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High School Rankings
Merced County · 2025 · ≥50 seniors
What is UC Reach? UC Reach = unique top-6 UC admits ÷ senior class size — the share of a school's
entire graduating class that reaches the six most selective UCs (
Berkeley,
UCLA, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Davis). It's a better gauge of school-wide success than admit rate, which only reflects the handful of students who applied.
Why it beats admit rate: if 6 students apply to the top UCs and all get in, that's a 100% admit rate — but at a 1,000-senior school it's a UC Reach Score of just 0.6 (6 ÷ 1,000). By contrast, a school where 250 of 1,000 seniors land a top-UC admit has a UC Reach Score of 25 — far stronger, even though its admit rate is lower.
Why some schools are over 100? Out of every 100 seniors at these schools, the class is generating
more than 100 admissions to the six most selective UCs — meaning the typical strong student is getting in at multiple top campuses (
UCLA +
UCSD, or
Berkeley +
UCSB + Irvine, for example). It's a rare achievement: fewer than 1% of California high schools clear a UC Reach Score of 100.
Top and bottom schools by UC Reach, split public/charter vs private (≥50 seniors).
Scoped to Merced County — change the County filter above to rescope.
▲ Top 10 Public + Charter
Merced County
| 1 |
Delhi · Public
|
25 |
| 2 |
· Public
|
20 |
| 3 |
· Public
|
15 |
| 4 |
Merced · Public
|
12 |
| 5 |
Los Banos · Public
|
12 |
| 6 |
Atwater · Public
|
10 |
| 7 |
Livingston · Public
|
10 |
| 8 |
Dos Palos · Public
|
9 |
| 9 |
Los Banos · Public
|
8 |
| 10 |
Gustine · Public
|
5 |
▲ Top 10 Private
Merced County
Not enough schools in Merced County for this list.
▼ Bottom 10 Public + Charter
Merced County
| 1 |
Atwater · Public
|
5 |
| 2 |
Gustine · Public
|
5 |
| 3 |
Los Banos · Public
|
8 |
| 4 |
Dos Palos · Public
|
9 |
| 5 |
Livingston · Public
|
10 |
| 6 |
Atwater · Public
|
10 |
| 7 |
Los Banos · Public
|
12 |
| 8 |
Merced · Public
|
12 |
| 9 |
· Public
|
15 |
| 10 |
· Public
|
20 |
▼ Bottom 10 Private
Merced County
Not enough schools in Merced County for this list.
Where each UC campus lands its admits, as a share of each high school's senior class. Same 50-senior floor.
Top 10 — UCB Reach
UC Berkeley
| 1 |
Livingston · Public
|
3 |
| 2 |
· Public
|
2 |
| 3 |
Delhi · Public
|
2 |
| 4 |
· Public
|
1 |
| 5 |
Los Banos · Public
|
1 |
| 6 |
Atwater · Public
|
1 |
| 7 |
Los Banos · Public
|
1 |
| 8 |
Merced · Public
|
1 |
| 1 |
· Public
|
1 |
| 2 |
· Public
|
1 |
Top 10 — UCSD Reach
UC San Diego
| 1 |
Delhi · Public
|
5 |
| 2 |
Merced · Public
|
3 |
| 3 |
Los Banos · Public
|
3 |
| 4 |
· Public
|
2 |
| 5 |
Los Banos · Public
|
2 |
| 6 |
Livingston · Public
|
2 |
| 7 |
Atwater · Public
|
2 |
| 8 |
· Public
|
1 |
Top 10 — UCSB Reach
UC Santa Barbara
| 1 |
Delhi · Public
|
6 |
| 2 |
· Public
|
4 |
| 3 |
· Public
|
3 |
| 4 |
Los Banos · Public
|
3 |
| 5 |
Gustine · Public
|
3 |
| 6 |
Atwater · Public
|
3 |
| 7 |
Merced · Public
|
2 |
| 8 |
Los Banos · Public
|
2 |
| 9 |
Livingston · Public
|
2 |
| 10 |
Atwater · Public
|
2 |
Top 10 — UCI Reach
UC Irvine
| 1 |
· Public
|
4 |
| 2 |
Dos Palos · Public
|
4 |
| 3 |
Delhi · Public
|
4 |
| 4 |
· Public
|
2 |
| 5 |
Merced · Public
|
2 |
| 6 |
Atwater · Public
|
2 |
| 7 |
Atwater · Public
|
2 |
| 8 |
Los Banos · Public
|
2 |
| 9 |
Livingston · Public
|
1 |
| 10 |
Los Banos · Public
|
1 |
Top 10 — UCD Reach
UC Davis
| 1 |
Delhi · Public
|
9 |
| 2 |
· Public
|
7 |
| 3 |
· Public
|
5 |
| 4 |
Dos Palos · Public
|
5 |
| 5 |
Merced · Public
|
4 |
| 6 |
Los Banos · Public
|
3 |
| 7 |
Atwater · Public
|
3 |
| 8 |
Gustine · Public
|
2 |
| 9 |
Atwater · Public
|
2 |
| 10 |
Los Banos · Public
|
2 |
UC Reach measures who gets in. These lenses measure the upstream pipeline (A-G), the downstream outcome (UC graduation), the capacity that drives the pipeline (counselors), reliability over time (consistency), grade-11 academic preparation (CAASPP SBAC ELA & Math), and private-school financial strength. Click any school for its full profile.
