Middle College High vs School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex

Middle College High and School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex sit 9.3 miles apart in Los Angeles, yet their overall ratings are separated by just 0.2 points — 9.3/10 for Middle College High versus 9.1/10 for Contreras Business and Tourism. The state rank gap is wider: Middle College High places #80 of 9,533 California schools, while School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex ranks #183 of 9,533 — still an exceptional placement for both schools, but a meaningful 103-position spread when families are choosing between them.

The sharpest divergence is academic score. Middle College High posts a 9.6/10 versus School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex's 8.6/10 — a full point separating the two. That is a meaningful proficiency delta for a family weighing post-secondary readiness. Growth scores, however, are identical: both schools earn a 9.9/10, signaling that students at each campus make exceptional year-over-year gains regardless of starting point. Contreras Business and Tourism matches or surpasses Middle College High in the rate at which it moves students forward academically.

Enrollment is nearly identical — Middle College High at 353 students, Contreras Business and Tourism at 358 — but the student-teacher ratio tells a different story. Contreras Business and Tourism runs at 17.9:1 versus Middle College High's 22.1:1, giving students roughly four additional adults per 100 peers. The free and reduced-price lunch rate also diverges sharply: Middle College High serves 87% of students who qualify, while School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex serves 99% — indicating a student body with a higher concentration of economic need and suggesting the school has built strong infrastructure around supporting those families.

Both schools serve grades 9–12 only and sit within the same Los Angeles Unified district. School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex is a themed pathway school, positioning students toward business and hospitality careers through a focused curriculum. Middle College High, by design, integrates college coursework into the high school experience, making it a dual-enrollment model aimed at accelerating students toward higher education from day one.