Enrollment & Outcomes Scorecard
Hercules High School
Public · Hercules · Contra Costa County · 817 students · Class of 2025
UC Reach Score · Class of 2025
24
Around the CA median
near the state median
Higher than 64% of California high schools
+11.3 pp above peer median (13)
· Ranked #4 of 10 similar schools
5-year UC Reach Score
2021 · 20
2025 · 24
-23%
Senior-class enrollment (2018–2026)
-20.1 pp
vs. Contra Costa County baseline (-3%)
~777
5-yr projected enrollment (40 fewer than today)
- ▸On UC Reach Score, Hercules High School sits in the middle of its similar-school group (ranked #4 of 10): 24 vs. a peer median of 13.
- ▸Hercules High School's UC Reach Score has declined meaningfully from a peak of 52 in 2024 to 24 in 2025 — a 27-point drop that warrants attention. Multi-year UC Reach declines of this size often signal something specific (leadership change, comp-program shift, demographic move) rather than year-to-year noise. This is the kind of trajectory an Enrollment Trend Audit unpacks.
- ▸Across the top-6 UC campuses, Hercules High School is admitting at roughly -8 percentage points below what its average applicant GPA (3.861) alone would predict (16% actual vs. 24% expected). That's worth understanding — it can reflect grade inflation that UC sees through, weaker holistic-review materials at the margin, or applicants concentrating at more selective campuses than typical. Not a verdict; a signal.
- ▸Senior-class enrollment is down 23% (240→184 from 2018 to 2026), trailing the peer-group median of +2%.
- ▸At its recent rate (-1.7%/yr), enrollment projects to ~777 by 2029 — about 40 fewer students than today.
Most similar nearby schools
| School | Type | UC Reach Score | Enroll. |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Anza High School | Public | 12 | -20% |
| Making Waves Academy | Public | 38 | +63% |
| Pinole Valley High School | Public | 13 | +10% |
| Aspire Richmond Ca. College Preparatory Academy | Public | — | +38% |
| Alhambra Senior High | Public | 13 | -11% |
| John F. Kennedy High | Public | 7 | -34% |
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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