Location: Murrieta, CA
Are you a student or parent at Murrieta Mesa High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?
We've written the best guide to Murrieta Mesa High available. Here we'll cover:
- Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
- How safe Murrieta Mesa High is to attend
- SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Murrieta Mesa High students
- Which AP/IB classes you can take at Murrieta Mesa High
- Every sports team you can join at Murrieta Mesa High
Let's get started!
Basic Information
Murrieta Mesa High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Murrieta, CA in Riverside County.
Based on its location, Murrieta Mesa High is classified as a school in a large suburb. Here's the location on a map:
Contact Information
Mailing address:
Murrieta Mesa High School24801 Monroe Ave. Murrieta, CA 92562
Phone number: 9516770568
Murrieta Mesa High School homepage: http://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/domain/2117
Principal: Stephen EllisEmail the principal: [email protected]
Student Demographics
Student Enrollment
The total enrollment at Murrieta Mesa High School is 2160 students, making it a large high school, in the top 25% of all California high schools by size.
Attending Murrieta Mesa High will feel like attending a small college. You'll have a few hundred students in your class, enough to provide an interesting set of activities, sports, and classes to try. But compared to the largest high schools in California, the student body size won't be overwhelming.
Growth in Student Body Size
Is Murrieta Mesa High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.
From our calculations, the enrollment at Murrieta Mesa 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 | 263 | 263 | 526 |
| 10th grade | 273 | 270 | 543 |
| 11th grade | 283 | 270 | 553 |
| 12th grade | 274 | 237 | 511 |
As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 15 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 Murrieta could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Murrieta Mesa High. Alternatively, Murrieta Mesa High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.
Gender Split
Are there more boys or girls at Murrieta Mesa High School?
From our statistics, Murrieta Mesa High has a 52:48 split between male and female students in the high school grades.
Murrieta Mesa High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in Riverside 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?
From our statistics, Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 | 0.7% | 16 |
| Asian | 5.7% | 125 |
| Hispanic | 35.9% | 776 |
| Black | 7.9% | 171 |
| White | 44.1% | 954 |
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 5 |
| Two or more races | 5.2% | 113 |
High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Murrieta. 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 Murrieta Mesa High Families
What are the family incomes of students at Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High, 11.9% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 23.2% qualify for free lunches.
This means Murrieta Mesa High has a low poverty level. The overwhelming majority of students at Murrieta Mesa High don't qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Murrieta is thus likely to be an affluent community, with quite high family incomes.
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-price lunches | 259 | 11.9% |
| Free lunches | 503 | 23.2% |
| Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches | 1398 | 64.7% |
As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Murrieta and doesn't speak much about the school itself.
Because Murrieta Mesa High is in the top quartile of schools by family income, it's likely to be well-funded relative to other high schools in California. This means you'll likely have access to advanced coursework like AP/IB classes and better-funded extracurriculars and sports.
It's still up to you, though, to take advantage of the resources Murrieta Mesa High has to offer. If you work hard and spend your time effectively, you'll likely be well positioned to succeed in college and beyond.
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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High students at risk.
In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 27 referrals to law enforcement (19 male, 8 female), and 17 school-related arrests (13 males, 4 females). This is out of a total enrollment of 2185 students.
To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.
This means that 2.0 Murrieta Mesa High has minor safety issues. For every 100 students, there were just 2.0 law-enforcement related actions, but this is still higher than 75% of California schools.
With this record, is Murrieta Mesa High School significantly different from other schools in the area? It could be that Murrieta Mesa 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:
Murrieta Valley Unified School District Safety
| School Name | Total Referred | Total Arrests | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creekside High | 0 | 0 | 164 |
| Murrieta Valley High | 52 | 19 | 2374 |
| Tenaja Canyon Academy | 10 | 0 | 106 |
| Vista Murrieta High | 2 | 0 | 3247 |
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 Murrieta Mesa High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?
We've compiled everything we could find about Murrieta Mesa High's academics here.
Standardized Testing
Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High School SAT scores.
The average composite SAT score is a 1460 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 462 at Murrieta Mesa High take the SAT.
This is an average SAT score, putting Murrieta Mesa High School right around the national average. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Murrieta Mesa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murrieta Mesa High | 490 | 496 | 480 | 1460 |
| 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 1460 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1460 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1460 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 Murrieta Mesa High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.
At Murrieta Mesa High, the average ACT composite score was 21, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 149 out of 2133 total students take the ACT.
This is above average performance, putting Murrieta Mesa High in the top 50% of California high schools. Since the ACT tests what you learn in school, these ACT scores are a good indication that you'll get an above-average education at Murrieta Mesa High.
Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Murrieta Mesa High compared to California and the US:
Average ACT Scores
| Source | English | Math | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murrieta Mesa High | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 303 students in grades 9-12 at Murrieta Mesa High take 560 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 Murrieta Mesa High is 3.0 out of 5.
This score puts Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High School in the top 50% of schools for AP tests.
It's great that Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High, there is a total enrollment of 607 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).
Of AP-taking students, 435 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 8 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 34 took AP courses but took NO tests.
This is good test participation. Most AP students at Murrieta Mesa High School take the AP test for every one of their AP courses, outnumbering the students who take some or no AP exams. This is a good sign that students feel confident enough to take tests for all AP courses available to them, which reflects well on the teachers and course material. Murrieta Mesa High can continue to improve by reducing the number of students who take AP exams for some or none of their courses, but it's in a good state.
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 Murrieta Mesa 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, 114 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 81 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 233 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.
Unfortunately, this is poor performance compared to other high schools. At Murrieta Mesa High School, the majority of AP students fail ALL of the AP exams they take. This usually means that they're not adequately prepared for the national AP exam at the end of the year.
This isn't necessarily the school's fault. AP courses may be too advanced for the typical student at Murrieta Mesa High, and it's still a good thing that AP courses are offered at all. Furthermore, it's possible that a majority of the AP exams taken by students at Murrieta Mesa High are on the more difficult side.
However, if you're a student at Murrieta Mesa High, this is a warning that you'll have to go above and beyond the typical student to pass your AP exams. This may entail self-studying, figuring out who the better AP teachers are and trying to get into their classes, and working hard.
To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High.
English/Language Arts
At Murrieta Mesa High School, 76% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.
This is considered good and puts Murrieta Mesa High in the top 25% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Most Murrieta Mesa High students pass or exceed state standards, though there is also a sizable portion of students who fail to meet state standards.
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 Murrieta Mesa High School, 38% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Murrieta Mesa High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.
Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High School offer?
AP Courses
Murrieta Mesa High School offers AP courses in 20 subjects.
This is an impressive number of AP subjects, putting Murrieta Mesa High School in the top 25% of California schools in AP offerings. You'll likely have all of the most popular AP courses available to you, as well as some broader interests.
The total number of AP subjects is 38, so Murrieta Mesa High is missing a good number of subjects, but these are likely the least popular subjects, like less popular foreign languages. If there are any AP courses you want to take that aren't being offered at Murrieta Mesa High, ask your counselor for other options.
Of course, keep in mind that quality matters even more than quantity - it's important that your AP courses are taught well by engaging teachers. But the strong AP program at Murrieta Mesa High likely means you'll be in good hands.
The following AP courses were offered at Murrieta Mesa High during 2015-2016:
| Course Title |
|---|
| Art History |
| Calculus AB |
| Calculus BC |
| Chemistry |
| Chinese Language and Culture |
| English Language and Composition |
| English Literature and Composition |
| Environmental Science |
| European History |
| French Language and Culture |
| Human Geography |
| Macroeconomics |
| Music Theory |
| Physics 1: Algebra-Based |
| Spanish Language and Culture |
| Statistics |
| Studio Art: 2-D Design |
| Studio Art: Drawing |
| United States Government and Politics |
| United States History |
Sports Teams
Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Murrieta Mesa 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 Murrieta Mesa High.
By the way, the Murrieta Mesa High mascot is the Rams. Go Rams!
Murrieta Mesa High School fields 21 teams for girls' sports. This is an impressively high number that puts Murrieta Mesa High in the top 10% of California schools that offer girls' sports. If you're a female, you'll have plenty of options of sports and levels to try out for. Furthermore, schools that offer more teams typically have a strong sports culture and field competitive teams.
And now for the boys: Murrieta Mesa High School fields 21 teams for boys' sports. This puts Murrieta Mesa High in the top 25% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Boys will have a large pick of sports to try out for.
| Boys Teams | Girls Teams |
|---|---|
| Lacrosse
Var
|
Lacrosse
Var
JV
|
| Basketball
Var
JV
Fr
|
Basketball
Var
JV
Fr
|
| Golf
Var
|
Golf
Var
|
| Tennis
Var
JV
|
Tennis
Var
JV
|
| Football
Var
JV
|
|
| Wrestling
Var
|
|
| Volleyball
Var
JV
Fr
|
|
| Baseball
Var
JV
Fr
|
|
| Softball
Var
JV
|
|
| Waterpolo
Var
JV
Fr
|
Waterpolo
Var
JV
|
| Trackfield
Var
|
Trackfield
Var
|
| Soccer
Var
|
Soccer
Var
JV
|
| Fieldhockey
Var
|
|
| Swimming
Var
JV
|
Swimming
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