Location: San Diego, CA
Are you a student or parent at Health Sciences High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?
We've written the best guide to Health Sciences High available. Here we'll cover:
- Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
- How safe Health Sciences High is to attend
- SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Health Sciences High students
- Which AP/IB classes you can take at Health Sciences High
- Every sports team you can join at Health Sciences High
Let's get started!
Basic Information
Health Sciences High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in San Diego, CA in San Diego County.
Based on its location, Health Sciences High is classified as a school in a large city. Here's the location on a map:
Contact Information
Mailing address:
Health Sciences High School3910 University Ave., Ste. 100 San Diego, CA 92105-7302
Phone number: 6195289070
Health Sciences High School homepage: http://hshmc.org/
Principal: Sheri JohnsonEmail the principal: [email protected]
Student Demographics
Student Enrollment
The total enrollment at Health Sciences High School is 544 students, making it a somewhat large high school, in the top half of all California high schools by size.
As a mid-sized high school, Health Sciences High strikes the balance between size and comfort. There will be enough students to provide a diversity of experiences, like clubs and sports, for you to join. But it'll be small enough that you'll likely get to know most people in your class.
Growth in Student Body Size
Is Health Sciences High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.
From our calculations, the enrollment at Health Sciences High has increased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.
| Male Students | Female Students | All Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | 58 | 84 | 142 |
| 10th grade | 56 | 78 | 134 |
| 11th grade | 40 | 100 | 140 |
| 12th grade | 46 | 82 | 128 |
As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 14 students larger than the senior class. This suggests that the school is growing in size and taking on more students.
There are a few reasons this could be happening. The city of San Diego could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Health Sciences High. Alternatively, Health Sciences High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.
Gender Split
Are there more boys or girls at Health Sciences High School?
From our statistics, Health Sciences High has a 37:63 split between male and female students in the high school grades.
There is a large female majority at Health Sciences High, and the imbalance is greater than you would expect from the general population in San Diego County. As a result, it'll feel like there are a lot more girls than boys in your classes.
Sometimes this imbalance can result from random chance and may not suggest anything about Health Sciences High. In other cases, the school might preferentially select for females (if it has its own admissions criteria), or parents with female kids might prefer to send them to Health Sciences High. In yet other cases, other neighboring schools might attract male students, drawing them away from Health Sciences High.
If this gender imbalance is a concern for you, we suggest contacting Health Sciences High administration and asking if they have any thoughts about why there's a female majority. Their phone number is 6195289070.
Ethnicity Breakdown
What's the racial diversity at Health Sciences High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?
From our statistics, Health Sciences High has a somewhat homogenous student body, with the majority of students identifying as one ethnicity, but not representing over 70% of the student body. Most schools in California fit this profile, so Health Sciences High isn't out of the ordinary. Most students attending class with you will be of the predominant ethnicity, but there will be meaningful diversity from other races.
The majority of students at Health Sciences High are Hispanic. In California, Hispanic students make up the majority of all students at 51.5%, and are thus the most common ethnicity. Predominantly Hispanic schools are the most common type of homogenous school, and Health Sciences High fits within this category.
| Percentage | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0 |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0 |
| Hispanic | 53.4% | 291 |
| Black | 0.0% | 0 |
| White | 0.0% | 0 |
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0 |
| Two or more races | 46.5% | 253 |
High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of San Diego. If you'd like to see how other nearby schools look in diversity, just google "[name of school] prepscholar" to find our guide to that specific school.
Income Level of Health Sciences High Families
What are the family incomes of students at Health Sciences High School? To determine this, we look at the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, a classification by the US federal government.
To qualify for a reduced price meal, family income needs to be below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $45,000 or below.
To qualify for a free meal, family income needs to be below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $32,000 or below.
The lower the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals, the higher the income levels are likely to be.
At Health Sciences High, 11.5% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 54.4% qualify for free lunches.
This means Health Sciences High has a moderate percentage of students at or near poverty. About half of all schools in California show this level of poverty or greater. The income level of families in San Diego is likely to be relatively low.
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-price lunches | 63 | 11.5% |
| Free lunches | 296 | 54.4% |
| Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches | 185 | 34.0% |
As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in San Diego and doesn't speak much about the school itself.
Health Sciences High is in the middle 50% of schools by income level. Generally, higher income level schools are better-funded and have a higher quality range of classes and activities. Health Sciences High is likely in the middle of the pack in this regard and will give you a good set of options to try.
If you have any interests that Health Sciences High doesn't cover, look to your local community for activities, or to the Internet for self-study AP classes.
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
School Safety
How safe is Health Sciences High School to attend? Can you expect a lot of conflict as a student here?
To study this, we look at disciplinary data for two types of incidents at Health Sciences High: referrals to law enforcement (when incidents are reported to police), and arrests.
These are the most serious disciplinary actions available to school administration and are more severe than suspensions or expulsions. Suspensions are often discretionary and can be given just for being disruptive in class. In contrast, law enforcement referrals and arrests often indicate incidents that put the safety of other Health Sciences High students at risk.
In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 0 referrals to law enforcement, and 0 school-related arrests. This is out of a total enrollment of 526 students.
To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.
Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:
San Diego Unified School District Safety
| School Name | Total Referred | Total Arrests | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Ranch High | 25 | 25 | 2374 |
| Charter School Of San Diego | 4 | 4 | 2194 |
| Clairemont High | 10 | 10 | 1238 |
| Garfield High | 2 | 2 | 320 |
| Henry High | 20 | 20 | 2512 |
| Hoover High | 37 | 37 | 2015 |
Academic Performance
Now we get to a major aspect of assessing a high school: academic performance. How good of an education will you get at Health Sciences High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?
