Location: Bishop, CA
Are you a student or parent at Bishop Union High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?
We've written the best guide to Bishop Union High available. Here we'll cover:
- Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
- How safe Bishop Union High is to attend
- SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Bishop Union High students
- Which AP/IB classes you can take at Bishop Union High
- Every sports team you can join at Bishop Union High
Let's get started!
Basic Information
Bishop Union High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Bishop, CA in Inyo County.
Based on its location, Bishop Union High is classified as a school in a remote town, or more than 35 miles from an urbanized area. Here's the location on a map:
Contact Information
Mailing address:
Bishop Union High School301 N. Fowler St. Bishop, CA 93514-2609
Phone number: 7608734275
Bishop Union High School homepage: https://buhs-bishop-ca.schoolloop.com/
Principal: Randy CookEmail the principal: [email protected]
Student Demographics
Student Enrollment
The total enrollment at Bishop Union High School is 667 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, Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.
From our calculations, the enrollment at Bishop Union High has decreased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.
| Male Students | Female Students | All Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | 81 | 95 | 176 |
| 10th grade | 77 | 77 | 154 |
| 11th grade | 80 | 80 | 160 |
| 12th grade | 85 | 92 | 177 |
As you can see in the table above, the senior class is 1 students larger than the freshman class. This suggests that Bishop Union High is shrinking in size and taking on fewer students.
There are a few reasons this can happen. The population of Bishop could be decreasing, thus sending fewer students into Bishop Union High. Alternatively, other schools (like charter or private schools) might be appearing, drawing students away.
Gender Split
Are there more boys or girls at Bishop Union High School?
From our statistics, Bishop Union High has a 49:51 split between male and female students in the high school grades.
Bishop Union High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in Inyo County. Since the student body is roughly half and half, it should feel like there are equal numbers of boys and girls in your classes.
This usually means that Bishop Union High doesn't strongly select for either males or females, unlike other schools that have a large majority of males or females.
Ethnicity Breakdown
What's the racial diversity at Bishop Union High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?
From our statistics, Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High is white. In California, white students make up 26.3% of all California students, and are the second most common ethnicity after Hispanic students.
| Percentage | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 10.0% | 67 |
| Asian | 1.4% | 10 |
| Hispanic | 31.9% | 213 |
| Black | 0.4% | 3 |
| White | 49.3% | 329 |
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0 |
| Two or more races | 6.7% | 45 |
High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Bishop. 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 Bishop Union High Families
What are the family incomes of students at Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High, 9.1% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 31.7% qualify for free lunches.
This means Bishop Union High has a low poverty level. The overwhelming majority of students at Bishop Union High don't qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Bishop is thus likely to be an affluent community, with quite high family incomes.
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-price lunches | 61 | 9.1% |
| Free lunches | 212 | 31.7% |
| Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches | 394 | 59.0% |
As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Bishop and doesn't speak much about the school itself.
Bishop Union 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. Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High students at risk.
In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 15 referrals to law enforcement (13 male, 2 female), and 2 school-related arrests (0 males, 2 females). This is out of a total enrollment of 660 students.
To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.
This means that 2.5 Bishop Union High has minor safety issues. For every 100 students, there were just 2.5 law-enforcement related actions, but this is still higher than 75% of California schools.
With this record, is Bishop Union High School significantly different from other schools in the area? It could be that Bishop Union High has an especially bad record, or it could be that the local area shows a pattern.
Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:
Bishop Unified School District Safety
| School Name | Total Referred | Total Arrests | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith B. Bright High (juvenile Hall) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Palisade Glacier High (continuation) | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Bishop Independent Study | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Community Day School Iii | 0 | 0 | 4 |
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 Bishop Union High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?
We've compiled everything we could find about Bishop Union High's academics here.
Standardized Testing
Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High School SAT scores.
The average composite SAT score is a 1480 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 98 at Bishop Union High take the SAT.
This is an average SAT score, putting Bishop Union High School right around the national average. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Bishop Union High will offer a fairly standard high school education, neither strongly lacking or outperforming.
Note, however, that this is just an average - the top students can still exceed the average significantly. If you can rise far above your school average, you'll have a great shot at entering a strong college.
Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:
Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)
| Source | Critical Reading | Math | Writing | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Union High | 499 | 500 | 486 | 1480 |
| 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 1480 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1480 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1480 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 Bishop Union High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.
At Bishop Union High, the average ACT composite score was 24, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 36 out of 667 total students take the ACT.
