Enrollment & Outcomes Scorecard
Golden Valley High
Public · Merced County · 1,931 students · Class of 2025
UC Reach Score · Class of 2025
15
Below the CA median
below the state median
Higher than 42% of California high schools
+4.1 pp above peer median (11)
· Ranked #4 of 11 similar schools
5-year UC Reach Score
2021 · 12
2025 · 15
+14%
Senior-class enrollment (2018–2026)
+6.0 pp
vs. Merced County baseline (+8%)
~1986
5-yr projected enrollment (+0.9%/yr)
- ▸On UC Reach Score, Golden Valley High sits in the middle of its similar-school group (ranked #4 of 11): 15 vs. a peer median of 11.
- ▸Its UC Reach Score has risen 6 points since 2018.
- ▸Across the top-6 UC campuses, Golden Valley High is admitting at roughly +11 percentage points above what its average applicant GPA (3.905) alone would predict (32% actual vs. 22% expected). That's a meaningful signal — it can reflect UC's track record with this school's graduates, students presenting strongly in UC's holistic review (essays, EC's, context), or institutional familiarity helping at the margin. The data can't distinguish which, but the pattern itself is real and worth understanding.
- ▸Senior-class enrollment is up 14% (398→452 from 2018 to 2026), outpacing the peer-group median of +5%.
- ▸Enrollment has been growing (+0.9%/yr); projects to ~1986 by 2029.
Most similar nearby schools
| School | Type | UC Reach Score | Enroll. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced High School | Public | 12 | +18% |
| El Capitan High | Public | 20 | +10% |
| Buhach Colony High School | Public | 6 | -9% |
| Atwater High School | Public | 10 | +27% |
| Livingston High School | Public | 10 | +1% |
| Pacheco High School | Public | 8 | +2% |
UC Reach = top-6 UC admits ÷ senior class. Sources: UCOP Admissions by Source School, CDE enrollment, IRS Form 990, NCES F-33. Reach — by Test Prep Gurus · Methodology
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