We've compiled everything we could find about Health Sciences High's academics here.
Standardized Testing
Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Health Sciences High School students. These are tests that are administered to large populations of students for comparison purposes.
Let’s start by taking a look at the data for nationally administered standardized tests.
SAT Scores
As you probably know, the SAT is a critical test used for college admissions. The higher the score you get, the better your academic performance compared to students nationwide, and the easier it is to get into top colleges.
We did in-depth research and found the average Health Sciences High School SAT scores.
The average composite SAT score is a 1330 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 146 at Health Sciences High take the SAT.
This is a below-average SAT score, putting Health Sciences High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 21% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Health Sciences High may offer a somewhat lacking high school education, compared to schools with higher SAT averages.
Note, however, that an average is just an average - top performers will still be able to impress. If you work hard and get an SAT score well above Health Sciences High's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.
Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:
Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)
| Source | Critical Reading | Math | Writing | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Sciences High | 457 | 441 | 434 | 1330 |
| California | 498 | 510 | 496 | 1504 |
| United States | 495 | 511 | 484 | 1490 |
Note that the SAT has since changed to a 1600 scale, but the trends above for your high school are likely to continue. Just use this guide to convert between the old 2400 scale and the new 1600 scale.
To learn more about SAT percentile rankings, read our guide on what SAT percentiles really mean.
How good is 1330 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1330 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1330 or any other SAT score!
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
ACT Scores
In California, the ACT is less popular than the SAT. Fewer students take the ACT, and typically these students are more motivated and academically prepared for college. Therefore, it's harder to compare Health Sciences High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.
At Health Sciences High, the average ACT composite score was 18, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 13 out of 544 total students take the ACT.
This is below average performance, putting Health Sciences High in the bottom 50% of California high schools. Most students who take the ACT are below the national average.
Since the ACT tests what you learn in school, this is a pretty strong indicator that you'll get an average or below average education at Health Sciences High.
Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Health Sciences High compared to California and the US:
Average ACT Scores
| Source | English | Math | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Sciences High | 18 | 21 | 18 | 18 |
| California | 21.8 | 22.8 | 22.3 | 21.7 |
| United States | 20.3 | 20.9 | 21.3 | 20.8 |
Scores provided are for the 2013-14 school year.
Find out more about percentile rankings and the ACT in this article.
Every individual is different. What counts as a good ACT score for you? Learn more with this article!
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
State Tests
As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Health Sciences High School must take standardized tests in English/Language Arts and Math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These align with the new Common Core standards and are called the "Smarter Balanced" tests.
If Health Sciences High students meet or exceed state standards, they're academically prepared to graduate high school and go to college. Specifically, we care about the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards. The larger this number, the higher the preparation of students at Health Sciences High.
English/Language Arts
At Health Sciences High School, 39% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.
This is considered below average and puts Health Sciences High in the bottom 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. The majority of Health Sciences High students do not pass state standards, and only a small percentage pass.
This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the Common Core is new, the pass rate at Health Sciences High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Health Sciences High's below average standing among California high schools.
English/Language Arts Test Results (2015)
Read more about what’s measured in each ELA area score here.
Math
The other major test taken for state assessments is Math. Across the state, Math performance is generally lower than English/Language Arts performance, so it's natural for this number to be lower.
At Health Sciences High School, 14% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Health Sciences High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Health Sciences High students don't meet state standards, and only a small percentage pass.
Math Test Results (2015)
Read more about what’s measured in each Math area score, go here.
Sports Teams
Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Health Sciences High School. Sports are an integral part of many students' high school experiences. The more sports that are available, and the more levels supported (Frosh, JV, Varsity), the more likely you'll be able to participate in a sport at Health Sciences High.
By the way, the Health Sciences High mascot is the Surgeons. Go Surgeons!
Health Sciences High School fields 7 teams for girls' sports. This is a low number that puts Health Sciences High in the bottom 25% of California schools that offer girls' sports. This is understandable - sports teams are expensive to support, and many schools would rather support other programs with their limited resources. If you play a sport that Health Sciences High doesn't field a team for, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
And now for the boys: Health Sciences High School fields 10 teams for boys' sports. This relatively number puts Health Sciences High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Sports teams are expensive to support, and Health Sciences High may not be able to offer the full range of options. If you participate in a sport that Health Sciences High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
| Boys Teams | Girls Teams |
|---|---|
| Basketball
Var
JV
|
Basketball
Var
JV
|
| Golf
Var
|
|
| Tennis
Var
|
Tennis
Var
|
| Wrestling
Var
|
|
| Volleyball
Var
|
Volleyball
Var
JV
|
| Trackfield
Var
|
|
| Crosscountry
Var
|
Crosscountry
Var
|
| Soccer
Var
JV
|
Soccer
Var
|
What’s Next?
Want to get more useful information about high school classes and preparing for colleges? Our blog has a ton of articles and advice on topics ranging from coursework and GPA to letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and much more!
Ready to bulk up your schedule and maximize your college preparedness? Read all about the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
Not quite in high school yet, but eager to get started? We've also got information for younger students interested in advanced learning opportunities, both in and out of school.
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Sources
The data on this page is drawn from a variety of sources, including (but not limited to):
- National Center for Educational Statistics CCD 2013-2014
- "Free or reduced price lunch: A proxy for poverty?", NCES Blog
- CRDC 2011-2012 school year data
- California Department of Education SAT, ACT, and AP Test Results
- California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System Results
- IBO.org