Monte Vista Independent Study

Costa Mesa · Orange County · Public

Public Orange County ~32 seniors CDS 3066597…

Data Year

Compare with peers

Most similar nearby schools

Creekside High School → Back Bay High → Unity Middle College High → Early College High School → Hillview High (continuation) → Compare all similar →

AP rigor: 82nd percentile nationally 11 AP courses

At a glance

Programs & features

11 AP courses offered — Elite
Gifted & talented program
4 calculus classes · 2 physics · 3 chemistry

Academic signals

AP rigor: 82nd percentile nationally
SAT/ACT participation: Bottom 4% by test-taker volume
4-yr grad rate: 84% in 2019 (Bottom 33% of US high schools by 4-yr grad rate)

Composed from federal CRDC offerings, EDFacts graduation data, and other public data. Full breakdowns below.

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California College-Going Rate

62.5% of the 2022-23 graduating class enrolled in college within a year.

The share of 2022-23 graduates who enrolled at a college anywhere in the U.S. within 12 months, per the National Student Clearinghouse match the California Department of Education publishes.

Within 12 months

62.5%

of 40 graduates

Give the same class four more months and 70% had enrolled — CDE publishes a 16-month window alongside the 12-month one, 28 students.

Up 24 points from the 2021-22 class (38.5%).

Where the 2022-23 class enrolled

In California — 22 students (55.0%)

University of California 10.0% 4

California State University 2.5% 1

California Community College 35.0% 14

California private college 7.5% 3

Out of state — 3 students (7.5%)

Out-of-state 4-year 0.0% 0

Out-of-state 2-year 7.5% 3

CDE puts each graduate in one bucket only — whichever kind of college they were enrolled in longest — so these add up to the rate above. That is a different count from the UC Reach Score on this page, which counts a student at every UC campus that admitted them.

Source: California Department of Education, College-Going Rate (DataQuest) ↗, cohort 2022-23, posted 17-Sep-2025. Data file: cgr12mo23.txt ↗ (and the 16-month file ↗). CDE builds the rate by matching California high school completers to National Student Clearinghouse enrollment records; we publish CDE’s aggregates and hold no student-level data.

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How Monte Vista Independent Study compares for families

Stronger-than-average college-prep profile.

▸ StatewideAP rigor in the top 18% nationally with 11 AP courses.
▸ vs Similar SchoolsThe closest comparables nearby: Creekside High School, Back Bay High, Unity Middle College High and 2 more. See the sidebar to compare side-by-side.

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Academic rigor

AP + advanced-course offerings

Elite — exceptional AP + advanced course breadth

82nd percentile nationally

Less rigorMore rigorMost rigor

AP courses offered

Math ✓ · Science ✓

Students taking AP courses

≈50 per 100 students · uptake, not just offerings

Advanced math classes

4 calculus · 4 advanced

Lab science classes

2 physics · 3 chemistry

Other rigor signals

Gifted/talented program

Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). CRDC reports what's offered + enrolled — it doesn't collect AP exam pass rates (College Board owns that data and doesn't release it school-level).

SAT / ACT participation

CRDC federal data · 2020-21

Bottom 4% by test-taker volume

SAT/ACT test-takers

11th-12th graders who took 1+ college admissions test

Test-taking intensity

5.0

takers per 100 students in grades 9-12

Compared against

18,426

US high schools reporting SAT/ACT participation

Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). Volume — not score — is what's reported here. A higher count means more students at this school are entering the college admissions pipeline. Note: 2020-21 was COVID-disrupted; some districts (especially those that stayed remote longer) report unusually low or zero takers.

4-year graduation rate · federal EDFacts

What % of students graduate on time?

Bottom 33% of US high schools by 4-yr grad rate

4-year graduation rate

84%

Range: 80–89%

4-year cohort size

Students in the 9th-grade entry class tracked over 4 years

Compared against

17,988

US high schools reporting 4-year ACGR

Source: federal EDFacts ACGR (Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate), 2019 vintage via Urban Institute. EDFacts publishes a range (low-high) to preserve privacy on small cohorts; we display the midpoint.

Federal Title I context

Title I Schoolwide eligible

≥40% FRPL — qualifies for Title I Schoolwide program

66.7%

FRPL rate — % of students who qualify for the federal Free or Reduced-Price Lunch program. This is the underlying federal income-eligibility signal Title I designations are computed from (ESEA Sec. 1113).

0% (no FRPL) 35% TA · 40% Schoolwide 100% (universal FRPL)

40-74% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The district can use Title I funds across the whole school under federal Schoolwide Program rules.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, free/reduced-price lunch eligibility. The actual Title I designation is a district decision and may differ from eligibility — but the federal eligibility math is what we show here. We don't claim to assert whether the district formally chose to enroll this school in Title I.

SBAC academic outcomes — grade 11, 2025

Share of grade-11 students meeting or exceeding the California standard on Smarter Balanced ELA and Math. This is the academic-readiness signal that pairs with UC Reach (post-grad outcomes), stability (retention), and absenteeism (engagement). Note: statewide median Math is only ~20% — a school at 20% isn't an outlier; one at 45%+ genuinely is.