This is very good performance, putting Bishop Union High in the top 25% of high schools in California by ACT score. Nationwide, a 24 on the ACT is 74th percentile, so most ACT test takers at Bishop Union High are well above average.
Since the ACT is designed to gauge what you learn in school, high ACT scores are are a good indication that you'll get a great education and be surrounded by other students who value academic achievements.
Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Bishop Union High compared to California and the US:
Average ACT Scores
| Source | English | Math | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Union High | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| 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.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Bishop Union 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 87 students in grades 9-12 at Bishop Union High take 186 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 Bishop Union High is 2.8 out of 5.
This score puts Bishop Union High at average performance. For AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and the number of students who pass and don't pass are roughly even. This performance places Bishop Union High School in the top 50% of schools for AP tests.
It's great that Bishop Union High offers an AP program so you have the opportunity to take courses at a college level. Even though roughly half of all AP students here don't get a passing grade, half do - so with motivated studying throughout the year, you'll be able to beat the average.
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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High, there is a total enrollment of 80 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).
Of AP-taking students, 14 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 50 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 17 took AP courses but took NO tests.
This is acceptable test participation. Most AP students at Bishop Union High School take the AP exam for just some of their AP courses, outnumbering students who take exams for all or none of their courses. The good news here is that Bishop Union High students feel confident to take at least some AP tests. The question you may want to figure out is why more students don't feel confident enough to take tests for ALL their AP classes. This is something you can ask your counselor or AP teachers.
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 Bishop Union 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, 23 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 4 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 18 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.
This is very strong performance. The majority of Bishop Union High School students pass ALL the AP tests they take - an impressive feat, especially if students take multiple AP exams each year!
Overall, this points to a strong AP program at Bishop Union High: across all AP course offerings, teachers are able to prepare students well for the exam. There are still some students who fail some or all of their exams, but this is a good starting point to improve from. You'll have a strong foundation to learn from throughout high school.
To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High.
English/Language Arts
At Bishop Union High School, 43% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.
This is considered below average and puts Bishop Union High in the bottom 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. The majority of Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High School, 17% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Bishop Union High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.
Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High School offer?
AP Courses
Bishop Union High School offers AP courses in 8 subjects.
This is a relatively low number of AP subjects, putting Bishop Union High School in the bottom 50% of California schools offering AP courses. You'll likely be able to take the most popular courses like Calculus, English, and US History, but you won't have most other subjects available.
The total number of AP subjects is 38, so Bishop Union High is missing most. If you want to take any AP courses not being offered at Bishop Union High, ask your counselor for ideas on how to cover the gap. If you're a strong student, you might consider transferring schools to access a more advanced curriculum.
Of course, keep in mind that even though Bishop Union High doesn't offer many AP courses, it might teach the ones it does offer quite well. You can see student performance in the AP score analysis section above.
The following AP courses were offered at Bishop Union High during 2015-2016:
| Course Title |
|---|
| Biology |
| Calculus AB |
| Calculus BC |
| English Language and Composition |
| English Literature and Composition |
| Physics 1: Algebra-Based |
| United States Government and Politics |
| United States History |
Sports Teams
Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Bishop Union 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 Bishop Union High.
By the way, the Bishop Union High mascot is the Broncos. Go Broncos!
Bishop Union High School fields 14 teams for girls' sports. This is a sizable number that puts Bishop Union High in the top 50% of California schools that offer girls' sports. You won't get the full range of sports and levels, but you'll be able to try out for a few options. If you participate in a sport that Bishop Union High doesn't offer, consider looking for a local non-school team that you can join.
And now for the boys: Bishop Union High School fields 13 teams for boys' sports. This relatively number puts Bishop Union High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Sports teams are expensive to support, and Bishop Union High may not be able to offer the full range of options. If you participate in a sport that Bishop Union High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
| Boys Teams | Girls Teams |
|---|---|
| Basketball
Var
JV
Fr
|
Basketball
Var
JV
|
| Golf
Var
|
Golf
Var
|
| Tennis
Var
|
Tennis
Var
|
| Football
Var
JV
|
|
| Wrestling
Var
|
|
| Volleyball
Var
JV
|
|
| Sandvolleyball
Var
|
|
| Baseball
Var
JV
|
|
| Softball
Var
JV
|
|
| Crosscountry
Var
|
Crosscountry
Var
|
| Soccer
Var
JV
|
Soccer
Var
JV
|
| Fieldhockey
Var
JV
|
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
- AP Course Ledger
- IBO.org