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Public high school · Palm Springs Unified · Desert Hot Springs, California

Desert Hot Springs High

Desert Hot Springs High rates 5.0, below most Palm Springs Unified high schools, whose rated median is 6.4.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.0this school

5.0 on a one-to-ten scale; the Palm Springs Unified median is 6.4.

#7,712 of 9,557 schools in California · Palm Springs Unified: 5 high schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Palm Springs Unified high school where students score 8 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 7,712 of 9,557 schools in California and 22 of 27 in Palm Springs Unified.

Desert Hot Springs High is listed in Palm Springs Unified, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math12%22 points below the California average of 34%2025 CAASPP
Reading47%6 points below the California average of 53%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 10 points since 2020, to 29% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 34 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
1.8
25% of the rating
Academics
6.5
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.3
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.5
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 22% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 44% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 92240; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Desert Hot Springs High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$51,284
Median home value
$294,200
Median rent
$1,367/mo
College educated
15.3%
Homeownership
55.7%
Poverty rate
18.9%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92240; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
16
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
33
Some Transit
Bike Score
40
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,523/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Desert Hot Springs. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Desert Hot Springs), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
3 AP courses
12.5% participation · state average 2.6 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
16 sports
8 boys' · 8 girls' · 26 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
96.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Desert Hot Springs High serve?

Desert Hot Springs High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Desert Hot Springs High?

Desert Hot Springs High has an enrollment of approximately 1,718 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Hot Springs High?

The student-teacher ratio at Desert Hot Springs High is 19.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Desert Hot Springs High rank in CA?

Desert Hot Springs High ranks #7,712 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Desert Hot Springs High's MySchoolScout rating?

Desert Hot Springs High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Desert Hot Springs High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Hot Springs High has 22% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Desert Hot Springs High a charter school?

No, Desert Hot Springs High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Desert Hot Springs High a Title I school?

No, Desert Hot Springs High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Desert Hot Springs High?

96.9% of students at Desert Hot Springs High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
1,718
Student-teacher ratio
19.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
87
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Fringe Town
County
Riverside County
4-year graduation
83.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#22 of 27
Schools in district
28
District spending per student
$20,811
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
13.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92240)
40,918
Area average commute
29.1 min
Area median age
35.6

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.