Top 10 — A-G Completion
% of graduates meeting UC/CSU course requirements · 2024-25 cohort
| 1 |
Gustine · Public
|
60.2% |
| 2 |
Los Banos · Public
|
47.8% |
| 3 |
Delhi · Public
|
47.1% |
| 4 |
Hilmar · Public
|
45.0% |
| 5 |
· Public
|
43.6% |
| 6 |
· Public
|
42.7% |
| 7 |
Merced · Public
|
40.0% |
| 8 |
Los Banos · Public
|
39.5% |
| 9 |
Atwater · Public
|
38.0% |
| 10 |
Livingston · Public
|
36.1% |
Top 10 — UC 6-Yr Grad Rate
% of UC entrants who finished in 6 years · cohort N ≥ 20
| 1 |
Merced · Public
|
82.8% |
| 2 |
Los Banos · Public
|
82.8% |
| 3 |
Delhi · Public
|
81.8% |
| 4 |
Livingston · Public
|
76.2% |
| 5 |
Atwater · Public
|
75.0% |
| 6 |
Los Banos · Public
|
73.9% |
| 7 |
Atwater · Public
|
72.7% |
Top 10 — Best Counselor Capacity
Lowest students-per-counselor (ASCA target 250:1) · public/charter, ≥500 students
| 1 |
Delhi · Public
|
245:1 |
| 2 |
Gustine · Public
|
259:1 |
| 3 |
· Public
|
267:1 |
| 4 |
Hilmar · Public
|
280:1 |
| 5 |
Livingston · Public
|
289:1 |
| 6 |
· Public
|
302:1 |
| 7 |
Dos Palos · Public
|
316:1 |
| 8 |
Los Banos · Public
|
392:1 |
| 9 |
Atwater · Public
|
418:1 |
| 10 |
Los Banos · Public
|
430:1 |
Top 10 — Most Consistent
Lowest UC Reach std-dev across 5 years (above-CA-median mean)
| 1 |
avg 13.1 · σ 2.02
|
σ 2.02 |
| 2 |
avg 9.9 · σ 2.68
|
σ 2.68 |
| 3 |
avg 11.0 · σ 2.8
|
σ 2.8 |
| 4 |
avg 18.2 · σ 3.26
|
σ 3.26 |
| 5 |
avg 15.0 · σ 3.82
|
σ 3.82 |
| 6 |
avg 17.0 · σ 8.1
|
σ 8.1 |
Top 10 — SBAC ELA met/exceeded
% Met or Exceeded Standard · Grade 11 CAASPP · public/charter · tested ≥30
| 1 |
Merced · n=36 · 2025
|
56% |
| 2 |
Los Banos · n=359 · 2025
|
55% |
| 3 |
Hilmar · n=177 · 2025
|
54% |
| 4 |
· n=418 · 2025
|
54% |
| 5 |
Atwater · n=379 · 2025
|
53% |
| 6 |
· n=100 · 2025
|
51% |
| 7 |
Gustine · n=114 · 2025
|
48% |
| 8 |
Los Banos · n=349 · 2025
|
47% |
| 9 |
Delhi · n=158 · 2025
|
44% |
| 10 |
Merced · n=447 · 2025
|
42% |
Top 10 — SBAC Math met/exceeded
% Met or Exceeded Standard · Grade 11 CAASPP · public/charter · tested ≥30
| 1 |
Los Banos · n=359 · 2025
|
23% |
| 2 |
· n=100 · 2025
|
20% |
| 3 |
· n=444 · 2025
|
17% |
| 4 |
Atwater · n=379 · 2025
|
15% |
| 5 |
Hilmar · n=177 · 2025
|
15% |
| 6 |
Merced · n=447 · 2025
|
15% |
| 7 |
· n=419 · 2025
|
14% |
| 8 |
Delhi · n=164 · 2025
|
14% |
| 9 |
Los Banos · n=348 · 2025
|
14% |
| 10 |
Atwater · n=476 · 2025
|
13% |
Top 10 — Private Net Assets
Wealthiest CA private high schools · IRS Form 990 · latest fiscal year
No private-school 990 data for this filter.
