LA Canada High School
La Canada · Los Angeles County · La Canada Unified · Public
📄 Shareable scorecard →Compare with peers
Most similar nearby schools
Glendale High School → Eagle Rock High School → Alhambra High School → John Marshall High School → Crescenta Valley High School → Compare all similar →🧭 A parent's read
- The UC pipeline here is real. 211 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 355 seniors puts this school in roughly the top 6% of California high schools.
- Kids here turn down top UCs. Students admitted to Berkeley and UCLA from this school often enroll somewhere even more selective — a pattern seen only at schools whose graduates have elite options beyond the UC system.
- 9 in 10 graduates leave eligible for UC and CSU. 92% finish the A-G courses California's universities require before a student can even apply — most California schools manage about 6 in 10.
- About 9 in 10 students read and write at grade level. On the state's own 11th-grade test, 94% met or exceeded the college-readiness bar — the top 10% of California high schools (statewide: 54%).
- One question for any counselor: who should still test? Plenty of strong students skip the SAT/ACT now — but merit scholarships at dozens of colleges still key off scores. Ask how the school decides who should still sit for one.
Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.
📋 At a glance
- 📚 18 AP courses offered — Elite
- ✅ Gifted & talented program
- 🔢 5 calculus classes · 12 physics · 11 chemistry
- 🎓 AP rigor: 86th percentile nationally
- 📝 SAT/ACT participation: 78th percentile by test-taker volume
- 🎓 4-yr grad rate: 98% (Top 2.3% of US high schools by 4-yr grad rate)
Composed from federal CRDC offerings, EDFacts graduation data, and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
🎓 Where grads go — and what it costs & pays
UC admits by campus · Class of 2025
Getting in is step one. The cost above is the average family's net price — yours depends on your income — and your child's odds depend on their GPA + scores. See your family's real numbers at these campuses:
🎯 Get my child's odds + our real net price →Sources: UC Office of the President (admits); IPEDS net price + College Scorecard 10-yr earnings (cost & payoff). Full campus-by-campus breakdown below.
How LA Canada High School compares for families
Top-tier college outcomes for California families.
- ▸ StatewideUC Reach Score of 59 — 41 points above the California median of 18. Ahead of 94% of California high schools.
- ▸ Locally📘 Top 5% in California on ELA proficiency — plus 6 more top-ranks.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsBeats the peer median (UC Reach Score 59 vs a 31 median) across the 5 most similar nearby schools.
For Parents
Get alerts when LA Canada High School's numbers change
New admissions results, enrollment shifts, test scores — a few alerts a year, no spam. Your email also saves your list across devices.
Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.
🎓 Academic rigor
AP + advanced-course offerings
Elite — exceptional AP + advanced course breadth
86th percentile nationally
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 · 2020-2178th percentile by test-taker volume
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?
Top 2.3% of US high schools by 4-yr grad rate
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
Lower-need school
Not Title I eligible (FRPL < 25%)
<25% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Well below the Title I threshold; expect a higher-income student body on average.
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.
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
Program subgroups
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.
Low and stable absenteeism — students are engaged and showing up. The leading indicator is healthy.
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
If this trend holds (-0.6%/yr, Total enrollment)
At per-pupil funding of $ / student:
| Horizon | Projected Total enrollment | Change | Funding impact / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yr (2027) | ~1,996 | -11 | $0 |
| 3 yr (2029) | ~1,974 | -33 | $0 |
| 5 yr (2031) | ~1,952 | -55 | $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 LA Canada High School really compare on getting kids to college?
We've ranked it #2 of 11 most similar nearby schools on UC Reach. Unlock the full snapshot to see the head-to-head — who's ahead, by how much, and where it's heading.
Your similar-school group includes
Glendale High School · Eagle Rock High School · Alhambra High School · John Marshall High School · Crescenta Valley High School · Temple City High School · +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 Los Angeles County baseline — the demographic tide is moving every CA HS, so a school's gap vs. county is the actionable signal.
LA Canada High School's enrollment is tracking Los Angeles County's baseline (-6.6% vs. -8.2%), and 97.7% stability is elite. The demographic tide is the headwind; you're holding your share.
31 of 1,352 students who enrolled at LA Canada High School this year didn't maintain continuous enrollment (2.3% non-stability). Mid-year transfers, dropouts, and other exits are all counted.
Stability by student group
Nearest peer high schools
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.
District financial profile — La Canada Unified (FY2020)
From 4 years of NCES F-33 filings (the federally-mandated district finance survey). Public schools don't have their own books — the district does. These figures show the financial scale, revenue dependence, instruction-vs-overhead mix, and long-term debt that shape what a school can sustain.
Local: 57.1%
Federal: 4.5%
Source: NCES F-33 Annual Survey of School System Finances (Urban Institute Education Data API). Latest year currently published: FY2020. F-33 is a district-level federal filing — it reflects the La Canada Unified as a whole, not this individual school's books. Revenue mix shows where the district's dollars come from (state aid dominates in CA via LCFF). Instruction share is current expenditure on instruction ÷ total current expenditure (national benchmark ~60%). Long-term debt is end-of-year outstanding (mostly facilities bonds).
