Public School Review - Established 2003

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School vs. Mira Costa High School

Should you attend Palos Verdes Peninsula High School or Mira Costa High School? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, test scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.

School Overview

School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
27118 Silver Spur Rd.
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
: 
10/
10
Top 5%
Mira Costa High School
1401 Artesia Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
: 
9/
10
Top 20%
Top Rankings

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in California for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 5%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 5%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 5%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 20%)

Mira Costa High School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in California for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 10%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 10%)
Overview
Serving 2,290 students in grades 9-12, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School ranks in the top 5% of all schools in California for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 5%, and reading proficiency is top 5%).
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 74% (which is higher than the California state average of 33%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 82% (which is higher than the California state average of 47%).
The student:teacher ratio of 24:1 is higher than the California state level of 22:1.
Minority enrollment is 65% of the student body (majority Asian), which is lower than the California state average of 79% (majority Hispanic).
Serving 2,497 students in grades 9-12, Mira Costa High School ranks in the top 20% of all schools in California for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 20%, and reading proficiency is top 20%).
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 60% (which is higher than the California state average of 33%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 74% (which is higher than the California state average of 47%).
The student:teacher ratio of 23:1 is higher than the California state level of 22:1.
Minority enrollment is 40% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is lower than the California state average of 79% (majority Hispanic).
Blue Ribbon Schools
Yes
-
Grades Offered
9-12
9-12
Total Students
2,290 students
2,497 students
This chart displays total students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays total students of Mira Costa High School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Male | % Female
51% | 49%
51% | 49%
This chart displays gender of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
This chart displays gender of Mira Costa High School
Total Classroom Teachers
96 teachers
107 teachers
This chart displays the total teachers of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the total teachers of Mira Costa High School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
24:1
23:1
This chart displays the student teacher ratio of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the public school average student teacher ratio of California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the student teacher ratio of Mira Costa High School and the public school average student teacher ratio of California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Test Scores

#344 out of 9602 schools in CA
(Top 5%)
#978 out of 9602 schools in CA
(Top 20%)
This chart displays the overall school rank of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
This chart displays the overall school rank of Mira Costa High School, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
74%
(Top 5% in CA)
60%
(Top 20% in CA)
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Mira Costa High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
82%
(Top 5% in CA)
74%
(Top 10% in CA)
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Mira Costa High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
69%
(Top 5% in CA)
n/a
98%
(Top 5% in CA)
97%
(Top 10% in CA)
This chart displays graduation rate of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and public school graduation rate of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
This chart displays graduation rate of Mira Costa High School and public school graduation rate of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Grade

Students by Grade
This chart displays the students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School by grade.
This chart displays the students of Mira Costa High School by grade.
Grade 9 Students
566
640
Grade 10 Students
611
643
Grade 11 Students
567
633
Grade 12 Students
546
581

Students by Ethnicity

% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
40%
10%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of Asian public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of Asian public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hispanic
13%
14%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Black
3%
2%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of Black public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of Black public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% White
35%
60%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of White public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of White public school students in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of Hawaiian public school students in California by year, with the latest 2010-11 school year data.
% Two or more races
9%
14%
This chart displays the percentage of students of two or more races in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of students of two or more races in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
0.70
0.60
This chart displays the diversity score of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the public school average diversity score of California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the diversity score of Mira Costa High School and the public school average diversity score of California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Additional Information

Eligible for Free Lunch
9%
6%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in California by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
1%
(19-20 School Year Data)
1%
(19-20 School Year Data)
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in California by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Mira Costa High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in California by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
 
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