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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NORTHERN HUMBOLDT UNION HIGH·NCES 060303000238

Arcata High

1720 M St., Arcata, CA 95521 · (707) 825-2400 · Humboldt County
GRADES 09–12HIGH33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,007 STUDENTS
Enrollment
1,007
High
DISTRICT 346 · STATE 838
Student : Teacher
19.0:1
53 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.4:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
40%
406 students
DISTRICT 51% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 926226%
Grade 1022422%
Grade 1125726%
Grade 1226426%
Student demographics
56%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 62% · US 70%
White
62862%
DISTRICT 58% · STATE 20% · US 43%
Hispanic
18318%
DISTRICT 17% · STATE 56% · US 30%
Black
151%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 5% · US 15%
Asian
313%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 12% · US 6%
Two+
10811%
DISTRICT 15% · STATE 6% · US 5%
Native American
343%
DISTRICT 5% · STATE 0% · US 1%
Pacific Islander
20%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 0%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
50350%
Female
49849%

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Test scores

CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standard
English Language Arts
65.7%
CA avg 49.1% . -11.3pp since 2014
Math
36.8%
CA avg 37.7% . -11.2pp since 2014

What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 66 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 37 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 11 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 11 points.

Performance levels, 2024-25

SubjectStandard ExceededStandard MetStandard Nearly MetStandard Not Met
English Language Arts28.9%36.8%18.2%16.1%
Math17.8%19.0%21.5%41.7%
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.

CAASPP results by year

School yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2024-2565.7%36.8%
2023-2460.9%36.8%
2022-2364.9%38.8%
2021-2260.0%32.8%
2020-2175.4%47.8%
2018-1974.5%37.8%
2017-1868.7%43.6%
2016-1771.9%46.5%
2015-1666.0%45.0%
2014-1577.0%48.0%
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
50.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
55.9%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.9pp
below demographic expectation

What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 56% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

Schools most like Arcata High

Arcata High's state test result (50.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Arcata High this school1,00740.3%50.0%
Sonora High
Sonora
88038.3%47.1%
Union Mine High
El Dorado
1,03337.3%44.4%
El Dorado High
Placerville
1,13538.0%46.7%
Petaluma High
Petaluma
1,19340.9%43.5%
Analy High
Sebastopol
1,47340.9%49.1%
Matched among California high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Arcata High ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn CaliforniaIn Humboldt County
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
50.0%#320 of 1,052#2 of 8
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
36.8%#317 of 1,056
▼ 27
#2 of 8
▼ 1
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
65.7%#343 of 1,056
▲ 78
#2 of 8
no change
3-year test score change
ranked biggest gain first
+4.8pp#353 of 1,044#2 of 8
Enrollment
ranked largest first
1,007#769 of 2,093#2 of 23
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
19.0:1#403 of 1,352#4 of 6
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
55.9%#520 of 1,351#4 of 6
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
40.3%#1,285 of 1,575#7 of 11
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked fastest growth first
+13.3%#88 of 327N/A
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
1,007
+65 (+7%) vs 2020
+24% since 1990-91, when it was 811
Student : Teacher
19.0:1
was 21.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-251,00752.919.0:140% (406)
2023-241,01152.619.2:139% (397)
2022-231,0525120.6:139% (407)
2020-219424421.4:136% (342)
2017-1888943.620.4:137% (333)
2015-168553822.5:131% (265)
2010-11809N/AN/A13% (102)
2000-011,1235321.2:110% (115)
1990-918113126.2:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Arcata High.

Since 2017-18: students up 13% (889 to 1,007); teachers up 21% (43.6 to 52.9).

About Arcata High

Arcata High is classified as a high school. It is located in Arcata, California. The school counted 1,007 students in 2024-25, covering grades 9 through 12. That puts enrollment 20% larger than the 838-student average for high schools in California.

Arcata High is among 5 schools run by Northern Humboldt Union High, which serves 1,731 students.

More than half of enrollment at Arcata High is White: 62%. Next come 18% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, 3% Native American, and 3% Asian. The county population is about 72% White. The diversity index for Arcata High is 56%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.

The school's 52.9 full-time-equivalent teachers translate to a student-to-teacher ratio of 19.0:1. High schools in California average 18.2:1, 0.8 fewer students per teacher than here. Income data for the school show 40% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. On average, public schools in Humboldt County report 60%.

The BeatsExpectations prediction for Arcata High is 55.9%, and its average proficiency rate across its state test results is 50.0%.

Five-year Census Bureau estimates for Humboldt County show that median household income comes to about $61,160, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 33% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 11%. The county's public schools total 92, with about 17,319 students.

Arcata High's closest public school neighbor is Six Rivers Charter High, less than a tenth of a mile away. The five-mile area around Arcata High holds at least 8 other public schools.

The federal government classifies Arcata High's location as Town: Remote.

The school grew from 942 students in 2020-21 to 1,007 in 2024-25. The student-to-teacher ratio went down from 21.4:1 to 19.0:1.

You can use this page to share news and ask questions about open houses, carpools, and field trips. You can also rate the school on this page.

Humboldt County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
134,541
Census ACS
Median income
$61,160
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
92
17,319 students

Quick facts

School name
Arcata High
District
Northern Humboldt Union High
Address
1720 M St., Arcata, CA 95521
Phone
(707) 825-2400
County
Humboldt County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
1,007
Teachers (FTE)
53
Student–teacher ratio
19.0:1
Free and reduced lunch
406 (40%)
Locale
33-Town: Remote
NCES ID
060303000238
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Northern Humboldt Union High
Other schools in Arcata
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Arcata High
What is the total enrollment at Arcata High?
Arcata High enrolls approximately 1,007 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Arcata High serve?
Arcata High serves grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at Arcata High?
Approximately 19.0:1 students per teacher at Arcata High.
What is the student diversity at Arcata High?
Student demographics at Arcata High are roughly 62% White, 18% Hispanic, 1% Black, 3% Asian, 11% Two or more.
Is Arcata High public or private?
Arcata High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Northern Humboldt Union High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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