LA Canada High School sent 1,135 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 18.6% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 59 — 41 points above the California median of 18, higher than 94% of California high schools. The school produces 12.1 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.
+29 pts above peer median (31) · Ranked #2 of 11 similar schools
LA Canada High School earns admission to the six most selective UC campuses at a high rate (59 UC Reach Score), yet only about 26% of its Berkeley and UCLA admits go on to enroll there — well below the roughly 60% statewide. High admit rates paired with low enrollment at the very top UCs is the data signature of a class with options even more selective than the UCs — the kind of student who turns down Berkeley or UCLA only for a college even harder to get into.
An honest read of what the data holds: admissions and enrollment counts, not destinations. We don't track where any student enrolled, so this is a signature consistent with more-selective choices — not a claim about specific colleges. We measure Berkeley and UCLA together and against the statewide rate, so it isn't just a student picking a different UC (which would lower one campus's yield without leaving the system). Class of 2025, University of California Office of the President.
18
31
51
59
Higher than 94% of California high schools (980 ranked, ≥50 seniors)
LA Canada High School's UC Reach Score of 59 clears the statewide top-10% cutoff (51) — meaning roughly 59 top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, well above what most California schools achieve.
Against similar schools, LA Canada High School stands out clearly — the peer-group median is 31.
For context, the elite tier (top 1%) clears 97 — a gap of 38 pp from where this school sits.
Overall, LA Canada High School's UC Reach is higher than 94% of California high schools (980 ranked).
UC funnel — which kids are getting in at what GPA
Combining the school's applicant pool GPA, admit pool GPA, actual admit rate, and statewide CA admit rates by individual GPA band, we can read which GPA tiers tend to get in — and which don't.
| Campus | 4.00+ GPA | 3.70–3.99 GPA | 3.30–3.69 GPA | < 3.30 GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out | Filtered out |
| UCLA | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out | Filtered out |
| UC San Diego | Strong shot | Moderate | Long odds | Filtered out |
| UC Santa Barbara | Strong shot | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out |
| UC Irvine | Strong shot | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out |
| UC Davis | Strong shot | Strong shot | Real shot | Filtered out |
The numbers behind it
| Campus | Applicant GPA | Admit GPA | Lift ⓘ | Admit rate | vs peer schools @ same GPA ⓘ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 4.03 | 4.22 | +0.19 | 12.4% | Peers +0.21 · matches |
| UCLA | 3.98 | 4.28 | +0.30 | 10.0% | Peers +0.28 · matches |
| UC San Diego | 3.96 | 4.26 | +0.30 | 19.2% | Peers +0.29 · matches |
| UC Santa Barbara | 3.93 | 4.25 | +0.32 | 29.0% | Peers +0.30 · matches |
| UC Irvine | 3.93 | 4.12 | +0.18 | 12.8% | Peers +0.26 · wider |
| UC Davis | 3.93 | 4.18 | +0.25 | 29.9% | Peers +0.24 · matches |
📊 Statewide CA admit rates by individual GPA band, 2025 (for reference)
| GPA band | UCB | UCLA | UCSD | UCSB | UCI | UCD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.00+ | 17.0% | 15.1% | 45.2% | 62.3% | 46.3% | 65.9% |
| 3.70–3.99 | 3.1% | 1.6% | 9.3% | 17.6% | 17.0% | 31.1% |
| 3.30–3.69 | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 2.4% | 10.3% |
| 3.00–3.29 | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 1.9% |
| < 3.00 | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.7% |
Where LA Canada High School sits vs. all California schools ⓘ
Overall, this school admits its UC applicants in line with what their GPAs predict (18.6% actual vs. 21.0% expected).
UC Outcomes Trend — 2018–2025
Class size from CDE grade 12 enrollment. Campus-level data — applicant/admit totals may count a student at multiple campuses more than once.
Campus Breakdown — 2025
| Campus | Applicants | Admits | Enrollees | Admit Rate | UC Reach Score | Yield | Avg GPA (App) | Avg GPA (Adm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley → Elite | 170 | 21 | 7 | 12.4% | 6 | 33.3% | 4.03 | 4.22 |
| UCLA → Elite | 220 | 22 | 4 | 10.0% | 6 | 18.2% | 3.98 | 4.28 |
| UC San Diego → Selective | 208 | 40 | 8 | 19.2% | 11 | 20.0% | 3.96 | 4.26 |
| UC Santa Barbara → Selective | 210 | 61 | 9 | 29.0% | 17 | 14.8% | 3.93 | 4.25 |
| UC Irvine → Selective | 180 | 23 | 4 | 12.8% | 6 | 17.4% | 3.93 | 4.12 |
| UC Davis → | 147 | 44 | 5 | 29.9% | 12 | 11.4% | 3.93 | 4.18 |
What This Means
For School Admins
The full Reach Report for LA Canada High School
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 UC Reach Score (59) ranked head-to-head against your closest competitor schools
- ✓Your 5-year enrollment forecast (currently -0.6%/yr) with the revenue at stake
- ✓Student-retention benchmarking vs your county median — and the LCAP evidence to back your goals