≥50 seniors · earliest→latest year
Which schools are moving a growing — or shrinking — share of their graduating class into the six most selective UCs. Reflects the current county/type filter.
▲ Biggest gains
| School | Then → Now | Δ |
|---|
|
Delhi · Public
|
12 '18
→ 25 '25
|
+13.1pp |
|
· Public
|
13 '18
→ 20 '25
|
+6.6pp |
|
· Public
|
9 '18
→ 15 '25
|
+6.2pp |
|
Hilmar · Public
|
3 '18
→ 9 '24
|
+5.6pp |
|
Merced · Public
|
7 '18
→ 12 '25
|
+5.5pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
9 '18
→ 12 '25
|
+3.6pp |
|
Dos Palos · Public
|
6 '18
→ 9 '25
|
+3.0pp |
|
Atwater · Public
|
7 '18
→ 10 '25
|
+2.4pp |
|
Livingston · Public
|
14 '18
→ 10 '25
|
+-3.8pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
13 '18
→ 8 '25
|
+-4.9pp |
▼ Biggest declines
| School | Then → Now | Δ |
|---|
|
Atwater · Public
|
15 '18
→ 6 '25
|
-9.9pp |
|
Gustine · Public
|
11 '18
→ 6 '25
|
-5.8pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
13 '18
→ 8 '25
|
-4.9pp |
|
Livingston · Public
|
14 '18
→ 10 '25
|
-3.8pp |
|
Atwater · Public
|
7 '18
→ 10 '25
|
2.4pp |
|
Dos Palos · Public
|
6 '18
→ 9 '25
|
3.0pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
9 '18
→ 12 '25
|
3.6pp |
|
Merced · Public
|
7 '18
→ 12 '25
|
5.5pp |
|
Hilmar · Public
|
3 '18
→ 9 '24
|
5.6pp |
|
· Public
|
9 '18
→ 15 '25
|
6.2pp |
grade-12 enrollment Δ vs. county · ≥80 students
The demographic tide is shrinking CA enrollment ~10% over 7 years statewide, so absolute decline alone is noise. The gap vs the county baseline is the actionable signal — schools losing share faster than their demographic floor are the ones to watch. Reflects the current county/type filter.
▲ Outperforming the county the most
| School | School · County | Gap |
|---|
|
Atwater · Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+26.8% vs +7.6%
|
+19.2pp |
|
Hilmar · Merced · Public Best in class
|
+21.1% vs +7.6%
|
+13.5pp |
|
Merced · Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+18.0% vs +7.6%
|
+10.4pp |
|
· Merced · Public Watch — engagement
|
+13.6% vs +7.6%
|
+6.0pp |
|
Los Banos · Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+12.3% vs +7.6%
|
+4.7pp |
|
· Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+10.5% vs +7.6%
|
+2.9pp |
|
Los Banos · Merced · Public Demand problem
|
+2.4% vs +7.6%
|
-5.2pp |
|
Livingston · Merced · Public Weak at the gate
|
+1.2% vs +7.6%
|
-6.4pp |
|
Atwater · Merced · Public Material decline
|
-8.7% vs +7.6%
|
-16.3pp |
|
Dos Palos · Merced · Public Material decline
|
-14.4% vs +7.6%
|
-22.0pp |
▼ Underperforming the county the most
| School | School · County | Gap |
|---|
|
Gustine · Merced · Public Sharp downturn
|
-17.6% vs +7.6%
|
-25.2pp |
|
Delhi · Merced · Public Material decline
|
-14.9% vs +7.6%
|
-22.5pp |
|
Dos Palos · Merced · Public Material decline
|
-14.4% vs +7.6%
|
-22.0pp |
|
Atwater · Merced · Public Material decline
|
-8.7% vs +7.6%
|
-16.3pp |
|
Livingston · Merced · Public Weak at the gate
|
+1.2% vs +7.6%
|
-6.4pp |
|
Los Banos · Merced · Public Demand problem
|
+2.4% vs +7.6%
|
-5.2pp |
|
· Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+10.5% vs +7.6%
|
+2.9pp |
|
Los Banos · Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+12.3% vs +7.6%
|
+4.7pp |
|
· Merced · Public Watch — engagement
|
+13.6% vs +7.6%
|
+6.0pp |
|
Merced · Merced · Public Strong demand
|
+18.0% vs +7.6%
|
+10.4pp |
9 schools eligible · 2025
Each dot is one school. The diagonal is the per-campus GPA expectation — points above it admit students at higher rates than their GPA mix predicts; points below admit at lower rates. Schools need ≥30 top-6 UC applications and data across ≥3 campuses to appear.
