El Capitan High School
100 West Farmland, Merced, CA 95348View on map
- Public
- Merced
- 461 seniors
- 1,852 students
El Capitan High School is a public high school in Merced (Merced Union High) with 461 seniors. In fall 2025, 92% of its 90 University of California applicants were admitted, compared with a county median of 88%. Its students applied most often to UC Merced, UC Davis (UCD), and UC Berkeley (Cal). 50% of the class of 2023 completed the A–G courses UC requires.
UC admit rate
92%
83 of 90 applicants, fall 2025
Seniors admitted to a UC
18%
83 of 461 seniors
Seniors who applied to UC
20%
90 of 461 seniors
UC Los Angeles (UCLA) admit rate
17%
6 of 35 applicants, fall 2025
UC Berkeley (Cal) admit rate
27%
11 of 41 applicants, fall 2025
Campus by campus, fall 2025
The share of this school's applicants each campus admitted, beside the campus's rate for everyone else. Hardest campus first.
University of California
El Capitan High School applicants did better than all California applicants at 6 of 9 campuses, about the same at 1 and worse at 2.
- Los Angeles8 pts higher
17%
6 of 35 admitted
This school17%All CA10%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.22 (all applicants 4.06)
- Berkeley13 pts higher
27%
11 of 41 admitted
This school27%All CA13%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.25 (all applicants 4.06)
- Irvine28 pts higher
50%
19 of 38 admitted
This school50%All CA22%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.19 (all applicants 3.97)
- San Diego7 pts lower
18%
6 of 34 admitted
This school18%All CA25%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.28 (all applicants 3.95)
- Santa Barbara7 pts higher
39%
16 of 41 admitted
This school39%All CA32%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.26 (all applicants 3.99)
- Davis25 pts higher
62%
34 of 55 admitted
This school62%All CA37%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.17 (all applicants 3.99)
- Santa Cruz8 pts higher
79%
31 of 39 admitted
This school79%All CA71%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.00 (all applicants 3.87)
- Riverside14 pts lower
73%
16 of 22 admitted
This school73%All CA87%
Admitted students' average GPA 4.16 (all applicants 3.91)
- MercedAbout the same
96%
81 of 84 admitted
This school96%All CA96%
Admitted students' average GPA 3.96 (all applicants 3.92)
Fall 2025. A student admitted to several campuses counts once at each one. All CA is the campus’s admit rate that fall for applicants from every California high school. Within 3 points counts as about the same. GPA is the UC-calculated GPA (weighted, capped).
California State University
El Capitan High School applicants did better than the campus overall at 1 of 5 campuses, about the same at 4.
- San Luis Obispo11 pts higher
41%
14 of 34 admitted
This school41%Overall30%
- SacramentoAbout the same
94%
50 of 53 admitted
This school94%Overall94%
- ChicoAbout the same
93%
27 of 29 admitted
This school93%Overall94%
- FresnoAbout the same
99%
72 of 73 admitted
This school99%Overall96%
- StanislausAbout the same
97%
56 of 58 admitted
This school97%Overall97%
Fall 2025. A student admitted to several campuses counts once at each one. Overall is the campus’s admit rate for all its applicants, from federal IPEDS data (fall 2023, the latest published). Within 3 points counts as about the same.
Where graduates go
Class of 2023 (411 graduates), the latest published by fall 2025, within 12 months of graduating.
Any college
51%
209 of 411 graduates
UC or CSU
19%
79 graduates
Community college
26%
106 graduates
| Destination | Graduates | Share |
|---|---|---|
| UC | 56 | 14% |
| CSU | 23 | 6% |
| CA private college | 9 | 2% |
| Out of state | 15 | 4% |
| Community college | 106 | 26% |
| Not enrolled | 202 | 49% |
| Enrolled in college | 209 | 51% |
| Total | 411 | 100% |
How each student group compares
Compare college-going across student groups
- Gender: Female, Male
- Race & ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino, White, Asian, Black or African American
- Student need: Low-income, English learners, Students with disabilities, Homeless
Advanced Placement
4
AP courses offered
2023–24 school year · US Dept. of Education Civil Rights Data Collection
24
AP class sections
Counts every section taught, so it is larger than the number of different AP courses.
20% of students are in AP courses
2024–25 school year · California School Accountability Report Card
31%
of graduating seniors passed at least two AP exams or courses
131 of 417 graduates
A score of 3 or higher on exams or a C- or better in courses. Not comparable with the exam-only share.
2025–26 school year · California Department of Education (College/Career Indicator)
7%
of graduating seniors scored 3 or higher on at least two AP exams
30 of 460 graduates
2023–24 school year · California Department of Education (College/Career Indicator)
Subject areas
- English: 6 classes
- Fine and performing arts: 4 classes
- Foreign language: 2 classes
- Mathematics: 7 classes
- Science: 2 classes
- Social science: 3 classes
Academic context
State test (CAASPP), juniors tested in 2026, and the share of low-income students. A–G is the class of 2023. The tick is the county median.
- Juniors meeting the English standard 48%County median 42%
- Juniors meeting the math standard 19%County median 15%
- Juniors exceeding the English standard 17%County median 15%
- Juniors exceeding the math standard 6%County median 5%
- Low-income students 77%County median 80%
- Graduates completing courses 50%County median 41%