Summary:
ZIP code 92618 has one listed high school, Portola High, serving grades 9–12; its enrollment was 2,693 in 2024–2025, so families are looking at one school’s profile rather than a choice among local high schools. In 2025–2026, the school’s all-grades proficiency rates were above California’s in every tested subject: 77% in English language arts (ELA), 66% in math, and 57% in science, compared with state rates of 49%, 38%, and 36%. The clearest overall finding is that Portola High performed substantially above state averages across all three subjects.
There is no within-ZIP top or bottom school to compare, but results vary by subject and grade. All-grades ELA was 3 percentage points above the Irvine Unified rate, while math was 4 points below and science 8 points below. The sharpest caution is 12th-grade science: 20% of students were proficient, 13 points below the state and 11 points below the district for that grade. By contrast, 11th-grade science proficiency was 58%, 20 points above the state, though 4 points below the district. Completion indicators were favorable against state figures: graduation was 96% versus 88%, and dropout was 2% versus 8%. Chronic absenteeism was 10%, below the state’s 18% but slightly above the district’s 9%.
Recent ELA and math results improved, while science was essentially flat. From 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, Portola High gained 2 percentage points in ELA and 3 in math; science dipped by 0 points when rounded, while the state gained 3 points, narrowing Portola’s science advantage by 3 points. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking moved from 94th of 2,159 schools (96th percentile) in 2023–2024 to 163rd of 2,137 (92nd percentile) in 2025–2026, even as ELA and math rose. In 2024–2025, the student–teacher ratio was 26.3, and 18% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible; these are contextual figures, not explanations for the results.
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