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South Lake Middle

Public Grades 7-8

253^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,740 California Middle Schools

Better than 91% of California middle schools

Summary

South Lake Middle serves 652 students in grades 7–8 in Irvine, a community where nearby middle schools include several other Irvine Unified schools. In 2025–26, South Lake’s proficiency rates were above California’s in all three tested subjects, but its results were below district averages and trailed its nearby district peers. The clearest concern for families comparing local schools is math: South Lake was well above the state, yet finished last among six nearby Irvine Unified schools.

South Lake’s strongest comparison is with California: proficiency was 72% in ELA, 60% in math and 63% in science, respectively 23, 22 and 27 percentage points above state rates. Compared with the district, ELA was 2 points lower and science 1 point lower, while math was 10 points lower. The local math gap was larger still: South Lake was 12 points below the nearby-school average and 5 points below the lowest nearby result. It ranked fifth of six in science and last in ELA as well, though its ELA and science results were each about 6 points below nearby averages. Eighth graders outperformed seventh graders in ELA and math, but both grades remained below same-grade results at nearby Irvine Unified schools.

Results have been mostly steady or improving since 2022–23: math rose 2 points, while ELA and science changed little; over that period, the school’s lead over state results narrowed by 3 points in ELA, 2 in math and 5 in science. SchoolDigger gives South Lake 5 stars and places it at the 91st percentile statewide (rank 248 of 2,703), below the five nearby Irvine Unified schools, all at the 93rd–97th percentiles. Its 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 22.2, the second-lowest among those six schools. The school’s free/reduced lunch eligible rate was 34% in 2024–25, higher than each of its five nearby Irvine Unified peers. One subgroup ranking stands out: SchoolDigger’s ranking for African American students fell from the 98th percentile in 2023–24 to the 63rd percentile in 2024–25, a notable decline in its relative measure of how well the school serves that group.

652

Students ?

22.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,142

Per pupil spending ?

34.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

655 West Yale Loop
Irvine, CA 92614-7939

(949) 936-6700

District: Irvine Unified

Students who attend South Lake Middle usually attend:

High:

Woodbridge High

Feeder schools for South Lake Middle:

Elementary:	Culverdale Elementary
	Meadow Park Elementary
	Oak Creek Elementary
	Springbrook Elementary
	More...
	Westpark Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

36.7%

White:

31.4%

Hispanic:

16.6%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare South Lake Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2015 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (66% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of California middle schools

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Irvine Unified's ranking

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg71%

California avg42%

253^rd of 2,740

California public middle schools ?

Top 9%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Middle Schools in the Irvine Unified

