Santa Monica High

Summary:

Santa Monica High is a public high school serving 2,678 students in grades 9-12 in Santa Monica, California, which is part of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. This exceptional school has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in California, maintaining a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

Santa Monica High's academic performance is truly impressive, with students significantly outperforming state and district averages in standardized tests for English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 83.77% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 55.73% statewide and 81.59% in the district. The school also boasts an exceptionally high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 95% to 97.7% over the past five years, and a low dropout rate of just 1% to 3.9%. Santa Monica High's strong performance extends across various student subgroups, including female, male, Asian, African American, Hispanic, White, and multi-racial students, as well as English Language Learners and students with disabilities.

When compared to nearby schools, Santa Monica High stands out as an exceptional institution. The school's academic metrics significantly outpace those of the nearby Olympic High continuation school, and even Palisades Charter High, another high-performing school in the area, has lower test scores and graduation rates than Santa Monica High. This level of sustained excellence is a testament to the school's strong leadership, dedicated teachers, and effective educational programs, making it a model for other high schools to emulate.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 601 Pico Blvd.
       Santa Monica, CA  90405-1224


(310) 395-3204

District: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
96th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,059 Help


Feeder schools for Santa Monica High:

Elementary:    Edison Elementary
    Franklin Elementary
    Grant Elementary
    John Muir Elementary
    More...
Middle:    John Adams Middle
    Lincoln Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  19.0 Help
Number of students:  2,573

Racial breakdown:

White:
40.5%
Hispanic:
35.0%
Two or more races:
10.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  30.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Santa Monica High ranks better than 95.9% of high schools in California. It also ranks first among 3 ranked high schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.02. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Santa Monica High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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
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Compare Details Santa Monica High has the largest high school student body size in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Racial makeup is: White (40.5%), Hispanic (35%), two or more races (10.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 30.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Monica High is 19, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District! (See more...)
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Compare Santa Monica High employs 135 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Santa Monica High is $7,059, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Santa Monica High:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Monica High 96th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Santa Monica High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Santa Monica-Malibu Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Monica-Malibu Unified 188th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Santa Monica High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 54.14 434th 1653 73.7%
2005 55.09 499th 1901 73.8%
2006 61.82 434th 1968 77.9%
2007 61.23 432nd 2063 79.1%
2008 60.41 468th 2117 77.9%
2009 63.62 369th 2238 83.5%
2010 59.37 529th 2281 76.8%
2011 58.39 574th 2367 75.7%
2012 62.33 481st 2354 79.6%
2013 69.27 315th 2426 87.0%
2015 83.11 304th 1994 84.8%
2016 82.79 328th 2039 83.9%
2017 91.37 164th 2021 91.9%
2018 90.98 178th 2017 91.2%
2019 93.29 129th 2133 94.0%
2022 94.24 128th 2123 94.0%
2023 92.58 130th 2348 94.5%
2024 94.02 96th 2323 95.9%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.86 31st 366 91.5%
2019 86.02 37th 422 91.2%
2022 91.35 23rd 515 95.5%
2023 86.26 57th 786 92.7%
2024 87.99 43rd 804 94.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.92 67th 938 92.9%
2019 61.58 178th 941 81.1%
2022 94.37 21st 1044 98.0%
2023 81.11 30th 1323 97.7%
2024 81.05 40th 1350 97.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 68.95 228th 1547 85.3%
2024 80.03 117th 1534 92.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.51 331st 1862 82.2%
2019 81.27 269th 1937 86.1%
2022 86.34 196th 1943 89.9%
2023 83.84 237th 2247 89.5%
2024 92.05 105th 2235 95.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.43 210th 1760 88.1%
2019 92.77 120th 1833 93.5%
2022 93.90 110th 1858 94.1%
2023 90.22 149th 2118 93.0%
2024 94.18 72nd 2098 96.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.07 154th 1052 85.4%
2019 62.46 269th 1117 75.9%
2022 84.65 105th 1161 91.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.68 152nd 1834 91.7%
2019 90.55 149th 1880 92.1%
2022 92.77 135th 1916 93.0%
2023 93.08 122nd 2207 94.5%
2024 92.18 127th 2172 94.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.48 43rd 581 92.6%
2019 76.34 136th 582 76.6%
2022 88.12 36th 581 93.8%
2023 86.21 47th 731 93.6%
2024 80.11 109th 712 84.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.28 117th 582 79.9%
2019 73.23 118th 592 80.1%
2022 77.84 81st 522 84.5%
2023 93.67 38th 720 94.7%
2024 88.01 59th 721 91.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.77 300th 1742 82.8%
2019 86.00 170th 1814 90.6%
2022 90.09 127th 1861 93.2%
2023 87.71 139th 2142 93.5%
2024 86.39 143rd 2125 93.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Santa Monica High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.93 72nd 1173 93.9%
2019 93.29 49th 1222 96.0%
2022 92.20 56th 1204 95.3%
2023 91.51 55th 1434 96.2%
2024 93.93 28th 1406 98.0%
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.

