Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Desert Sands Unified

This page covers 7 high schools in Desert Sands Unified. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

7
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 7 of 7
1
rank
Palm Desert High
Grades 09–122,050 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (97%) · above-average investment ($18,016/student)
63
/100
Graduation Rate
97%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
24.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Shadow Hills High
Grades 09–121,751 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (96%) · above-average investment ($18,016/student)
63
/100
Graduation Rate
96%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
22.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
La Quinta High
Grades 09–122,500 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (95%) · above-average investment ($18,016/student)
62
/100
Graduation Rate
95%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
24.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
Indio High
Grades 09–122,143 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (94%) · above-average investment ($18,016/student)
60
/100
Graduation Rate
94%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
25.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
Amistad High (Continuation)
Grades 09–12209 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,016/student)
59
/100
Graduation Rate
72%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
13.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
Desert Sands A.T.L.A.S.
Grades 12–1264 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,016/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Summit High (Continuation)
Grades 10–12199 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,016/student)
48
/100
Graduation Rate
47%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
16.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,016
Above nat'l avg
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
7
High Schools
35
Total Schools
63
#1 Score
58
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Palm Desert High
Score: 63/10097% graduation
Compare Desert Sands Unified with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.