Mira Costa High

Summary:

Mira Costa High is a public high school located in Manhattan Beach, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,497 students. The school is part of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, which is ranked 27th out of 1,568 districts in California and is rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Mira Costa High has consistently ranked among the top high schools in California, with a statewide ranking of 211 out of 2,323 schools in the 2023-2024 school year, and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance has been exceptional, with high proficiency rates in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy (76.14% in 2023-2024) and Mathematics (54.09% in 2023-2024), significantly above the state averages. Mira Costa High has maintained an impressive 4-year graduation rate of 97.9% in the 2022-2023 school year, well above the state average, and a remarkably low dropout rate of just 1.1% in the same year.

Mira Costa High's performance is significantly higher than the nearby schools analyzed, including Da Vinci RISE High, Da Vinci Design, Patricia Dreizler Continuation High, R.K. Lloyde High, Centinela Valley Independent Study, Environmental Charter High - Lawndale, Redondo Union High, and Lawndale High. Mira Costa High's commitment to equity and inclusion, as evidenced by its strong support for diverse student populations, is particularly commendable and can serve as a model for other educational institutions.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1401 Artesia Blvd.
       Manhattan Beach, CA  90266-6968


(310) 318-7337

District: Manhattan Beach Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
211th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,279 Help


Feeder schools for Mira Costa High:

Elementary:    Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary
    Grand View Elementary
    Meadows Avenue Elementary
    Opal Robinson Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Manhattan Beach Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  23.7 Help
Number of students:  2,568

Racial breakdown:

White:
59.5%
Hispanic:
14.6%
Two or more races:
13.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  6.9% Help


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 Compare Mira Costa High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Mira Costa High ranks better than 90.9% of high schools in California. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.12. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Mira Costa High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Mira Costa High is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (59.5%), Hispanic (14.6%), two or more races (13.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 6.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mira Costa High is 23.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Mira Costa High employs 107.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mira Costa High is $11,279.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mira Costa High:

SchoolDigger ranks Mira Costa High 211th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Mira Costa High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Manhattan Beach Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Manhattan Beach Unified 27th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Mira Costa High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 82.46 58th 1653 96.5%
2005 81.36 83rd 1901 95.6%
2006 85.79 61st 1968 96.9%
2007 87.65 46th 2063 97.8%
2008 88.11 33rd 2117 98.4%
2009 86.15 36th 2238 98.4%
2010 91.78 19th 2281 99.2%
2011 92.82 14th 2367 99.4%
2012 91.78 19th 2354 99.2%
2013 91.58 22nd 2426 99.1%
2015 92.69 129th 1994 93.5%
2016 93.52 110th 2039 94.6%
2017 94.89 84th 2021 95.8%
2018 95.81 68th 2017 96.6%
2019 96.07 80th 2133 96.2%
2021 96.19 39th 1290 97.0%
2022 94.07 134th 2123 93.7%
2023 89.69 183rd 2348 92.2%
2024 87.12 211th 2323 90.9%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.53 51st 366 86.1%
2019 85.23 43rd 422 89.8%
2022 83.96 53rd 515 89.7%
2023 73.07 155th 786 80.3%
2024 75.60 128th 804 84.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 59.01 338th 1547 78.2%
2024 88.41 58th 1534 96.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.19 119th 1862 93.6%
2019 91.91 108th 1937 94.4%
2022 91.43 129th 1943 93.4%
2023 73.59 373rd 2247 83.4%
2024 85.82 188th 2235 91.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.48 88th 1760 95.0%
2019 94.91 79th 1833 95.7%
2021 97.13 18th 1054 98.3%
2022 93.14 134th 1858 92.8%
2023 91.37 129th 2118 93.9%
2024 84.74 227th 2098 89.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.09 127th 1052 87.9%
2019 99.24 13th 1117 98.8%
2022 98.51 26th 1161 97.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 69.83 48th 168 71.4%
2023 74.22 51st 233 78.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.73 59th 1834 96.8%
2019 95.74 79th 1880 95.8%
2021 94.56 61st 1122 94.6%
2022 93.38 126th 1916 93.4%
2023 85.86 223rd 2207 89.9%
2024 86.85 195th 2172 91.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.92 46th 581 92.1%
2019 90.62 23rd 582 96.0%
2022 78.52 118th 581 79.7%
2023 72.78 200th 731 72.6%
2024 68.94 227th 712 68.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 97.60 15th 582 97.4%
2019 88.01 48th 592 91.9%
2022 89.96 34th 522 93.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.74 102nd 1742 94.1%
2019 94.83 60th 1814 96.7%
2022 93.30 93rd 1861 95.0%
2023 89.04 125th 2142 94.2%
2024 84.34 178th 2125 91.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Mira Costa High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.40 62nd 1173 94.7%
2019 89.34 86th 1222 93.0%
2022 81.10 195th 1204 83.8%
2023 73.29 262nd 1434 81.7%
2024 66.54 358th 1406 74.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Mira Costa High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
75%

0%

0%

0%

25%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Thursday, December 26, 2019

Open Quote They are the Worst people in education and I hope that this School is Closed due to legal trouble from MBUSD. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, December 4, 2015

Open Quote Costa's graduation rate, and percentage of kids to attend college after graduation is second to none. it's a very safe school, and best of all it's PUBLIC.!!! love it... Close Quote


by a student
Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Open Quote I graduated in 2007 from Mira Costa. This is a great school full of great teachers in a beautiful city. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, September 11, 2011

