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Public high school · Desert Sands Unified · La Quinta, California

La Quinta High

La Quinta High rates 6.7, above the middle of Desert Sands Unified's high schools, whose rated median is 5.8.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.7this school

6.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Desert Sands Unified median is 5.8.

#4,048 of 9,557 schools in California · Desert Sands Unified: 6 high schools rated, median 5.8

The brief

A Desert Sands Unified high school where students score 12 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 4,048 of 9,557 schools in California and 10 of 33 in Desert Sands Unified.

La Quinta High is listed in Desert Sands 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.

Math30%4 points below the California average of 34%2025 CAASPP
Reading64%11 points above the California average of 53%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is down 17 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 47% recently.2025 CAASPP; 34 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.4
25% of the rating
Academics
8.2
25% of the rating
College Readiness
7.2
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.0
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 43% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 67% (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 92253; 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.
La Quinta 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
$97,397
Median home value
$612,800
Median rent
$1,741/mo
College educated
38.9%
Homeownership
74.8%
Poverty rate
9.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92253; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
42
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
36
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,841/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for La Quinta. 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 (La Quinta), 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 · IB Programme
8.5% participation · state average 2.6 AP courses · 494 IB enrolled · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
22 sports
11 boys' · 11 girls' · 43 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
73.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Horizon1.8 mi
    7.3Compare →
  2. La Quinta Highthis school
    6.7
  3. 6.2Compare →
  4. 6.0Compare →
  5. 5.7Compare →
  6. 5.5Compare →
  7. 4.0Compare →
  8. not ratedCompare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and one rates higher than La Quinta High among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

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

The public record

What's said publicly about La Quinta High

Sources:Wikipedia

Synthesized from public, attributable sources. Updated April 2026.

La Quinta High School (LQHS) is a public high school located in Westminster, Orange County, California 2. It is one of seven high schools within the Garden Grove Unified School District 2.
Sources (1)
  1. en.wikipedia.org
Generated by AI from public sources. Every claim is grounded in a cited source.Report inaccuracy

Questions families ask

What grades does La Quinta High serve?

La Quinta High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend La Quinta High?

La Quinta High has an enrollment of approximately 2,488 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at La Quinta High?

The student-teacher ratio at La Quinta High is 25.6:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does La Quinta High rank in CA?

La Quinta High ranks #4,048 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is La Quinta High's MySchoolScout rating?

La Quinta High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 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 La Quinta High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, La Quinta High has 43% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 67% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is La Quinta High a charter school?

No, La Quinta High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is La Quinta High a Title I school?

No, La Quinta High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for La Quinta High?

73.4% of students at La Quinta 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
2,488
Student-teacher ratio
25.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
97
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Riverside County
4-year graduation
95.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#10 of 33
Schools in district
35
District spending per student
$17,070
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.6%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92253)
38,281
Area average commute
26.3 min
Area median age
52.1

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.