Santa Monica High 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 Santa Monica High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 2065 254 298 614 9 n/a n/a 0 3240
1989 1828 242 219 600 7 n/a n/a 0 2896
1990 1512 251 247 685 8 n/a n/a 0 2703
1991 1442 288 249 791 9 n/a n/a 0 2779
1992 1390 272 256 830 5 n/a n/a 0 2753
1993 1231 266 293 849 7 n/a n/a 0 2646
1994 1159 267 284 805 4 n/a n/a 0 2519
1995 1102 296 258 891 5 n/a n/a 0 2552
1996 1102 296 258 891 5 n/a n/a 0 2552
1997 1197 332 237 923 4 n/a n/a 0 2693
1998 1327 354 223 974 9 n/a n/a 0 2887
1999 1458 396 232 1012 5 n/a n/a 3 3106
2000 1511 363 224 982 7 n/a n/a 0 3087
2001 1633 338 230 1031 8 n/a n/a 0 3240
2002 1700 378 260 1054 9 n/a n/a 0 3401
2003 1700 378 260 1054 9 n/a n/a 0 3401
2004 1730 398 261 1053 7 n/a n/a 0 3449
2005 1698 372 246 1039 6 n/a n/a 8 3369
2006 1643 329 240 1014 4 n/a n/a 23 3253
2007 1613 295 254 996 5 n/a n/a 38 3201
2008 1510 270 249 1048 6 n/a n/a 0 3083
2009 1454 281 204 1014 4 44 60 0 3061
2010 1315 261 229 1021 3 9 268 0 3106
2011 1205 262 236 1202 3 6 200 0 3114
2012 1220 272 249 1134 6 7 181 0 3069
2013 1259 274 249 1091 6 9 153 0 3041
2014 1216 268 237 1074 5 11 146 0 2957
2015 1235 277 235 1079 4 13 141 0 2984
2016 1129 278 236 1071 4 4 228 0 2950
2017 1076 248 228 1029 4 5 234 0 2824
2018 1108 230 216 1009 3 9 251 0 2826
2019 1153 216 208 992 2 9 277 0 2857
2020 1145 202 188 995 2 7 277 0 2816
2021 1179 189 169 1005 3 6 311 1 2863
2022 1187 183 155 974 2 3 301 1 2806
2023 1079 189 171 948 1 3 280 7 2678
2024 1043 174 168 900 0 2 272 14 2573

