Enrollment & Outcomes Scorecard
Highland High School
Public · Bakersfield · Kern County · 2,505 students · Class of 2025
UC Reach Score · Class of 2025
8
Below the CA median
below the state median
Higher than 10% of California high schools
On the peer median (9)
· Ranked #7 of 11 similar schools
5-year UC Reach Score
2021 · 9
2025 · 8
+31%
Senior-class enrollment (2018–2026)
+18.5 pp
vs. Kern County baseline (+13%)
~2663
5-yr projected enrollment (+2.1%/yr)
- ▸On UC Reach Score, Highland High School sits in the middle of its similar-school group (ranked #7 of 11): 8 vs. a peer median of 9.
- ▸Highland High School's UC Reach Score has stepped down from a peak of 15 in 2020 to 8 in 2025 — a 7-point decline worth tracking.
- ▸Across the top-6 UC campuses, Highland High School is admitting at roughly +7 percentage points above what its average applicant GPA (3.752) alone would predict (30% 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 31% (481→631 from 2018 to 2026), outpacing the peer-group median of +8%.
- ▸Enrollment has been growing (+2.1%/yr); projects to ~2663 by 2029.
Most similar nearby schools
| School | Type | UC Reach Score | Enroll. |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Bakersfield High School | Public | 8 | +5% |
| Foothill High School | Public | 5 | +8% |
| Mira Monte High School | Public | 10 | +3% |
| Bakersfield High School | Public | 6 | +21% |
| North High School | Public | 5 | +36% |
| South High School | Public | 12 | +6% |
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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