Marina High School: Full Guide

Location: Marina, CA

Are you a student or parent at Marina High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?

We've written the best guide to Marina High available. Here we'll cover:

Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
How safe Marina High is to attend
SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Marina High students
Which AP/IB classes you can take at Marina High
Every sports team you can join at Marina High

Let's get started!

Basic Information

Marina High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Marina, CA in Monterey County.

Based on its location, Marina High is classified as a school in a midsize suburb. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Marina High School
298 Patton Pkwy.
Marina, CA 93933

Phone number: 8315832060

Marina High School homepage: https://mahs-mpusd-ca.schoolloop.com/

Principal: Joseph Williams
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at Marina High School is 576 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, Marina 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 Marina High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.

From our calculations, the enrollment at Marina 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
9^th grade	86	67	153
10^th grade	87	48	135
11^th grade	81	58	139
12^th grade	72	77	149

As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 4 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 Marina could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Marina High. Alternatively, Marina High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at Marina High School?

From our statistics, Marina High has a 57:43 split between male and female students in the high school grades.

There is a large male majority at Marina High, and much more than you would expect from the general population in Monterey 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 Marina High. In other cases, the school might preferentially select for males. For example, in our data we find that continuation high schools unfortunately seem to be male-dominated. In yet other cases, other neighboring schools might attract female students, drawing them away from Marina High.

If the male majority is concerning to you, we suggest contacting Marina High administration and asking if they have any thoughts about why there's a gender imbalance. Their phone number is 8315832060.

Ethnicity Breakdown

What's the racial diversity at Marina High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?

From our statistics, Marina High has a diverse student body. No single ethnicity composes more than 50% of all students, which means you'll be surrounded by a diverse set of students in class. Only a third of California schools show this much diversity.

The most common ethnicity at Marina High is Hispanic. In California, 51.5% of all students are Hispanic, making it the most common ethnicity. Even though Marina High is relatively diverse, students of Hispanic descent are the most common ethnicity here.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.6%	4
Asian	15.4%	89
Hispanic	48.6%	280
Black	6.5%	38
White	19.9%	115
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	3.9%	23
Two or more races	4.6%	27

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Marina. 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 Marina High Families

What are the family incomes of students at Marina 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 Marina High, 16.1% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 47.3% qualify for free lunches.

This means Marina 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 Marina is likely to be relatively low.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	93	16.1%
Free lunches	273	47.3%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	210	36.4%

As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Marina and doesn't speak much about the school itself.

Marina 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. Marina 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 Marina High doesn't cover, look to your local community for activities, or to the Internet for self-study AP classes.

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your SAT score by 160 points? image description

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 Marina 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 Marina 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 Marina 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 2824 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:

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Total Arrests	Enrollment
Central Coast High	8	4	143
Monterey High	7	9	1250
Seaside High	2	8	1039
Learning For Life Charter	0	0	135
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Communi	0	4	15

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 Marina High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

We've compiled everything we could find about Marina High's academics here.

Standardized Testing

Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Marina 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 Marina High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1390 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 88 at Marina High take the SAT.

This is a below-average SAT score, putting Marina High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 30% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Marina 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 Marina 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
Marina High	470	470	454	1390
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 1390 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1390 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1390 or any other SAT score!

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your SAT score by 160 points? image description

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 Marina High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At Marina High, the average ACT composite score was 20, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 21 out of 576 total students take the ACT.

This is below average performance, putting Marina 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 Marina High.

Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Marina High compared to California and the US:

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
Marina High	20	19	21	20
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!

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your ACT score by 4 points? image description

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.

Free eBook: 5 Tips to 4+ Points on the ACT

Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Marina High School students credit for college.

Here's what we're looking for: high average AP test scores as well as high AP passing rates.

AP Scores

Every year, roughly 102 students in grades 9-12 at Marina High take 221 AP exams. It's important to understand how students score on the AP - earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP test means passing the test and often earning college credit.

The average score of all AP exams taken at Marina High is 1.7 out of 5.

Compared to schools across California, this score puts Marina High at below average performance. On AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and unfortunately the number of students who don't pass is greater than the number of do. This performance places Marina High School in the bottom 25 % of schools for AP tests.

This isn't all bad news for you, though. It's still good that Marina High offers AP classes so you have the opportunity to take courses at a college level. Your school might be new to offering AP courses, and typically teachers get better at preparing students for AP tests over time. Finally, as you'll see below, there are still students who earn a passing grade of 3 or above - and with hard work, you can be one of them.

We have specific data on how many students got a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) on AP exams in the chart below:

AP Test-Taking Statistics

Another way to gauge the quality of a school's AP program is to see how many AP students actually took AP exams at Marina High School. If a lot of students enroll in AP courses but don't actually take the AP tests, it can be a sign that students don't feel adequately prepared to take the test, or the school isn't encouraging students to take the exams enough.

