University Heights Middle

Summary:

University Heights Middle is a public middle school located in Riverside, California, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 804 students. The school is part of the Riverside Unified School District, which is ranked 774 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

University Heights Middle consistently ranks in the bottom half of California middle schools, with a ranking between 1,694 and 2,171 out of around 2,800 schools over the past several years. The school's performance on standardized tests is significantly below the Riverside Unified district and California state averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 33.79% of University Heights Middle students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 45.48% for the Riverside Unified district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate at University Heights Middle was just 18.67%, compared to 31.57% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance on the CAST Science assessment was also low, with only 15.67% of students proficient or better, compared to 26.59% for the district and 30.7% for the state. University Heights Middle has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10% in 2018-2019 to 25.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district and state averages.

When compared to other middle schools in the Riverside Unified district, such as Sierra Middle, Matthew Gage Middle, and Central Middle, University Heights Middle performs significantly worse, with higher academic performance and lower chronic absenteeism rates. Similarly, when compared to middle schools in the neighboring Colton Joint Unified and Moreno Valley Unified districts, University Heights Middle still performs below average, with the nearby schools, such as Vista Heights Middle and Terrace Hills Middle, also struggling academically.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 1155 Massachusetts Ave.
       Riverside, CA  92507-2897


(951) 788-7388

District: Riverside Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1881st of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,160 Help


Students who attend University Heights Middle usually attend:

High:    John W. North High
    Riverside STEM Academy

Feeder schools for University Heights Middle:

Elementary:    Emerson Elementary
    Fremont Elementary
    Highgrove Elementary
    Highland Elementary
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  22.2 Help
Number of students:  834

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
78.5%
African American:
7.4%
White:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  62% Help


 See top rated California middle schools

 Compare University Heights Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details University Heights Middle ranks worse than 67.7% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 6th among 7 ranked middle schools in the Riverside Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.45. (See more...)
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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (78.5%), African American (7.4%), White (6.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 62% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Riverside Unified School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at University Heights Middle is 22.2, which is the 3rd best among 7 middle schools in the Riverside Unified School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare University Heights Middle employs 37.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at University Heights Middle is $9,160, which is the 3rd highest among 7 middle schools in the Riverside Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

University Heights Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks University Heights Middle 1881st of 2777 California public middle schools. (See University Heights Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Riverside Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Riverside Unified 774th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for University Heights Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 29.05 1216th 1769 31.3%
2005 30.12 1233rd 1777 30.6%
2006 26.92 1322nd 1804 26.7%
2007 32.98 1317th 1999 34.1%
2008 41.56 1119th 2005 44.2%
2009 40.27 1202nd 2063 41.7%
2010 37.16 1386th 2179 36.4%
2011 41.38 1324th 2236 40.8%
2012 39.46 1376th 2259 39.1%
2013 34.76 1569th 2379 34.0%
2015 17.10 2113th 2477 14.7%
2016 17.50 2122nd 2497 15.0%
2017 20.02 2026th 2508 19.2%
2018 29.00 1694th 2480 31.7%
2019 30.38 1779th 2715 34.5%
2022 29.92 1781st 2740 35.0%
2023 22.14 2171st 2802 22.5%
2024 28.45 1881st 2777 32.3%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.74 595th 1364 56.4%
2019 37.56 769th 1442 46.7%
2022 38.31 836th 1540 45.7%
2023 33.25 1065th 1529 30.3%
2024 44.26 586th 1477 60.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.99 858th 1538 44.2%
2024 37.07 861st 1550 44.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.86 1335th 2230 40.1%
2019 40.21 1325th 2369 44.1%
2022 39.88 1333rd 2458 45.8%
2023 27.63 1866th 2549 26.8%
2024 33.04 1649th 2575 36.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 53.96 120th 336 64.3%
2023 31.31 230th 321 28.3%
2024 37.29 237th 394 39.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.04 1551st 2262 31.4%
2019 31.77 1566th 2380 34.2%
2022 30.32 1658th 2509 33.9%
2023 25.55 1864th 2547 26.8%
2024 27.07 1799th 2546 29.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.15 1276th 1369 6.8%
2019 22.03 1333rd 1491 10.6%
2022 26.15 1214th 1531 20.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 18.03 165th 193 14.5%
2023 19.93 159th 197 19.3%
2024 20.51 149th 191 22.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.58 1665th 2273 26.7%
2019 27.49 1706th 2407 29.1%
2022 29.67 1666th 2527 34.1%
2023 19.77 2107th 2558 17.6%
2024 29.05 1709th 2547 32.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 28.76 557th 741 24.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.30 390th 600 35.0%
2019 44.16 335th 643 47.9%
2022 54.38 236th 637 63.0%
2023 44.78 304th 614 50.5%
2024 55.45 226th 626 63.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.13 1229th 2072 40.7%
2019 39.30 1275th 2213 42.4%
2022 36.77 1399th 2359 40.7%
2023 25.80 1808th 2391 24.4%
2024 33.06 1524th 2383 36.0%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at University Heights Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.00 1084th 1496 27.5%
2019 36.12 1028th 1602 35.8%
2022 37.04 972nd 1555 37.5%
2023 25.26 1171st 1552 24.5%
2024 35.56 968th 1535 36.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle 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.