111^th of 1,530Irvine 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	90.5	253 of 2740	90.8%	★★★★★
2025	91.2	247 of 2761	91.1%	★★★★★
2024	92.8	211 of 2783	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	93.2	201 of 2781	92.8%	★★★★★
2022	87.8	325 of 2740	88.1%	★★★★☆
2019	90.0	265 of 2715	90.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.8	291 of 2480	88.3%	★★★★☆
2017	91.5	210 of 2508	91.6%	★★★★★
2016	92.6	158 of 2497	93.7%	★★★★★
2015	94.1	128 of 2477	94.8%	★★★★★
2013	91.2	61 of 2379	97.4%	★★★★★
2012	91.1	61 of 2259	97.3%	★★★★★
2011	91.4	61 of 2236	97.3%	★★★★★
2010	91.1	82 of 2179	96.2%	★★★★★
2009	95.7	12 of 2063	99.4%	★★★★★
2008	97.1	9 of 2005	99.6%	★★★★★
2007	96.1	25 of 1999	98.7%	★★★★★
2006	96.9	14 of 1804	99.2%	★★★★★
2005	97.1	16 of 1777	99.1%	★★★★★
2004	96.1	36 of 1769	98.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.3	227 of 609	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	97.4	13 of 627	97.9%	★★★★★
2023	69.4	140 of 613	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	51.1	257 of 637	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.1	103 of 643	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.4	225 of 600	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	260 of 777	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.4	278 of 739	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	273 of 743	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.4	199 of 715	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	64.6	300 of 733	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.3	154 of 745	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	215 of 700	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	80.3	176 of 1531	88.5%	★★★★☆
2019	97.1	33 of 1491	97.8%	★★★★★
2018	91.4	71 of 1369	94.8%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	92.8	39 of 1478	97.4%	★★★★★
2023	98.7	13 of 1521	99.1%	★★★★★
2022	78.8	117 of 1540	92.4%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	26 of 1442	98.2%	★★★★★
2018	99.0	23 of 1364	98.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	87.1	292 of 2516	88.4%	★★★★☆
2025	91.0	223 of 2533	91.2%	★★★★★
2024	93.9	159 of 2551	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	91.3	223 of 2531	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	84.2	359 of 2509	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	87.9	274 of 2380	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	85.0	307 of 2262	86.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	74.2	446 of 2357	81.1%	★★★★☆
2025	87.9	186 of 2395	92.2%	★★★★★
2024	91.8	119 of 2388	95.0%	★★★★★
2023	90.9	128 of 2374	94.6%	★★★★★
2022	79.7	306 of 2359	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	75.5	388 of 2213	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	76.3	337 of 2072	83.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	87.4	206 of 2529	91.9%	★★★★★
2025	87.4	216 of 2542	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	90.8	175 of 2579	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	93.2	112 of 2531	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	76.1	382 of 2458	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	72.2	450 of 2369	81.0%	★★★★☆
2018	75.9	361 of 2230	83.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	91.2	213 of 2514	91.5%	★★★★★
2025	89.5	263 of 2534	89.6%	★★★★☆
2024	89.7	257 of 2552	89.9%	★★★★☆
2023	93.0	172 of 2538	93.2%	★★★★★
2022	89.0	272 of 2527	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	90.4	229 of 2407	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	89.0	247 of 2273	89.1%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	38.5	121 of 193	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	72.3	200 of 735	72.8%	★★★★☆
2025	82.1	111 of 726	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	79 of 701	88.7%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	182 of 677	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	64.7	233 of 665	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.5	101 of 554	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	157 of 462	66.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	78.7	203 of 1605	87.4%	★★★★☆
2025	80.8	170 of 1566	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	91.7	88 of 1552	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	79.9	168 of 1531	89.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	353 of 1490	76.3%	★★★★☆
2025	69.8	432 of 1520	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	70.2	424 of 1537	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	80.8	225 of 1543	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	393 of 1555	74.7%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	511 of 1602	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.2	585 of 1496	60.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)97th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)89th percentile~ school

Female (2026)88th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)87th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)81st percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)73rd percentile-18 vs school

Asian (2026)67th percentile-24 vs school

African American (2025)63rd percentile-28 vs school

Military Connected (2022)37th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy72%+23 vs state

Science63%+27 vs state

Mathematics60%+22 vs state

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Schools Near South Lake Middle

