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Highland High School

39055 25th Street West, Palmdale, CA 93551View on map

  • Public
  • Palmdale
  • 684 seniors
  • 2,725 students

Highland High School is a public high school in Palmdale (Antelope Valley Union High) with 684 seniors. In fall 2025, 76% of its 85 University of California applicants were admitted, compared with a county median of 76%. Its students applied most often to UC Los Angeles (UCLA), UC Irvine (UCI), and UC Riverside (UCR). 37% of the class of 2023 completed the A–G courses UC requires.

Year

UC admit rate

76%

65 of 85 applicants, fall 2025

County median 76%

Seniors admitted to a UC

10%

65 of 684 seniors

County median 30%

Seniors who applied to UC

12%

85 of 684 seniors

County median 37%

UC Los Angeles (UCLA) admit rate

7.9%

5 of 63 applicants, fall 2025

CA applicants 9.6%

UC Berkeley (Cal) admit rate

10%

4 of 39 applicants, fall 2025

CA applicants 13%

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

Highland High School applicants did better than all California applicants at 3 of 9 campuses, about the same at 4 and worse at 2.

  • Los AngelesAbout the same

    8%

    5 of 63 admitted

    This school8%All CA10%

    Admitted students' average GPA 4.10 (all applicants 3.77)

  • BerkeleyAbout the same

    10%

    4 of 39 admitted

    This school10%All CA13%

    Admitted students' average GPA — (all applicants 3.89)

  • Irvine7 pts higher

    29%

    16 of 55 admitted

    This school29%All CA22%

    Admitted students' average GPA 4.13 (all applicants 3.79)

  • San DiegoAbout the same

    28%

    13 of 46 admitted

    This school28%All CA25%

    Admitted students' average GPA 4.18 (all applicants 3.82)

  • Santa Barbara15 pts higher

    47%

    17 of 36 admitted

    This school47%All CA32%

    Admitted students' average GPA 4.10 (all applicants 3.69)

  • Davis4 pts higher

    41%

    12 of 29 admitted

    This school41%All CA37%

    Admitted students' average GPA 4.08 (all applicants 3.85)

  • Santa CruzAbout the same

    69%

    9 of 13 admitted

    This school69%All CA71%

    Admitted students' average GPA 3.81 (all applicants 3.54)

  • Riverside7 pts lower

    80%

    40 of 50 admitted

    This school80%All CA87%

    Admitted students' average GPA 3.88 (all applicants 3.70)

  • Merced6 pts lower

    90%

    28 of 31 admitted

    This school90%All CA96%

    Admitted students' average GPA 3.81 (all applicants 3.69)

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

Highland High School applicants did better than the campus overall at 1 of 4 campuses, about the same at 1 and worse at 2.

  • Long Beach9 pts lower

    38%

    24 of 63 admitted

    This school38%Overall47%

  • PomonaAbout the same

    72%

    13 of 18 admitted

    This school72%Overall74%

  • Fullerton7 pts higher

    94%

    30 of 32 admitted

    This school94%Overall87%

  • Northridge5 pts lower

    89%

    70 of 79 admitted

    This school89%Overall93%

  • Sacramento

    ~90% · 2 yrs pooled7 applied

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 (551 graduates), the latest published by fall 2025, within 12 months of graduating.

Any college

64%

351 of 551 graduates

UC or CSU

12%

65 graduates

Community college

47%

258 graduates

DestinationGraduatesShare
UC346%
CSU316%
CA private college31%
Out of state255%
Community college25847%
Not enrolled20036%
Enrolled in college35164%
Total551100%

How each student group compares

Compare college-going across student groups

  • Gender: Male, Female
  • Race & ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, White, Two or more races, Asian, Filipino
  • Student need: Low-income, Students with disabilities, English learners, Foster youth
See the full report

Advanced Placement

19

AP courses offered

2023–24 school year · US Dept. of Education Civil Rights Data Collection

41

AP class sections

Counts every section taught, so it is larger than the number of different AP courses.

25% of students are in AP courses

2024–25 school year · California School Accountability Report Card

32%

of graduating seniors passed at least two AP exams or courses

210 of 660 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)

8%

of graduating seniors scored 3 or higher on at least two AP exams

58 of 732 graduates

2023–24 school year · California Department of Education (College/Career Indicator)

Subject areas

  • English: 8 classes
  • Fine and performing arts: 2 classes
  • Foreign language: 3 classes
  • Mathematics: 6 classes
  • Science: 4 classes
  • Social science: 16 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 49%County median 57%
  • Juniors meeting the math standard 20%County median 27%
  • Juniors exceeding the English standard 17%County median 23%
  • Juniors exceeding the math standard 9%County median 11%
  • Low-income students 56%County median 86%
  • Graduates completing courses 37%County median 64%

Across California

Year
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Other schools in Antelope Valley Union High and nearby