District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
11,062
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
9
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
20.9:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$16,578
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$9,482
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
09–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Merced Union High
Merced Union High operates 9 current public-school records serving grades 09–12 in Atwater, California. NCES reports 11,062 students and 530.44 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 133 of 2014 California districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $16,578 in current expenditure per pupil and $9,482 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 1101 of 1893 districts in California. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 11.1%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 10.6%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 530.44
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $186,100,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Merced Union High location
Atwater, California · 37.3672, -120.5701. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White11.7%
- Hispanic73.4%
- Black3.6%
- Asian8.1%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.5%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial2.4%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Merced Union High
9 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 9 of 9 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atwater High | High | 09–12 | 2,029 | 20.7:1 |
| Buhach Colony High | High | 09–12 | 1,704 | 22.5:1 |
| El Capitan High | High | 09–12 | 1,793 | 21.2:1 |
| Golden Valley High | High | 09–12 | 1,917 | 21.4:1 |
| Independence High (Alternative) | High | 09–12 | 87 | 8.3:1 |
| Livingston High | High | 09–12 | 1,169 | 21:1 |
| Merced High | High | 09–12 | 1,943 | 22.6:1 |
| Sequoia High | High | 09–12 | 77 | 9:1 |
| Yosemite High (Continuation) | High | 09–12 | 342 | 16.1:1 |