At Marina High, there is a total enrollment of 102 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).

Of AP-taking students, 0 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 67 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 35 took AP courses but took NO tests.

It seems that most students at Marina High School who take AP courses do not take any AP exams at the end of the year. This is quite unusual, and it's possible that there is a reporting error from the high school to the government (where we got this information). Another possibility is that Marina High offers an AP course to students, but don't expect them to take the actual AP exam.

You may want to ask your school counselor about whether AP course students usually sign up for the test. If not, ask why that is.

Note: The most recent data we have available is from 2012, so the statistics may have changed since then. Most likely, however, the trends are likely to continue - above average schools are likely to stay above average, and below average schools are likely to stay below average.

AP Passing Rates

For AP students at Marina High School who take the exam, it's important to know how they do. Here we have specific data on how many students got a passing grade (a 3 or above) on all, some, or none of the AP exams that they took.

Of all AP test takers, 0 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 4 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 59 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Marina High School, you'll have to talk to your guidance counselor (who can then help you find that information). For instance, one AP Calculus teacher may have an above-90% passing rate, while another might only have a 50% passing rate. If you can, you'll want to take the class with the teacher who has more students get a 3 or above on the AP exam.

Find out more about the average score for each AP subject here.

State Tests

As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Marina 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 Marina 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 Marina High.

English/Language Arts

At Marina High School, 54% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered above average and puts Marina High in the top 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Around half of Marina High students pass state standards, and around half do not.

This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the standards have gotten harder with the Common Core, the pass rate at Marina High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Marina High's roughly average ranking 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 Marina High School, 26% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Marina High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Marina 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.

Academic Offerings

In addition to the standard high school curriculum, many high schools like Marina High School offer advanced coursework as part of the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Brief Intro to AP/IB

AP and IB courses are designed at the difficulty level of college introductory classes. There are several important benefits to taking advanced coursework at Marina High. First, taking more advanced classes shows colleges that you're committed to challenging yourself academically, and that you're one of the more advanced students at Marina High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Marina High AP/IB coursework as college coursework. In some cases, you'll be able to skip introductory-level classes and move to more advanced classes. In other cases, you'll be able to avoid having to take required courses and might even be able to graduate earlier than the standard 4 years. Often this will require you to pass the AP test, getting a score of 3 or above.

So what advanced courses does Marina High School offer?

AP Courses

Marina High School offers AP courses in 11 subjects.

This is a reasonable number of AP subjects, putting Marina High School in the top 50% of California schools that offer AP courses. You'll likely have access to some of the most popular math and humanities AP subjects, as well as a few others.

The total number of AP subjects is 38, so Marina High is missing a large number of subjects, including some popular ones. If there are any AP courses you want to take that aren't being offered at Marina High, ask your counselor for ideas on how to cover the gap.

Of course, keep in mind that quality matters even more than quantity - even if Marina High doesn't offer every AP course under the sun, the classes might still be taught very well. You can see student performance in the AP score analysis section above.

The following AP courses were offered at Marina High during 2015-2016:

Course Title
Biology
Calculus AB
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
Music Theory
Spanish Language and Culture
Studio Art: 2-D Design
Studio Art: Drawing
United States Government and Politics
United States History
World History

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Marina 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 Marina High.

By the way, the Marina High mascot is the Mariners. Go Mariners!

Marina High School fields 11 teams for girls' sports. This is a relatively number that puts Marina High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer girls' sports. This is understandable - sports teams are expensive to support, and many schools would rather put those resources elsewhere. If you participate in a sport that Marina High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.

And now for the boys: Marina High School fields 16 teams for boys' sports. This puts Marina High in the top 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. You won't get every sport and level possible here, but you'll have a decent number of options. If you participate in a sport that Marina High doesn't offer, consider looking for a local non-school team that you can join.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Lacrosse Var JV Fr
Basketball Var JV Fr	Basketball Var JV Fr
Football Var JV Fr
Wrestling Var JV Fr
Volleyball Var JV Fr	Volleyball Var JV Fr
Baseball Var JV Fr
	Softball Var JV Fr
	Waterpolo Var JV Fr
Crosscountry Var JV Fr	Crosscountry Var JV Fr
Soccer Var JV Fr	Soccer Var JV Fr

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.

If You Liked Our Advice...

Visit our blog for free strategy guides on college admissions and test prep.

Our experts have written hundreds of useful articles on improving your SAT score and getting into college. You'll definitely find something useful here.

Visit our blog now.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get FREE strategies and guides sent to your email. Learn how to ace the SAT/ACT and get into college, with exclusive tips and insights that we share with our private newsletter subscribers.

Get Free SAT Tips to Boost Your Score

You should definitely follow us on social media. You'll get updates on our latest articles right on your feed. Follow us on all of our social networks:

Follow @PrepScholar