Enrollment & Outcomes Scorecard
Palm Desert High School
Public · Palm Desert · Riverside County · 2,107 students · Class of 2025
UC Reach Score · Class of 2025
29
Around the CA median
near the state median
Higher than 73% of California high schools
+12.4 pp above peer median (17)
· Ranked #1 of 11 similar schools
5-year UC Reach Score
2021 · 12
2025 · 29
+7%
Senior-class enrollment (2018–2026)
+10.0 pp
vs. Riverside County baseline (-3%)
~2160
5-yr projected enrollment (+0.8%/yr)
- ▸On UC Reach Score, Palm Desert High School sits near the top of its similar-school group (ranked #1 of 11): 29 vs. a peer median of 17.
- ▸Its UC Reach Score has risen 8 points since 2018.
- ▸Across the top-6 UC campuses, Palm Desert High School is admitting at roughly +9 percentage points above what its average applicant GPA (3.925) alone would predict (30% actual vs. 21% 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 7% (468→502 from 2018 to 2026), outpacing the peer-group median of -11%.
- ▸Enrollment has been growing (+0.8%/yr); projects to ~2160 by 2029.
Most similar nearby schools
| School | Type | UC Reach Score | Enroll. |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Quinta High School | Public | 18 | -1% |
| Indio High School | Public | 17 | +18% |
| Shadow Hills High School | Public | 12 | -23% |
| Coachella Valley High School | Public | 16 | -17% |
| Rancho Mirage High School | Public | 10 | -14% |
| Cathedral City High School | Public | 25 | -28% |
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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