▲ Top 10 outperformers
| School |
GPA |
Actual |
Δ vs exp. |
|
· Public
|
4.00 |
37.7% |
+14.4pp |
|
· Public
|
3.90 |
32.5% |
+10.9pp |
|
Merced · Public
|
3.76 |
32.5% |
+9.1pp |
|
Delhi · Public
|
3.72 |
32.8% |
+6.0pp |
|
Atwater · Public
|
3.84 |
34.8% |
+5.8pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
3.82 |
27.3% |
+4.6pp |
|
Livingston · Public
|
3.71 |
27.1% |
+3.4pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
3.74 |
27.6% |
+3.1pp |
|
Atwater · Public
|
3.72 |
26.9% |
+1.5pp |
▼ Top 10 underperformers
| School |
GPA |
Actual |
Δ vs exp. |
|
Atwater · Public
|
3.72 |
26.9% |
1.5pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
3.74 |
27.6% |
3.1pp |
|
Livingston · Public
|
3.71 |
27.1% |
3.4pp |
|
Los Banos · Public
|
3.82 |
27.3% |
4.6pp |
|
Atwater · Public
|
3.84 |
34.8% |
5.8pp |
|
Delhi · Public
|
3.72 |
32.8% |
6.0pp |
|
Merced · Public
|
3.76 |
32.5% |
9.1pp |
|
· Public
|
3.90 |
32.5% |
10.9pp |
|
· Public
|
4.00 |
37.7% |
14.4pp |
Sortable by any column. Click a column header to sort. Click any school row to open its profile.
12 schools · 2025 data
· 1 hidden (under 100 seniors)
| # |
School |
County |
Seniors
ⓘ
|
Total Enroll
ⓘ
|
UC Reach Score
ⓘ
|
App Reach Score
ⓘ
|
Admit Rate
ⓘ
|
Yield
ⓘ
|
Selective Reach
ⓘ
|
Elite Reach
ⓘ
|
Raw Apps
ⓘ
|
Raw Admits
ⓘ
|
| 1 |
Delhi · Public Material decline
|
Merced |
162 |
710 |
25
|
90 |
28.1% |
17.1% |
16.1 |
1.9 |
146 |
41 |
| 2 |
· Public Strong demand
|
Merced |
461 |
1,793 |
20
|
53 |
37.7% |
23.9% |
12.6 |
3.7 |
244 |
92 |
| 3 |
· Public Watch — engagement
|
Merced |
434 |
1,917 |
15
|
47 |
32.5% |
16.7% |
9.9 |
2.1 |
203 |
66 |
| 4 |
Merced · Public Strong demand
|
Merced |
441 |
1,943 |
12
|
46 |
27.4% |
9.1% |
8.6 |
0.7 |
201 |
55 |
| 5 |
Los Banos · Public Strong demand
|
Merced |
352 |
1,543 |
12
|
52 |
23.5% |
— |
8.8 |
1.4 |
183 |
43 |
| 6 |
Atwater · Public Strong demand
|
Merced |
479 |
2,029 |
10
|
42 |
23.3% |
6.4% |
7.1 |
1.0 |
202 |
47 |
| 7 |
Livingston · Public Weak at the gate
|
Merced |
296 |
1,169 |
10
|
42 |
23.4% |
13.8% |
7.8 |
2.7 |
124 |
29 |
| 8 |
Dos Palos · Public Material decline
|
Merced |
151 |
639 |
9
|
36 |
23.6% |
23.1% |
4.0 |
— |
55 |
13 |
| 9 |
Los Banos · Public Demand problem
|
Merced |
443 |
1,725 |
8
|
36 |
22.4% |
11.1% |
6.1 |
0.9 |
161 |
36 |
| 10 |
Gustine · Public Sharp downturn
|
Merced |
128 |
531 |
5
|
31 |
17.5% |
— |
3.1 |
— |
40 |
7 |
| 11 |
Atwater · Public Material decline
|
Merced |
421 |
1,704 |
5
|
34 |
16.1% |
26.1% |
3.3 |
— |
143 |
23 |
| 12 |
Hilmar · Public Best in class
|
Merced |
160 |
696 |
—
|
9 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
15 |
— |
UC Reach = top-6 UC admits ÷ senior class size. Where UCOP has not published unique-student totals,
campus admits are summed — students admitted to more than one of the 6 campuses are counted at each, so values
above 100 indicate strong students winning multiple competitive UC offers.
Schools with fewer than 100 seniors are excluded from the leaderboard by default — a small cohort
with one strong year can otherwise dominate.
See methodology →