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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 8th 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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Lake Middle	Public	7-8	655 West Yale Loop	Irvine	92614	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-6700	652	29	22.2	34.2%	205 (31.4%)	25 (3.8%)	108 (16.6%)	239 (36.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	72 (11.0%)	90.5	253^rd of 2740 public middle schools	90.8%		91.2	247^th of 2761 public middle schools	91.1%	6	63.5	63.5		70.1	74.4	72.2		59.2	61.3	60.2	$17,142	$874	$16,268
Rancho San Joaquin Middle	Public	7-8	4861 Michelson Dr.	Irvine	92612	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-6500	860	35	24.3	22.3%	224 (26.0%)	23 (2.7%)	105 (12.2%)	428 (49.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	77 (9.0%)	96.2	100^th of 2740 public middle schools	96.4%		96.8	89^th of 2761 public middle schools	96.8%	11	72.8	72.8		78.7	75.3	77.1		76.0	79.0	77.5	$15,343	$738	$14,605
Lakeside Middle	Public	7-8	3 Lemongrass	Irvine	92604	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 559-1601	629	25	24.8	23.4%	195 (31.0%)	12 (1.9%)	69 (11.0%)	289 (45.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (10.2%)	97	77^th of 2740 public middle schools	97.2%		96.4	107^th of 2761 public middle schools	96.1%	30	75.0	75.0		79.1	83.7	81.4		71.6	79.4	75.6	$15,817	$721	$15,096
Venado Middle	Public	7-8	4 Deerfield Ave.	Irvine	92604	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-6800	506	24	20.9	20.8%	99 (19.6%)	4 (0.8%)	80 (15.8%)	263 (52.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (11.5%)	93.1	194^th of 2740 public middle schools	92.9%		95.2	148^th of 2761 public middle schools	94.6%	46	61.4	61.4		76.1	75.8	75.9		66.3	64.3	65.3	$17,929	$802	$17,127
Jeffrey Trail Middle	Public	7-8	155 Visions	Irvine	92620	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-5000	1,049	42	24.7	18.3%	164 (15.6%)	21 (2.0%)	94 (9.0%)	681 (64.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	85 (8.1%)	97.2	70^th of 2740 public middle schools	97.4%		96	117^th of 2761 public middle schools	95.8%	47	73.4	73.4		79.9	82.3	81.1		78.6	78.2	78.4	$13,984	$236	$13,748
Sierra Vista Middle	Public	7-8	2 Liberty	Irvine	92620	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-6600	1,282	49	26.1	14.7%	188 (14.7%)	16 (1.2%)	103 (8.0%)	859 (67.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	109 (8.5%)	96.4	94^th of 2740 public middle schools	96.6%		97.8	55^th of 2761 public middle schools	98.0%	39	67.7	67.7		78.5	79.1	78.8		76.6	79.2	77.9	$13,894	$241	$13,653
C. E. Utt Middle	Public	6-8	13601 Browning Ave.	Tustin	92780	Orange County	Tustin Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 730-7573	554	25	22.4	82.1%	40 (7.2%)	8 (1.4%)	437 (78.9%)	51 (9.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (2.7%)	44.4	1349^th of 2740 public middle schools	50.8%		41.8	1441^st of 2761 public middle schools	47.8%	92	33.3	33.3	36.8	52.4	48.0	46.2	24.8	22.6	36.2	28.2	$16,975	$1,158	$15,817
Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate	Public	6-8	600 West Alton Ave.	Santa Ana	92707	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 513-9800	1,005	45	22.4	82.0%	17 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	908 (90.3%)	52 (5.2%)	5 (0.5%)	5 (0.5%)	17 (1.7%)	46.6	1289^th of 2740 public middle schools	53.0%		53.1	1096^th of 2761 public middle schools	60.3%	193	29.4	29.4	47.3	51.5	45.3	48.0	26.1	33.6	32.6	30.7	$26,771	$828	$25,943
Julia C. Lathrop Intermediate	Public	6-8	1111 South Broadway	Santa Ana	92707	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 567-3300	584	33	17.5	96.7%	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	568 (97.3%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	11.5	2551^st of 2740 public middle schools	6.9%		14.5	2462^nd of 2761 public middle schools	10.8%	89	10.1	10.1	19.2	23.3	18.8	20.4	15.0	12.6	11.2	12.7	$34,884	$1,257	$33,627
Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate	Public	6-8	1441 East Chestnut Ave.	Santa Ana	92701	Orange County	Santa Ana Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 558-5100	936	46	20.4	95.3%	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	914 (97.6%)	15 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.4%)	18.7	2274^th of 2740 public middle schools	17.0%		20	2222^nd of 2761 public middle schools	19.5%	52	18.0	18.0	30.1	36.6	31.2	32.6	11.0	13.9	10.2	11.6	$27,092	$692	$26,400

Frequently Asked Questions about South Lake Middle

How many students attend South Lake Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 652 students attended South Lake Middle.

What is the racial makeup of South Lake Middle?

Students at South Lake Middle are 37% Asian, 31% White, 17% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What high school do graduates of South Lake Middle attend?

Students who attend South Lake Middle usually go on to attend Woodbridge High

What district is South Lake Middle in?

Irvine Unified

Is South Lake Middle a good school?

Yes. South Lake Middle ranks in the top 9.2% of California middle schools.

Rate South Lake Middle!

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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.