About 1 in 3 students read and write at grade level — below the state norm — worth asking what extra support looks like.

Fewer than 1 in 10 students do math at grade level — below the state norm — worth asking what extra support looks like.

ELA — met or exceeded

n = 15

33.3%

incl. 0.0% exceeded

-30.8 pts vs. Orange County median (64.1%) · CA median 54.5% · Top 10% statewide ≥ 79.4%

Math — met or exceeded

n = 15

0.0%

incl. 0.0% exceeded

-37.0 pts vs. Orange County median (37.0%) · CA median 21.4% · Top 10% statewide ≥ 53.6%

Source: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Smarter Balanced research files. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥30 tested students.

Student composition — 2025-26

HS grades 9–12 racial/ethnic composition and program subgroups, from CDE Census Day Enrollment. Two-year shift shown when ≥1 pt — surfaces how the community served has changed since 2023-24.

Race / ethnicity

White 43% -3.6

Hispanic / Latino 41% -1.3

Asian 5% +3.0

Two or more 5% +1.1

Black / African Am. 3%

American Indian 2%

Not reported 2%

Program subgroups

Socioeconomically disadv. 54% +21.4

Source: California Department of Education, Census Day Enrollment 2025-26 (HS grades 9–12). Δ shown when shift is ≥1 pt since 2023-24. Categories below 0.5% omitted.

Chronic absenteeism — 2024-25

Share of students missing 10% or more of expected attendance — the leading indicator that often precedes the demand decline shown above. Families disengaging tend to raise absenteeism first, then formally leave. Basis: grades 9–12.

82% of students miss 10%+ of school days — above the state's ~23%. Ask what the school is doing about engagement.

Chronic absent

82.5%

66 of 80 students

Absenteeism is up 16.6 pp since 2016-17. A rising absenteeism trend often precedes formal departure — worth investigating which subgroups are driving it.

Orange County median

17.8% · school is worse than 97% of 95 HS

Statewide median

22.8%

Chronic absenteeism by year (raw %)

Source: California Department of Education, Chronic Absenteeism 2024-25. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥100 eligible students. CDE didn't publish a usable 2019-20 file (COVID).

Enrollment trend & projection

Total enrollment (9–12)

44 (2018) → 65 (2026)

+47.7%

Grade 12 (graduating class)

23 (2018) → 17 (2026)

-26.1%

If this trend holds (-1.9%/yr, Total enrollment)

At per-pupil funding of $ / student:

Horizon	Projected Total enrollment	Change	Funding impact / yr
1 yr (2027)	~64	-1	$0
3 yr (2029)	~61	-4	$0
5 yr (2031)	~59	-6	$0

Straight-line extrapolation of the recent annual rate — a what-if, not a forecast of intent. Default = California's LCFF base grant for grades 9–12 ($12,423/ADA). Edit the figure to match your school.

How does Monte Vista Independent Study really compare on getting kids to college?

Unlock a head-to-head snapshot of Monte Vista Independent Study against its 10 most similar nearby schools — matched on size, location, type. See exactly where it stands on the college pipeline.

The full head-to-head table — every peer school's UC Reach, side by side.

Enrollment trend + 3-year projection — is this school growing or quietly shrinking?

The plain-English read on what it all means for your family.

Your similar-school group includes

Creekside High School · Back Bay High · Unity Middle College High · Early College High School · Hillview High (continuation) · College And Career Preparatory Academy · +4 more

Enrollment stability & demand — 2024-25

Two complementary signals: retention (do students stay once enrolled?) and demand (are families choosing the school?). Read against the Orange County baseline — the demographic tide is moving every CA HS, so a school's gap vs. county is the actionable signal.

28% of students who start the year finish it here — more churn than most CA schools. Ask what's behind the turnover.

Critical

Compounding decline on both vectors.

Enrollment -26.1% vs. county -6.0% AND stability (28.1%) below the county median. Recruitment and retention both under pressure — likely a foundational rather than tactical problem. Chronic absenteeism is also at 77.8% (up +11.9 pts from 2016-17) — engagement and demand are both signaling decline.

-26.1% senior class, grade 12 (2018–2026)

-6.0% Orange County baseline

-20.1pp gap vs. county

28.1% retention (county median 91.8%)

Senior class (grade 12) — indexed to 100 at 2018

Stability rate by year (raw %)

Stability rate

28.1%

27 of 96 students

69 of 96 students who enrolled at Monte Vista Independent Study this year didn't maintain continuous enrollment (71.9% non-stability). Mid-year transfers, dropouts, and other exits are all counted.