Open Quote Principal Dale is OUTSTANDING! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Mira Costa High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 1243 35 120 260 9 n/a n/a 0 1667
1995 1453 28 125 280 4 n/a n/a 0 1890
1996 1453 28 125 280 4 n/a n/a 0 1890
1997 1526 36 121 295 4 n/a n/a 0 1982
1998 1582 55 128 290 2 n/a n/a 0 2057
1999 1593 65 137 296 6 n/a n/a 0 2097
2000 1718 48 133 272 0 n/a n/a 0 2171
2001 1805 40 135 263 3 n/a n/a 0 2246
2002 1937 39 182 287 4 n/a n/a 3 2452
2003 1937 39 182 287 4 n/a n/a 3 2452
2004 1794 38 226 249 5 n/a n/a 107 2419
2005 1772 34 171 199 2 n/a n/a 260 2438
2006 1639 28 161 167 2 n/a n/a 326 2323
2007 1547 50 165 151 3 n/a n/a 370 2286
2008 1572 63 181 163 3 n/a n/a 0 1982
2009 1479 77 194 166 3 7 455 0 2381
2010 1615 137 289 342 9 18 14 0 2424
2011 1480 135 284 344 8 17 91 0 2359
2012 1438 130 260 359 3 11 227 0 2428
2013 1450 115 239 367 1 8 276 0 2456
2014 1422 129 238 370 2 12 315 0 2488
2015 1481 135 263 376 8 10 244 0 2517
2016 1413 134 245 375 1 6 263 0 2437
2017 1491 96 247 382 3 5 290 0 2514
2018 1531 68 256 366 4 5 311 0 2541
2019 1575 54 255 383 4 3 278 0 2552
2020 1550 42 237 337 5 8 359 0 2538
2021 1493 39 248 327 3 7 346 0 2463
2022 1477 40 251 337 3 6 331 3 2448
2023 1501 36 255 354 3 6 334 8 2497
2024 1528 35 273 374 3 4 341 10 2568

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mira Costa High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 1667 68.3 24.4 8.6
1995 1890 89.7 21.1 10.2
1996 1890 89.7 21.1 10.2
1997 1982 89.1 22.2 13.1
1998 2057 89.4 23.0 12.4
1999 2097 91.0 23.0 9.1
2000 2171 95.5 22.7 11.3
2001 2246 96.8 23.2 9.3
2002 2452 107.6 22.8 6
2003 2452 107.6 22.8 6
2004 2419 102.8 23.5 5.1
2005 2438 97.6 25.0 2.7
2006 2323 98.0 23.7 3
2007 2286 90.8 25.2 4
2008 1982 109.1 18.2 2.5
2009 2381 97.4 21.4 3.6
2010 2424 96.7 25.0 2.8
2011 2359 n/a n/a 4.6
2012 2428 96.7 25.0 4.3
2013 2456 101.7 24.1 4.5
2014 2488 96.2 25.8 3.8
2015 2517 99.0 25.4 3.4
2016 2437 106.0 22.9 5.5
2017 2514 95.3 26.3 4.7
2018 2541 101.0 25.1 6.1
2019 2552 100.2 25.4 7
2020 2538 n/a n/a 5.8
2021 2463 96.7 25.4 5.6
2022 2448 98.7 24.8 5.6
2023 2497 107.1 23.2 6.1
2024 2568 107.9 23.7 6.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Mira Costa High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 1667 68.3 24.4 8.6
1995 1890 89.7 21.1 10.2
1996 1890 89.7 21.1 10.2
1997 1982 89.1 22.2 13.1
1998 2057 89.4 23.0 12.4
1999 2097 91.0 23.0 9.1
2000 2171 95.5 22.7 11.3
2001 2246 96.8 23.2 9.3
2002 2452 107.6 22.8 6
2003 2452 107.6 22.8 6
2004 2419 102.8 23.5 5.1
2005 2438 97.6 25.0 2.7
2006 2323 98.0 23.7 3
2007 2286 90.8 25.2 4
2008 1982 109.1 18.2 2.5
2009 2381 97.4 21.4 3.6
2010 2424 96.7 25.0 2.8
2011 2359 n/a n/a 4.6
2012 2428 96.7 25.0 4.3
2013 2456 101.7 24.1 4.5
2014 2488 96.2 25.8 3.8
2015 2517 99.0 25.4 3.4
2016 2437 106.0 22.9 5.5
2017 2514 95.3 26.3 4.7
2018 2541 101.0 25.1 6.1
2019 2552 100.2 25.4 7
2020 2538 n/a n/a 5.8
2021 2463 96.7 25.4 5.6
2022 2448 98.7 24.8 5.6
2023 2497 107.1 23.2 6.1
2024 2568 107.9 23.7 6.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mira Costa High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $11,279

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mira Costa High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 80th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 183rd of 2348 High schools
 4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Mira Costa High)82.167.5
 14.6%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Manhattan Beach Unified)81.867.5
 14.3%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Mira Costa High)68.358.5
 9.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Manhattan Beach Unified)6858.5
 9.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (Mira Costa High)63.155.4
 7.7%
   11th Grade Science (Manhattan Beach Unified)6355.4
 7.7%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students25522497
 2.2%
African American5436
 33.3%
American Indian43
 25%
Asian255255
Hispanic383354
 7.6%
Pacific Islander36
 100%
White15751501
 4.7%
Two or More Races278334
 20.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients7%6.1%
 0.9%


Schools Near Mira Costa High









Frequently Asked Questions about Mira Costa High

Mira Costa High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary
Elementary : Grand View Elementary
Elementary : Meadows Avenue Elementary
Elementary : Opal Robinson Elementary
Elementary : Pacific Elementary
Middle : Manhattan Beach Middle

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,568 students attended Mira Costa High.

Yes. Mira Costa High ranks in the top 9.1% of California high schools.

Students at Mira Costa High are 60% White, 15% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 11% Asian, 1% African American.


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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.





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