Pajaro Valley High School

Pajaro Valley High School

Public High School | Grade 9-12
500 Harkins Slough Rd,  Watsonville, CA
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
3.5
2.5
1,428 Students
C+
Niche Grade

School Details

Head of School
Pancho Rodriguez
Student Teacher Ratio
22:1
Average SAT Score
1040
Average ACT Score
19
Math Proficiency
12%
Reading Proficiency
36%
Average GPA
3.5
Graduation Rate
87%

Niche Grade

B-
Academics
B-
Teachers
B-
College Prep
B-
Administration
C-
Resources/Facilities
C+
Clubs and Activities
C+
Sports
C+
Food
Source: Niche
Niche Grades

Niche grades and rankings are calculated using dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews. Niche data scientists and user researchers rigorously analyze data and user opinions to assess the key aspects of K-12 Schools, Colleges, and Places to Live. Every month, millions of students and families use the Niche grades and report cards to find the right school or neighborhood.

Niche Grade Details

Academics
Average GPA
3.5
Reading Proficiency
36%
Math Proficiency
12%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
22:1
Teachers
66
Full Time Teachers
66
Teachers in First or Second Year
27.7%
College Prep
Average SAT
1040
Math
520
Verbal
530
Average ACT
19
Math
19
English
18
Reading
20
Science
19
Number of AP Courses
7
AP Pass Rate
66%
AP Math Enrollment
Low
AP Science Enrollment
Very Low
Other AP Enrollment
Low
Clubs and Activities
Girls Athletic Participation
Low
Boys Athletic Participation
Low

GreatSchools Rating

Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology

GreatSchools Rating Details

Test Scores

Math
4.8%
State Average
17.9%
Science
1.5%
State Average
9.9%
GreatSchools Test Scores Rating
GreatSchools
The Test Score Rating reflects annual state test results for this school compared with scores statewide.

Teachers and Staff

Students Per Counselor
310:1

Student Diversity

Male
53.3%
Female
46.5%
Hispanic
97.1%
White
1.4%
Asian or Pacific Islander
<1%
Black
<1%
Two or more races
<1%

Specialty School Programs

AP Programs Offered
IB Programs Offered
Free/Reduced Lunch Offered
Athletics Program

Colleges Students are Considering

Students are most interested in or go on to attend these colleges.
San José State University 228 Students
Cabrillo College 199 Students
University of California - Davis 169 Students
University of California - Santa Cruz 163 Students
University of California - Berkeley 160 Students
California State University - Monterey Bay 147 Students
University of California - Los Angeles 135 Students
San Francisco State University 126 Students
University of San Francisco 101 Students
California State University - Sacramento 96 Students

What Students Want to Study

Niche users from this school are most interested in the following majors.
Nursing 65 Students
Business 53 Students
Biology 49 Students
Psychology 47 Students
Pre-Medicine Studies 24 Students
Sociology 24 Students
Mechanical Engineering 22 Students
Environmental Science 21 Students
Criminology 20 Students
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration 19 Students

This School’s Reviews

Niche Reviews
3.5 211 Reviews
4.0 Junior
1/29/2025
My experience here at Pajaro Valley High School has changed me throughout 3 and a half years of being a student. My best moments here is getting to see and connect with friends in many ways and also connecting with teachers as well is a big impact in school life. I believe its important to connect with teachers overall. My worst experience at the school is not getting enough information on resources like college info which seems to me a really important topic when entering my junior year. its a good idea to get a head start on what you'd want to do later on in life and throughout college. also another worst experience could be teachers not getting to serious with students who don't want to learn, in my school its easy to see someone give up and leave. I would love to see a change in behavior as well and kids needing to act there age, it's unacceptable. I believe change makes a difference and I believe Pajaro Valley High School has a chance for good difference as well.
4.0 Senior
2/10/2024
I have had many good times in Pajaro Valley, such as the days when the clubs have events in the schoolyard to raise fundraising and also to give the students more time to coexist. One of the worst things that has happened to me in Pajaro Valley is when I have to take the line in the school cafeteria and unfortunately, I couldn't eat because the are so many people there.
5.0 Alum
6/28/2023
PVHS's ASB made my high school experience so much better than it already was. They worked hard to provide fun activities and events for students. Graduation day was probably one of the worst and best days of high school. I will miss so many familiar faces I would see since Elementary and middle school.
GreatSchools Reviews
2.5 4 Reviews
5.0 parent
6/8/2021
We moved to Watsonville from Fremont Ca. Monique was going to one of the best schools in the area and was struggling. The teachers were so mean and had no time for her. Her experience, her freshman year was horrible. Then we got a chance to buy a house and she picked the house and what school she wa...
1.0 student
3/27/2021
Worst high school Ive attended too. My counselor told me in my face that she wont spend her time with students who are not worth talking to unless she knew you were headed in the right direction. Ive tried talking to the pvusd school members and didn’t even care about what had happened. After leavin...
3.0 student
5/23/2017
The staff and teachers are great. Teachers here at pajaro vally really do care about your effort and work. They make sure you catch up so you won't fail nor have any missing assignments. Now i just wanna talk about the race. Overall i saw that there is 96% Hispanic and 3% white. I wish we could've h...
1.0 other
12/6/2016
Pajaro Valley Unified School District is the entity most responsible for creating a slum out of a once lovely agricultural town.

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Pajaro Valley High School is a public school for students in grades 9-12 in Watsonville, CA, in the Watsonville neighborhood, and is served by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in California. The school has a total enrollment of 1,428 and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 22:1. Academic records show that 12% of students achieve proficiency in math, and 36% are proficient in reading. Pajaro Valley High School has received feedback and ratings, with a Niche grade of C+ and a GreatSchools Rating of 5 out of 10. The average GPA is 3.5, the graduation rate is 87%, and average standardized test scores include an SAT score of 1040 and an ACT score of 19. The average home value in this area is $731,683. Discover additional schools in the area, like New School Community Day, Watsonville High School, Green Valley Christian School, and more. Learn more about what Watsonville has to offer, and browse homes for sale and for rent near Pajaro Valley High School.

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