd, and Redwood High at the 3rd. The supplied results do not show a testing trend, and current low-income and student–teacher measures are not reported: the latest figures are 9% eligible for free/reduced lunch and a 31.7-to-1 student–teacher ratio, both from 2017–2018, so they are not direct comparisons with nearby schools’ more recent data.

552

Students ?

31.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$46,949

Per pupil spending ?

275 Oracle Pkwy.
Redwood City, CA 94065

(650) 231-2701

District: San Mateo Union High

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.2%

Asian:

24.5%

Hispanic:

14.9%

See top rated California public schools

At a glance

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (66% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 32 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2016-2017) ?

This school66%

District avg67%

California avg46%

Not ranked this year

Design Technical High did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

289^th of 1,530San Mateo Union High among California districts

By subject vs California (2016-2017) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy71%+11 vs state

Mathematics62%+29 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, October 18, 2018

The school is strong on teaching self-efficacy skills and confidence. They also have a mastery based learning cycle with personalization in the schedule. The first graduating class had great outcomes: accepted to all nine UCs, a Northwestern undergraduate medical program, Stanford, Universities of Edinburgh and London and liberal arts colleges across the US. The new campus is beautiful too. The kids are very happy. Close Quote

Schools Near Design Technical High

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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 8th Grade	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
Design Technical High	Public, Charter	9-12	275 Oracle Pkwy.	Redwood City	94065	San Mateo County	Design Technical High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 231-2701	567	23	24.5	7.2%	232 (40.9%)	7 (1.2%)	82 (14.5%)	140 (24.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	99 (17.5%)	94.8	100^th of 2135 public high schools	95.3%		97.7	40^th of 2162 public high schools	98.1%	60		63.8	63.8		80.9	80.9	59.3	59.3
Carlmont High	Public	9-12	1400 Alameda de Las Pulgas	Belmont	94002	San Mateo County	Sequoia Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 595-0210	2,360	120	19.6	9.3%	960 (40.7%)	26 (1.1%)	360 (15.3%)	782 (33.1%)	17 (0.7%)	11 (0.5%)	204 (8.6%)	97.4	38^th of 2135 public high schools	98.2%		97	55^th of 2162 public high schools	97.5%	17	75.5		75.4		87.4	87.4	75.0	75.0	$32,538	$32,188	$350
Hillsdale High	Public	9-12	3115 Del Monte St.	San Mateo	94403	San Mateo County	San Mateo Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 558-2699	1,585	82	19.3	25.2%	489 (30.9%)	16 (1.0%)	597 (37.7%)	313 (19.7%)	2 (0.1%)	16 (1.0%)	148 (9.3%)	83.7	323^rd of 2135 public high schools	84.9%		85	314^th of 2162 public high schools	85.5%	9		47.5	47.5		67.7	67.7	43.4	43.4	$37,679	$36,820	$859
Redwood High	Public	9-12	1968 Old County Rd.	Redwood City	94063	San Mateo County	Sequoia Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 369-1411	175	8	21.7	63.4%	6 (3.4%)	3 (1.7%)	154 (88.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (2.9%)	5 (2.9%)	7.6	2075^th of 2135 public high schools	2.8%		10.8	1981^st of 2162 public high schools	8.4%	94	0.0		0.0		11.8	11.8	0.0	0.0	$62,598	$61,184	$1,414
Sequoia High	Public	9-12	1201 Brewster Ave.	Redwood City	94062	San Mateo County	Sequoia Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 367-9780	1,854	106	17.5	39.3%	543 (29.3%)	15 (0.8%)	1,133 (61.1%)	83 (4.5%)	11 (0.6%)	15 (0.8%)	54 (2.9%)	71.4	590^th of 2135 public high schools	72.4%		62.2	757^th of 2162 public high schools	65.0%	167	41.9		41.7		62.8	62.8	37.4	37.4	$37,665	$36,798	$867
Aragon High	Public	9-12	900 Alameda de Las Pulgas	San Mateo	94402	San Mateo County	San Mateo Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 558-2999	1,658	74	22.3	16.8%	433 (26.1%)	10 (0.6%)	450 (27.1%)	554 (33.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (2.0%)	177 (10.7%)	95.8	72^nd of 2135 public high schools	96.6%		96.1	77^th of 2162 public high schools	96.4%	5		62.8	62.8		81.4	81.4	65.0	65.0	$33,409	$32,588	$821
Gateway Center	Public	6-12	35 Tower Rd.	San Mateo	94402	San Mateo County	San Mateo County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 598-2150	11	3	3.6	63.6%	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (81.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)								(n/a)
Hillcrest at Youth Services Center	Public	5-12	10 Loop Rd.	San Mateo	94065	San Mateo County	San Mateo County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 312-5323	16	4	4.1	81.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (81.3%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						0.0
Margaret J. Kemp	Public	7-12	400 Paul Scannell Dr.	San Mateo	94065	San Mateo County	San Mateo County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 312-5235	0	1	2.5	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Canyon Oaks Youth Center	Public	7-12	400 Edmonds Rd.	Redwood City	94065	San Mateo County	San Mateo County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 839-1810	8	1	6.6	—	0 (0.0%)	2 (25.0%)	6 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Design Technical High

How many students attend Design Technical High?

In the 2017-18 school year, 552 students attended Design Technical High.

What is the racial makeup of Design Technical High?

Students at Design Technical High are 46% White, 24% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

What district is Design Technical High in?

San Mateo Union High

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Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 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.