1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at Sweetwater High right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,290
High
DISTRICT 1,402 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SWEETWATER UNION HIGH·NCES 063864006495
Sweetwater High
2900 Highland Ave., National City, CA 91950 · (619) 474-9700 · San Diego County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL2,290 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 33% of California public high schools
- C-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- BThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public high schools
Student : Teacher
25.3:1
90 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 19.0:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
89%
2,042 students
DISTRICT 61% · 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
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 374 | 16% |
| Grade 10 | 668 | 29% |
| Grade 11 | 584 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 664 | 29% |
Student demographics
39%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 47% · STATE 62% · US 70%
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
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
40.6%
CA avg 49.1% . -11.4pp since 2014
Math
18.1%
CA avg 37.7% . -2.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 41 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 18 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 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 14.1% | 26.5% | 28.0% | 31.4% |
| Math | 3.9% | 14.2% | 22.4% | 59.6% |
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 year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 40.6% | 18.1% |
| 2023-24 | 44.1% | 11.1% |
| 2022-23 | 28.1% | 8.4% |
| 2021-22 | 38.0% | 12.7% |
| 2020-21 | 49.8% | 25.6% |
| 2018-19 | 56.0% | 24.4% |
| 2017-18 | 52.0% | 17.9% |
| 2016-17 | 53.0% | 19.3% |
| 2015-16 | 54.0% | 23.0% |
| 2014-15 | 52.0% | 21.0% |
% 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 · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
28.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
27.3%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 28% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 27% 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 Sweetwater High
Sweetwater High's state test result (28.5% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater High this school | 2,290 | 89.2% | 28.5% |
| Magnolia High Anaheim | 1,608 | 90.7% | 37.4% |
| Van Nuys Senior High Van Nuys | 1,969 | 85.0% | 44.4% |
| Central Valley High Ceres | 2,317 | 87.4% | 37.4% |
| Santiago High Garden Grove | 1,664 | 92.1% | 40.3% |
| Western High Anaheim | 1,446 | 89.9% | 31.7% |
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 Sweetwater High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 28.5% | #842 of 1,052 | #62 of 70 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 18.1% | #732 of 1,056 ▲ 156 | #59 of 70 ▲ 6 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 40.6% | #889 of 1,056 ▼ 98 | #64 of 70 ▼ 7 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.0pp | #400 of 1,044 | #31 of 70 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,290 | #165 of 2,093 | #13 of 135 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 25.3:1 | #1,240 of 1,352 | #84 of 96 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.6% | #870 of 1,351 | #81 of 97 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 89.2% | #329 of 1,575 | #14 of 112 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -16.4% | #255 of 802 | #19 of 57 |
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 2024-25Enrollment
2,290
-519 (-18%) vs 2020
+29% since 1990-91, when it was 1,779
Student : Teacher
25.3:1
was 24.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2,290 | 90.4 | 25.3:1 | 89% (2,042) |
| 2023-24 | 2,425 | 99.6 | 24.4:1 | 89% (2,170) |
| 2022-23 | 2,679 | 108.3 | 24.7:1 | 89% (2,380) |
| 2020-21 | 2,809 | 114 | 24.6:1 | 76% (2,135) |
| 2017-18 | 2,739 | 112 | 24.4:1 | 82% (2,245) |
| 2015-16 | 2,698 | 101 | 26.7:1 | 80% (2,153) |
| 2010-11 | 2,440 | N/A | N/A | 96% (2,352) |
| 2000-01 | 2,535 | 105 | 24.1:1 | 65% (1,660) |
| 1990-91 | 1,779 | 68 | 26.2:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Sweetwater High.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (2,739 to 2,290); teachers down 19% (112 to 90.4).
About Sweetwater High
In National City, California, part of San Diego County, Sweetwater High is a high school. The school enrolls 2,290 students in grades 9 through 12. That compares with an average of about 838 students for high schools in California.
Sweetwater Union High (28 schools, 33,517 students) runs Sweetwater High.
Federal enrollment data show Sweetwater High is 77% Hispanic. Other groups make up 13% Asian and 7% White. San Diego County as a whole is about 35% Hispanic, so the school's share is higher. A diversity index of 39% means there is a 39% chance two randomly chosen students at Sweetwater High are from different groups.
Classroom staffing at Sweetwater High totals 90.4 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 25.3:1. The average for high schools in California, 18.2:1, is lower. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility at Sweetwater High is about 89%. It compares with 54% for public schools in San Diego County.
Sweetwater High holds a C allk12 Grade, placing it above 33% of California public high schools.
The model predicts 27.3% for a school in California with Sweetwater High's free or reduced-price lunch share. Sweetwater High posts 28.5%.
The school's county is San Diego County. According to Census Bureau estimates, the median household earns about $106,268 a year, roughly 43% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in San Diego County number 766, with about 467,437 students.
A public school about 0.2 miles away, Olivewood, is the closest to Sweetwater High. Sweetwater High has at least 8 other public schools within five miles. The school's 28.5% average proficiency ranks 4th among 7 nearby schools.
Its NCES locale code is Suburb: Large: the school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
An 18% decline took enrollment from 2,809 in 2020-21 to 2,290 in 2024-25.
People who know Sweetwater High can post here about open houses, carpools, and field trips. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
San Diego County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,288,774
Census ACS
Median income
$106,268
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
766
467,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Sweetwater Union High
- Eastlake HighHigh · 2,557 students
- Otay Ranch Senior HighHigh · 2,440 students
- Olympian HighHigh · 2,289 students
- Bonita Vista Senior HighHigh · 1,960 students
- San Ysidro HighHigh · 1,941 students
- Chula Vista Senior HighHigh · 1,864 students
Other schools in National City
- San Diego Workforce Innovation HighHigh · 2,722 students
- Granger Junior HighMiddle · 724 students
- National City MiddleMiddle · 709 students
- Central ElementaryElementary · 477 students
- Las PalmasElementary · 458 students
- OlivewoodElementary · 424 students
Other Sweetwater High schools
3 other US public schools in 4 states are named Sweetwater High. Sweetwater High is the largest of the 4.
- Sweetwater High SchoolSweetwater, TN · 610 students
- Sweetwater High SchoolSWEETWATER, TX · 553 students
- Sweetwater High SchoolSweetwater, OK · 30 students
Nearby schools
- Olivewood0.2 mi · 424
- John A. Otis Elementary0.7 mi · 367
- National City Middle0.7 mi · 709
- Kimball0.9 mi · 322
- Las Palmas1.0 mi · 458
- Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter1.2 mi · 1,321
Frequently asked questions
About Sweetwater HighHow many students attend Sweetwater High?
Sweetwater High enrolls approximately 2,290 students in grades 09-12.
Is Sweetwater High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Sweetwater High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Sweetwater High have?
Sweetwater High employs 90 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 25.3:1.
What is the student diversity at Sweetwater High?
Student demographics at Sweetwater High are roughly 7% White, 77% Hispanic, 1% Black, 13% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees Sweetwater High?
Sweetwater High is overseen by Sweetwater Union High in San Diego County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.