Best High Schools in Zip Code 96021

ZIP code 96021 has three high schools in the Corning Union High district, all serving grades 9–12, with 1,070 students combined. In 2025–2026, the schools’ all-grades proficiency results were below state rates in every subject: even Corning Union High, the local leader, had 35% proficient in ELA, 7% in math and 20% in science, versus 49%, 38% and 36% statewide. The most important takeaway is that the area’s strongest school still trails the state in all three subjects, with math especially far behind.

Corning Union High stands out at the top: it leads Centennial Continuation High and Corning Independent Study by 35 percentage points in ELA, 7 in math and 16 in science. Its 98% graduation rate is also higher than the state’s 88%. At the other end, Centennial and Independent Study each report 0% proficiency in ELA and math; their science results are 8% and 0%, respectively. Attendance is a concern at both: chronic absenteeism is 51% at Centennial and 39% at Independent Study, compared with 18% statewide. Centennial’s graduation rate is 90%, but that sits alongside the group’s highest absenteeism.

Results declined year over year at the two schools with comparable scores: Corning Union High fell 7 points in ELA and 9 in math, while Centennial’s ELA result fell 9 points to 0%; state scores rose slightly in ELA and math. SchoolDigger ranks Corning Union High 1,584th of 2,137 high schools (one star), while Centennial ranks 2,134th and Independent Study 2,136th (both zero stars). Other figures offer context, not explanations: in 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible rates were 82% at Corning Union High, 84% at Centennial and 69% at Independent Study; student-teacher ratios were 17.9, 13.2 and 20.1, respectively. Independent Study has no 2024–2025 test scores in the supplied data, and its comparisons over time are therefore unavailable.