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Best High Schools in Zip Code 92243

New rankings! California test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

Schools

4,236

Students

Districts

Top rankedSouthwest High991^st of 2,137 California high schools

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Biggest riser

Desert Oasis High (Continuation) up 196 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Desert Oasis High (Continuation) 13.9 students per teacher

See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

Four high schools serving grades 9–12 are listed in ZIP code 92243: two large comprehensive schools, a smaller charter, and a continuation school. The two largest, [Central Union High](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/0801000771/school.aspx) and [Southwest High](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/0801004486/school.aspx), enroll about 1,800–2,000 students each; [Imperial Pathways Charter](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/9101014014/school.aspx) has 246 students, and [Desert Oasis High (Continuation)](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/0801000772/school.aspx) has 138. Results vary substantially: the available-school average is close to the state in ELA, but averages in math and science trail the state by 22 and 19 percentage points, respectively—the clearest shared concern in these results.

[Central Union High](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/0801000771/school.aspx) leads reported ELA and math proficiency, at 55% and 25%, while [Southwest High](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/0801004486/school.aspx) leads science at 23%. Central Union and Southwest are the only schools with all-grades ELA above the state rate: 55% and 53%, compared with 49% statewide. [Desert Oasis High (Continuation)](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/0801000772/school.aspx) has the lowest reported result in every subject—37% in ELA, 1% in math, and 7% in science—and chronic absenteeism of 74%, versus 18% statewide. [Imperial Pathways Charter](https://www.schooldigger.com/go/CA/schools/9101014014/school.aspx) has no reported ELA or math results; its science proficiency is 17%. Graduation and attendance measures also distinguish the schools: Central Union’s graduation rate is 97% and chronic absenteeism 10%; Southwest graduates 94%, while Imperial Pathways reports 43% graduation and Desert Oasis 82%.

Scores have improved in some areas, but not consistently. From 2024–25 to 2025–26, Desert Oasis gained 15 percentage points in ELA, 1 in math, and 3 in science, yet remains lowest in each reported subject; Imperial Pathways science rose 9 points to 17%. Across the schools with comparable results, average ELA rose 7 points and math 3, while science rose 1 point—less than the state’s 3-point gain. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking percentile rose from 16 to 24 for Desert Oasis, while falling from 66 to 47 for Central Union and from 66 to 54 for Southwest; 2025–26 SchoolDigger ratings are 1, 2, and 3 stars, respectively, for Desert Oasis, Central Union, and Southwest. In 2024–25, free/reduced lunch eligible rates ranged from 72% at Southwest to 94% at Desert Oasis; student-teacher ratios ranged from 13.9 at Desert Oasis to 22.9 at Imperial Pathways. These are context, not explanations of school results.

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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 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
Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	687 State St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(760) 482-2600	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Central Union High	Public	9-12	1001 Brighton Ave.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4300	2,006	96	20.9	72.6%	41 (2.0%)	19 (0.9%)	1,931 (96.3%)	10 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.2%)	45	1143^rd of 2137 public high schools	46.5%		51	1018^th of 2162 public high schools	52.9%	125	20.0	18.3	19.2	55.1	55.1	25.1	25.1	$26,604	$25,254	$1,350
Desert Oasis High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	1302 South Third St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4555	138	10	13.9	94.2%	3 (2.2%)	3 (2.2%)	131 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21.6	1625^th of 2137 public high schools	24.0%		14.4	1821^st of 2162 public high schools	15.8%	196		6.8	6.8	37.3	37.3	1.5	1.5	$43,806	$40,908	$2,898
Southwest High	Public	9-12	2001 Ocotillo Dr.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4100	1,846	94	19.5	72.1%	54 (2.9%)	6 (0.3%)	1,760 (95.3%)	19 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	52.1	991^st of 2137 public high schools	53.6%		55.8	911^th of 2162 public high schools	57.9%	80		23.5	23.5	52.8	52.8	23.7	23.7	$27,495	$25,764	$1,731
Imperial Pathways Charter	Public, Virtual, Charter	9-12	1398 Sperber Rd.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Imperial County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(760) 312-5566	246	11	22.9	92.7%	6 (2.4%)	2 (0.8%)	237 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		17.2	17.2					$28,471	$27,860	$611

Cities Near Zip Code 92243

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
El Centro	0.24 mi	26	560^th
Imperial	2.71 mi	6	341^st
Heber	3.87 mi	2	272^nd
Seeley	7.06 mi	1	671^st
Calexico	7.78 mi	12	809^th

See the top CA California cities

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.