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 Santa Monica High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 3240 124.4 26.0 n/a
1989 2896 104.8 27.6 n/a
1990 2703 116.5 23.2 n/a
1991 2779 114.4 24.2 n/a
1992 2753 116.3 23.6 14.7
1993 2646 109.7 24.1 19.4
1994 2519 106.3 23.7 15.9
1995 2552 106.3 24.0 20.3
1996 2552 106.3 24.0 20.3
1997 2693 108.1 24.9 21.4
1998 2887 110.5 26.1 25.6
1999 3106 124.9 24.9 24.1
2000 3087 129.3 23.9 16.4
2001 3240 134.8 24.0 16
2002 3401 139.4 24.4 18.3
2003 3401 139.4 24.4 18.3
2004 3449 144.4 23.9 20.4
2005 3369 134.2 25.1 19
2006 3253 138.1 23.6 23.8
2007 3201 137.7 23.2 22.5
2008 3083 165.7 18.6 25.6
2009 3061 130.2 19.1 26.3
2010 3106 131.2 23.6 27.5
2011 3114 n/a n/a 27.4
2012 3069 139.4 22.0 n/a
2013 3041 134.8 22.5 34.4
2014 2957 132.0 22.3 27.3
2015 2984 130.0 22.9 29.5
2016 2950 128.0 23.0 28.7
2017 2824 129.2 21.8 26.9
2018 2826 140.8 20.0 26.5
2019 2857 136.9 20.8 26.8
2020 2816 n/a n/a 31.3
2021 2863 130.4 21.9 24.3
2022 2806 133.1 21.0 26.6
2023 2678 137.8 19.4 30
2024 2573 135.0 19.0 30.8

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 Santa Monica High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 3240 124.4 26.0 n/a
1989 2896 104.8 27.6 n/a
1990 2703 116.5 23.2 n/a
1991 2779 114.4 24.2 n/a
1992 2753 116.3 23.6 14.7
1993 2646 109.7 24.1 19.4
1994 2519 106.3 23.7 15.9
1995 2552 106.3 24.0 20.3
1996 2552 106.3 24.0 20.3
1997 2693 108.1 24.9 21.4
1998 2887 110.5 26.1 25.6
1999 3106 124.9 24.9 24.1
2000 3087 129.3 23.9 16.4
2001 3240 134.8 24.0 16
2002 3401 139.4 24.4 18.3
2003 3401 139.4 24.4 18.3
2004 3449 144.4 23.9 20.4
2005 3369 134.2 25.1 19
2006 3253 138.1 23.6 23.8
2007 3201 137.7 23.2 22.5
2008 3083 165.7 18.6 25.6
2009 3061 130.2 19.1 26.3
2010 3106 131.2 23.6 27.5
2011 3114 n/a n/a 27.4
2012 3069 139.4 22.0 n/a
2013 3041 134.8 22.5 34.4
2014 2957 132.0 22.3 27.3
2015 2984 130.0 22.9 29.5
2016 2950 128.0 23.0 28.7
2017 2824 129.2 21.8 26.9
2018 2826 140.8 20.0 26.5
2019 2857 136.9 20.8 26.8
2020 2816 n/a n/a 31.3
2021 2863 130.4 21.9 24.3
2022 2806 133.1 21.0 26.6
2023 2678 137.8 19.4 30
2024 2573 135.0 19.0 30.8

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 Santa Monica High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $7,059

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Monica 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 129th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 130th of 2348 High schools
 0.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Monica High)81.383.1
 1.8%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)80.480.3
 0%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Monica High)56.450.9
 5.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)56.247.9
 8.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (Santa Monica High)50.859.3
 8.5%
   11th Grade Science (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)49.756.7
 7%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%
12th Grade Science (Santa Monica High)45.240.9
 4.3%
   12th Grade Science (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified)41.737.9
 3.8%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students28572678
 6.3%
African American216189
 12.5%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian208171
 17.8%
Hispanic992948
 4.4%
Pacific Islander93
 66.7%
White11531079
 6.4%
Two or More Races277280
 1.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.8%30%
 3.2%


Schools Near Santa Monica High









Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Monica High

Yes! Santa Monica High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 96th of 2323 California high schools.

Santa Monica High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Edison Elementary
Elementary : Franklin Elementary
Elementary : Grant Elementary
Elementary : John Muir Elementary
Elementary : McKinley Elementary
Elementary : Roosevelt Elementary
Elementary : Will Rogers Elementary
Middle : John Adams Middle
Middle : Lincoln Middle

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,573 students attended Santa Monica High.

Students at Santa Monica High are 41% White, 35% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 7% African American, 7% Asian.


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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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