University Heights Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for University Heights Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 317 112 37 213 2 n/a n/a 0 681
1989 325 133 39 245 1 n/a n/a 0 743
1990 344 113 37 260 1 n/a n/a 0 755
1991 344 123 51 303 0 n/a n/a 0 821
1992 368 123 58 296 3 n/a n/a 0 848
1993 389 146 56 327 4 n/a n/a 0 922
1994 385 143 67 377 8 n/a n/a 0 980
1995 242 111 35 385 9 n/a n/a 0 782
1996 242 111 35 385 9 n/a n/a 0 782
1997 261 101 36 389 5 n/a n/a 0 792
1998 282 117 30 445 7 n/a n/a 0 881
1999 259 121 26 445 9 n/a n/a 0 860
2000 262 131 37 474 13 n/a n/a 0 917
2001 252 113 40 498 8 n/a n/a 0 911
2002 235 146 35 536 3 n/a n/a 0 955
2003 235 146 35 536 3 n/a n/a 0 955
2004 233 155 37 553 5 n/a n/a 2 985
2005 191 140 53 596 6 n/a n/a 0 986
2006 137 122 33 579 4 n/a n/a 1 876
2007 150 109 34 625 6 n/a n/a 3 927
2008 140 101 31 566 4 n/a n/a 0 842
2009 103 90 28 589 4 4 7 0 825
2010 89 92 22 651 3 4 10 0 871
2011 94 86 20 623 1 5 12 0 841
2012 86 90 12 606 3 8 15 0 820
2013 67 71 21 642 5 5 17 0 828
2014 66 71 19 642 5 2 10 0 815
2015 72 75 19 637 2 3 16 0 824
2016 70 72 19 666 3 4 27 0 861
2017 62 67 26 610 6 4 26 0 801
2018 56 65 29 620 5 3 21 0 799
2019 65 72 26 657 3 1 26 0 850
2020 62 74 20 690 2 2 20 0 870
2021 61 79 25 688 4 4 19 2 882
2022 41 86 22 627 2 0 17 1 796
2023 44 82 26 633 2 1 16 0 804
2024 53 62 33 655 5 3 22 1 834

