Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Merced Scholars Charter

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

5718^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 2% of California alternative schools

Summary

Merced Scholars Charter is a K-12 public alternative school serving 334 students in Merced, CA, and stands out for its exceptional graduation rates and student engagement within the broader Merced County Office of Education district.

The school's most compelling strengths are its 96.8% graduation rate, which far exceeds both district and state averages, and its low 12.0% chronic absenteeism rate. This represents a remarkable turnaround and shows the school is highly effective at keeping students on track to graduate. While test scores are an area for growth, the school performs significantly better in English and science than other local alternative schools like Valley Merced Community and Merced County Special Education.

Notably, Merced Scholars Charter achieves these strong outcomes very efficiently, spending considerably less per student than other alternative schools in the area such as Floyd A. Schelby. The dramatic difference in results compared to Valley Merced Community, which shares the same address, highlights how the school's specific programs and culture successfully support its students.

334

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,393

Per pupil spending ?

79.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1850 Wardrobe Ave. Bldg. H
Merced, CA 95341-6407

(209) 381-5165

District: Merced County Office of Education

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.4%

White:

15.9%

Asian:

4.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Merced Scholars Charter to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 46th percentile in 2022 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (22% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Mathematics scores 29 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg9%

California avg41%

Elementary school

5,718^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 17 pts since 2022

From bottom 20% (2022) to bottom 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

2,005^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 10 pts since 2018

From bottom 37% (2018) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

1,183^rd of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Alternative Schools in the Merced County Office of Education

1475^th of 1,543Merced County Office of Education 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	8.3	5718 of 5857	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	4998 of 5869	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	4788 of 5859	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	4718 of 5883	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	13.9	5235 of 5609	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.7	3866 of 5635	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	24.8	4122 of 5107	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	3717 of 5087	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.2	3860 of 5084	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	13.5	5146 of 5460	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	4076 of 5517	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.0	3818 of 5363	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	4102 of 5264	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	2005 of 2761	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.3	2066 of 2783	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	1882 of 2781	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.1	1941 of 2740	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	684 of 894	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	2030 of 2715	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.6	1560 of 2480	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.3	1050 of 2063	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	72.3	437 of 1999	78.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	22.5	1969 of 2533	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	2256 of 2551	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	1836 of 2531	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.1	1493 of 2509	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.7	1599 of 2380	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	1788 of 2395	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.5	1597 of 2388	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	1304 of 2374	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	1298 of 2359	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.6	1142 of 2213	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	24.0	1996 of 2542	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.9	1697 of 2579	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.3	1901 of 2531	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.4	1354 of 2458	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.8	1115 of 2369	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.5	1508 of 2534	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	1395 of 2552	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	1444 of 2538	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.4	2179 of 2527	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.3	1183 of 2162	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	1444 of 2159	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.1	1491 of 2170	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.5	1141 of 2123	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.5	862 of 1290	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.5	1067 of 2133	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.6	1220 of 2017	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	51.4	990 of 2021	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	51.4	987 of 2039	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.8	1075 of 1994	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	58.1	576 of 2426	76.3%	★★★★☆
2012	62.0	492 of 2354	79.1%	★★★★☆
2011	59.6	531 of 2367	77.6%	★★★★☆
2010	56.3	590 of 2281	74.1%	★★★★☆
2009	43.4	925 of 2238	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.7	512 of 2117	75.8%	★★★★☆
2007	64.5	358 of 2063	82.6%	★★★★☆
2006	75.6	184 of 1968	90.7%	★★★★★
2005	5.2	1761 of 1901	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.5	1139 of 1906	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.4	1351 of 1915	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.9	1564 of 1915	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.8	1058 of 1858	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	641 of 1054	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	1236 of 1833	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.0	1335 of 1760	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	887 of 1900	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.8	1082 of 1902	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.8	1365 of 1917	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.7	905 of 1861	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.9	933 of 1814	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	1146 of 1742	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.1	925 of 2013	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.8	1292 of 2026	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.5	1464 of 2030	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.5	1005 of 1943	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	727 of 1126	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.4	999 of 1937	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.0	1255 of 1862	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	30.6	1317 of 1948	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	1323 of 1963	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.3	988 of 1916	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.5	1093 of 1880	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	343 of 1252	72.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Hispanic (2024)19th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2023)7th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)6th percentile+3 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)40th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2025)25th percentile~ school

Female (2025)22nd percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile-6 vs school

High school

Special Education (2025)73rd percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)53rd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)40th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2024)32nd percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy35%-14 vs state

Science25%-7 vs state

Mathematics9%-29 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Merced Scholars Charter and help other families decide.

Rate Merced Scholars Charter

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Merced Scholars Charter

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	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 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	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	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merced Scholars Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1850 Wardrobe Ave. Bldg. H	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-5165	334	20	16.5	79.9%	53 (15.9%)	4 (1.2%)	245 (73.4%)	16 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)								(n/a)	28.0	27.8		25.4	9.1	9.1	26.3	25.8	47.8	55.6	35.0	8.3	9.1	5.3	6.7	20.0	5.6	8.6							$18,393	$1,258	$17,135
Valley Merced Community	Public, Alternative	K-12	1850 Wardrobe Ave.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4500	99	5	20.2	94.9%	10 (10.1%)	10 (10.1%)	76 (76.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)								(n/a)	7.1	0.0	0.0	1.7					7.1	0.0	2.1					0.0	0.0	0.0							$19,632	$2,758	$16,874
Merced County Special Education	Public, Alternative	K-12	632 West 13th St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-6711	942	72	13.0	69.4%	129 (13.7%)	44 (4.7%)	679 (72.1%)	53 (5.6%)	6 (0.6%)	7 (0.7%)	24 (2.5%)								(n/a)	0.0			3.5					9.1		5.2					0.0		1.7	45.5	51.5	77.3	56.1	48.5	57.6	$63,801	$4,832	$58,969
Merced County Juvenile Court	Public, Alternative	K-12	2840 West Sandy Mush Rd.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 381-4528	20	1	18.0	85.0%	1 (5.0%)	2 (10.0%)	16 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)																									$45,629	$4,917	$40,712
Floyd A. Schelby	Public, Alternative	K-12	6738 North Sultana Dr.	Livingston	95334	Merced County	Merced County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 394-1800	89	8	11.1	59.6%	12 (13.5%)	1 (1.1%)	68 (76.4%)	5 (5.6%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)								(n/a)																									$65,190	$4,266	$60,924

Frequently Asked Questions about Merced Scholars Charter

What district is Merced Scholars Charter in?

Merced County Office of Education

What is the racial makeup of Merced Scholars Charter?

Students at Merced Scholars Charter are 73% Hispanic, 16% White, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Merced Scholars Charter a good school?

Merced Scholars Charter ranks in the bottom 2.4% of California alternative schools.

How many students attend Merced Scholars Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 334 students attended Merced Scholars Charter.

Rate Merced Scholars Charter!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Alternative School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Merced, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Merced Scholars Charter!

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.