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Schools›California›Costa Mesa
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED·NCES 062724011702

Early College High

2990 Mesa Verde Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 · (714) 424-7990 · Orange County
GRADES 09–12HIGH12-CITYTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL177 STUDENTS
Enrollment
177
High
DISTRICT 1,038 · STATE 838
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
12 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.9:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
65%
115 students
DISTRICT 54% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Grade 9
34
Grade 10
49
Grade 11
42
Grade 12
52
Student demographics
White
4827%
DISTRICT 39% · STATE 20%
Hispanic
10559%
DISTRICT 46% · STATE 56%
Black
11%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 5%
Asian
148%
DISTRICT 6% · STATE 12%
Two+
74%
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 6%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
7844%
Female
9755%

Discussions

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Test scores

CAASPP 2023-24 . % met or exceeded standard
English Language Arts
92.3%
own-school result
Math
65.4%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Not computed for this school
BeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
177
-26 (-13%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
14.9:1
was 19.9:1
% White
27%
was 21%
% Hispanic
59%
was 67%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
8%
was 7%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About Early College High

Early College High is a very small four-year high school in Costa Mesa, California, operated by Newport-Mesa Unified. The school serves 177 students in grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 79% below the state mean of about 838.

Newport-Mesa Unified runs 31 schools in total, collectively educating 17,540 students. Early College High is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Early College High logs that 59% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest looks like 27% White, 8% Asian, 4% multiracial. By comparison, Orange County as a whole is about 34% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Early College High has 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.9:1. The state averages around 18.2:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 65% of students at Early College High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of Orange County's rate of about 55%.

Around the school, Orange County reports that the typical household earns roughly $116,289 per year, about 44% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Orange County runs 649 public schools (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students), of which Early College High is one.

The closest other public school is Adams Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Early College High has decreased 13%, going from 203 students in 2018 to 177 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share edged down from 67% to 59%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 19.9:1 in 2018 to 14.9:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Early College High typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.

Orange County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
3,165,820
Census ACS
Median income
$116,289
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
649
430,458 students

Quick facts

School name
Early College High
District
Newport-Mesa Unified
Address
2990 Mesa Verde Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone
(714) 424-7990
County
Orange County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
177
Teachers (FTE)
12
Student–teacher ratio
14.9:1
Free/Reduced lunch
115 (65%)
Locale
12-City: Mid-size
NCES ID
062724011702
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Newport-Mesa Unified
Other schools in Costa Mesa
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Early College High
What is the total enrollment at Early College High?
Early College High enrolls approximately 177 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Early College High serve?
Early College High serves grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Early College High have?
Early College High employs 12 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.9:1.
What is the student diversity at Early College High?
Student demographics at Early College High are roughly 27% White, 59% Hispanic, 1% Black, 8% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Early College High?
Early College High is overseen by Newport-Mesa Unified in Orange County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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