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 University Heights Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 681 29.1 23.4 n/a
1989 743 33.6 22.1 n/a
1990 755 34.0 22.2 n/a
1991 821 36.1 22.7 n/a
1992 848 36.7 23.1 47.4
1993 922 38.6 23.9 50.1
1994 980 40.0 24.5 57
1995 782 37.0 21.1 65.3
1996 782 37.0 21.1 65.3
1997 792 38.8 20.4 61.6
1998 881 42.3 20.8 49.1
1999 860 42.1 20.4 56.7
2000 917 38.6 23.8 61.2
2001 911 39.3 23.2 63.1
2002 955 39.6 24.1 65
2003 955 39.6 24.1 65
2004 985 41.0 24.0 62.2
2005 986 40.6 24.3 72.5
2006 876 39.3 22.3 72.5
2007 927 35.9 25.8 78.1
2008 842 45.5 18.5 67.9
2009 825 32.4 20.9 81.1
2010 871 39.8 21.8 86.8
2011 841 n/a n/a 78.6
2012 820 35.8 22.9 n/a
2013 828 36.4 22.7 90
2014 815 36.6 22.2 88.8
2015 824 36.0 22.8 85
2016 861 36.0 23.9 90.2
2017 801 37.0 21.6 88.5
2018 799 34.6 23.0 90.7
2019 850 37.1 22.9 94
2020 870 n/a n/a 95.5
2021 882 35.1 25.0 91.6
2022 796 34.3 23.1 90.7
2023 804 36.3 22.1 92.4
2024 834 37.5 22.2 62

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 University Heights Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 681 29.1 23.4 n/a
1989 743 33.6 22.1 n/a
1990 755 34.0 22.2 n/a
1991 821 36.1 22.7 n/a
1992 848 36.7 23.1 47.4
1993 922 38.6 23.9 50.1
1994 980 40.0 24.5 57
1995 782 37.0 21.1 65.3
1996 782 37.0 21.1 65.3
1997 792 38.8 20.4 61.6
1998 881 42.3 20.8 49.1
1999 860 42.1 20.4 56.7
2000 917 38.6 23.8 61.2
2001 911 39.3 23.2 63.1
2002 955 39.6 24.1 65
2003 955 39.6 24.1 65
2004 985 41.0 24.0 62.2
2005 986 40.6 24.3 72.5
2006 876 39.3 22.3 72.5
2007 927 35.9 25.8 78.1
2008 842 45.5 18.5 67.9
2009 825 32.4 20.9 81.1
2010 871 39.8 21.8 86.8
2011 841 n/a n/a 78.6
2012 820 35.8 22.9 n/a
2013 828 36.4 22.7 90
2014 815 36.6 22.2 88.8
2015 824 36.0 22.8 85
2016 861 36.0 23.9 90.2
2017 801 37.0 21.6 88.5
2018 799 34.6 23.0 90.7
2019 850 37.1 22.9 94
2020 870 n/a n/a 95.5
2021 882 35.1 25.0 91.6
2022 796 34.3 23.1 90.7
2023 804 36.3 22.1 92.4
2024 834 37.5 22.2 62

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 University Heights Middle

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $9,160

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

Impact of COVID-19 on University Heights Middle

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 1779th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 2171st of 2802 Middle schools
 12%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (University Heights Middle)40.833.5
 7.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Riverside Unified)50.845
 5.7%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (University Heights Middle)19.616.8
 2.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Riverside Unified)32.331.1
 1.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (University Heights Middle)44.829.7
 15.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Riverside Unified)51.244.9
 6.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (University Heights Middle)19.810.4
 9.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Riverside Unified)32.726.8
 5.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (University Heights Middle)17.78.4
 9.4%
   8th Grade Science (Riverside Unified)30.725.6
 5.1%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students850804
 5.4%
African American7282
 13.9%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian2626
Hispanic657633
 3.7%
Pacific Islander11
White6544
 32.3%
Two or More Races2616
 38.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients94%92.4%
 1.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about University Heights Middle

In the 2023-24 school year, 834 students attended University Heights Middle.

University Heights Middle ranks 1881st of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at University Heights Middle are 79% Hispanic, 7% African American, 6% White, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

Students who attend University Heights Middle usually go on to attend John W. North High


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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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