Orange County median

91.8% · school is in the 5th percentile of 95 HS

Statewide median

87.3% · in the 5th percentile of 1,734 HS

Stability by student group

Socio. disadvantaged (84) 29.8%

Hispanic / Latino (65) 24.6%

White (50) 30.0%

Students w/ disabilities (26) 19.2%

Nearest peer high schools

Creekside High School 30.6% Back Bay High 26.5% Unity Middle College High 70.0% Early College High School 96.1% Hillview High (continuation) 50.5%

Source: California Department of Education, Stability Rate 2024-25. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥100 cumulative enrollees so by-design-high-churn continuation schools don't dominate the bottom of the distribution. Cumulative enrollment counts every student on the rolls during the year, so it can exceed peak-day enrollment.

UC Reach Score ⓘ methodology

UC Application Reach Score ⓘ

12 applications

In context: CA median 75 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 224 · Orange Co. Top 10% ≥ 275 · higher than 15% of CA HS.

UC Admit Rate ⓘ

N/A

— / 12 applications

UC Yield Rate ⓘ

N/A

— enrolled of — admitted

Yield vs. Enrollment Reach: Yield answers "of UC admits, what % chose UC?" — denominator is just the admits. A small admitted cohort can post a low yield even when the school sends a healthy share of its class to UC.

UC Enrollment Reach Score ⓘ

N/A

— enrollees / 32 seniors

Enrollment Reach vs. Yield: Reach answers "of the whole senior class, what share ended up at UC?" — denominator is everyone. High Yield with low Enrollment Reach is common at elite privates: most admits matriculate, but the school sends most of its class to non-UC selective colleges.

Student-Counselor Ratio ⓘ

Counseling here is unusually well-staffed — about 43 students per counselor, near what experts recommend.

43:1

1.5 FTE counselors · 65 students

In context: CA median 337:1 · 294 fewer students per counselor · ASCA target 250:1.

A-G Completion ⓘ

Only 1 in 4 graduates finish the courses UC and CSU require — below the state norm. Worth asking how course access and planning work here.

29%

10 of 35 graduates · 2022-23 cohort

In context: CA median 54.1% · -25.5 pp vs. median · Orange Co. 57.5%.

Selective UC Reach (UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCI — incl. the Elite two) ⓘ

N/A

Elite UC Reach (UCB + UCLA) ⓘ

N/A

Senior Class Size ⓘ

CDE grade 12 (exact)

Total School Enrollment ⓘ

199

All grades · CDE Census Day

Avg. Applicant GPA · top-6 UCs ⓘ

3.90

Campus Breakdown — 2023

Campus	Applicants	Admits	Enrollees	Admit Rate	UC Reach Score	Yield	Avg GPA (App)	Avg GPA (Adm)
UC San Diego → Selective	6	—^†	—^†	—^†	—^†	—	3.94	—^†
UC Irvine → Selective	6	—^†	—^†	—^†	—^†	—	3.87	—^†

† = UCOP-suppressed (count below 3 students, hidden for privacy — actual value is 0, 1, or 2, not necessarily zero). Campus-level totals may count one student admitted to multiple UC campuses more than once; Admit Volume metrics are not the same as UC Reach, which is measured against the whole senior class. See methodology →

What This Means

Note: the UC Reach Score sums campus-level admits across the top-six UC campuses, so a student admitted to both UCLA and UCSD is counted at each. It reflects competitive admit volume relative to class size — admit-events, not distinct students — which is why a Score can exceed 100.

Compare with other schools → See Orange County rankings →

For School Admins

The full Reach Report for Monte Vista Independent Study

A board- and LCAP-ready intelligence brief: your enrollment retention and college outcomes, benchmarked against your closest competitors, with a 5-year forecast, concrete steps to act on, and the rigor + outcomes story you can share with your families. Built from primary public data — prepared for you, not auto-generated.

✓Your 5-year enrollment forecast (currently -1.9%/yr) with the revenue at stake
✓Student-retention benchmarking vs your county median — and the LCAP evidence to back your goals

See a sample report →

At a glance

JSON · Using this page with an AI assistant

Monte Vista Independent Study is a public high school in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California with 32 seniors in the Class of 2023.

29% of its graduates completed the A-G courses required for UC and CSU eligibility (California median 54%).

62% of its 2022-23 graduates enrolled in college within 12 months (California Department of Education College-Going Rate).

It has about 43 students per school counselor.

Enrollment was 65 students in 2026, up 48% since 2018.

Sources: University of California Office of the President (admissions), California Department of Education (enrollment, A-G, college-going), and the school's own published documents where named.

Questions families ask

What percentage of Monte Vista Independent Study graduates complete the A-G requirements? 29% of its graduates completed the A-G courses required for UC and CSU eligibility (California median 54%).

What percentage of Monte Vista Independent Study graduates go to college? 62% of its 2022-23 graduates enrolled in college within 12 months (California Department of Education College-Going Rate).

How many students attend Monte Vista Independent Study? Enrollment was 65 students in 2026, up 48% since 2018.

Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com). These figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

What does AI tell parents about Monte Vista Independent Study?

When a parent asks an AI assistant about Monte Vista Independent Study, the answer is built from a handful of sources, and Reach is often one of them. We will send your school a short report on what AI says about Monte Vista Independent Study and where it comes from. The first report is free.

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