Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in San Diego Unified

This page covers 25 high schools in San Diego Unified. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

25
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 25
1
rank
Mission Bay High
Grades 09–121,169 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
77
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
21.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
San Diego Metro Career and Tech
Grades 09–12100 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (7.8:1) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
74
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
7.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Clairemont High
Grades 09–12835 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
70
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
19.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
Canyon Hills High
Grades 09–121,307 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (94%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
70
/100
Graduation Rate
94%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
23.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
54/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
University City High
Grades 09–121,543 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (97%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
70
/100
Graduation Rate
97%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
24.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
San Diego SCPA
Grades 06–121,231 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
23.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Kearny Digital Media & Design
Grades 09–12344 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
22.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
East Village Middle College High
Grades 09–12109 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
13.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
39/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Scripps Ranch High
Grades 09–121,984 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (100%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
100%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
28.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Henry High
Grades 09–122,607 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (96%) · above-average investment ($26,968/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
96%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
27.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
15 more high schools in San Diego Unified not shown here.
View all schools in San Diego Unified
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
25
High Schools
174
Total Schools
77
#1 Score
66
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Mission Bay High
Score: 77/10093% graduation
Compare San Diego Unified with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.