A public arts high school that offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, the Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts is usually referred to as Grand Arts or “VAPA.”
The school’s state-of-the-art campus in Downtown Los Angeles opened in 2009 with an eye-catching sculptural tower, a conical library, large windows and other bold design features that make this public school an “architectural wonder.” Admitted via a lottery system, 400 incoming freshmen take courses in dance, music, theatre and visual arts. Grand Arts is also a community facility for the public, with a 927-seat concert hall, a 250-seat black box theatre and an outdoor amphitheater.
Music courses include vocal and instrumental performance, music theory, music composition, concert band, symphonic band, jazz band, string orchestra, symphonic orchestra, concert choir, vocal jazz, vocal technique and guitar. Extended partnerships with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Opera enrich these course offerings.
Visual Arts students take classes in drawing, ceramics, painting, video production, digital design, photography and life drawing. Students in the Dance Academy take ballet, modern dance, tap, hip-hop, cultural dance, choreography, technical studies, history and performance. Schoolwide events include an annual spring dance and concert along with several plays, musicals and visual art exhibitions.
Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts
Public High School
|
Grade 9-12
450 N Grand Ave,
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Unified School District
School Details
Head of School
Kenneth Martinez
Student Teacher Ratio
18:1
Average SAT Score
1070
Average ACT Score
26
Math Proficiency
14%
Reading Proficiency
45%
Average GPA
3.48
Graduation Rate
95%
Niche Grade
B
A-
B+
C+
B+
B+
B-
Source: Niche
Niche Grade Details
Academics
Average GPA
3.48
Reading Proficiency
45%
Math Proficiency
14%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
18:1
Teachers
64
Full Time Teachers
64
Teachers in First or Second Year
11.3%
College Prep
Average SAT
1070
Math
520
Verbal
560
Average ACT
26
Math
23
English
27
Reading
27
Science
24
Number of AP Courses
16
AP Pass Rate
50.7%
AP Math Enrollment
High
AP Science Enrollment
Very High
Other AP Enrollment
Very High
Clubs and Activities
Girls Athletic Participation
Very Low
Boys Athletic Participation
Very Low
GreatSchools Rating
Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating Details
Test Scores
Math
3.4%
State Average
17.9%
Science
3.2%
State Average
9.9%
Teachers and Staff
Students Per Counselor
288:1
Student Diversity
Female
66.6%
Male
33.4%
Hispanic
68.6%
White
16%
Asian or Pacific Islander
6.1%
Black
6%
Two or more races
3%
Native American
<1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
<1%
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School Rankings
#15
Best HS for the Arts in California
#169
Niche Standout HS in California
Specialty School Programs
AP Programs Offered
Free/Reduced Lunch Offered
Colleges Students are Considering
Students are most interested in or go on to attend these colleges.
University of California - Los Angeles
474 Students
University of Southern California
300 Students
University of California - Berkeley
270 Students
University of California - Irvine
247 Students
University of California - Santa Cruz
218 Students
California State University - Northridge
211 Students
California State University - Los Angeles
205 Students
University of California - San Diego
195 Students
San Francisco State University
190 Students
University of California - Davis
187 Students
What Students Want to Study
Niche users from this school are most interested in the following majors.
Psychology
135 Students
Business
110 Students
Dance
76 Students
Music Performance
65 Students
Film and Video Studies
63 Students
Drama and Theatre Production
62 Students
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
60 Students
Nursing
59 Students
Biology
54 Students
Fine Arts
51 Students
This School’s Reviews
Niche Reviews
6/3/2022
great school. has 4 different art departments; visual, theatre, dance, and music. you learn a lot of great skills that would be very helpful in the art world.
5/30/2022
It's an amazing school for arts and I had a very nice high school experience however some things were less than amazing some academies being favored more and getting more funding and things like that. Is a pretty diverse school and has a lot of events for people of different cultural backgrounds.
4/16/2021
Outstanding school that celebrates diversity. Great teachers and staff who care about their students.
GreatSchools Reviews
11/8/2024
Teachers at this school play favorites. They dislike some students and favor others and everyone knows it. I wouldn't go here. The counselors are terrible. They never reply to messages and are rude. This place is basically a mess and I wouldn't recommend it unless your a student who never needs any...
10/12/2024
I've been here for almost two years. It was fun at first until everything began to feel repetitive. A lot of the students here don't seem to care much about the arts that they came here for, either. There are always fights going on and people vaping in the bathrooms. The music conservatory is cool a...
3/13/2024
I agree with the previous poster about the counselors being terrible. They do not help the kids achieve and actually are rude and neglectful. The school is a mess with new principals and other admin staff and teachers coming and going. The academics are sub par with AP classes even being a joke. Thi...
11/30/2023
The school is clean and modern. The students are accepting and super creative. The teachers are great!! But the academic counselors are not good. I was warned about this prior to coming to this school by another family with older students who attend the theater academy. I was told that that counselo...
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Map
Attendance Zone
About Downtown LA
Average Home Value
$719,618
Median Lot Size
8,929 Sq Ft
% Renters
91%
Household Income
$96,672
% of College Grads
50.5%
Median Age
39
Average House Size
1,496 Sq Ft
% Commercial Property
92.9%
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
Additional Schools in the Area
Public Schools shown may be Choice Schools
Choice Schools
Choice schools may not serve this home. Please check the school district website to see all schools serving this home.
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 9th to 12th
- Public
Parks in this Area
Arts District Park
Grand Park
- Picnic Area
- Community Center
- Multi-Purpose Field
Arts District Dog Park
- Dog Park
- Parking Lot
South Park Commons
- Picnic Area
Spring Street Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
Grand Hope Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
LA Live Dog Park
- Camping
- Dog Park
Los Angeles Plaza Park
- Events
- Amusement Rides
- Multi-Purpose Field
Venice Hope Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
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