Overlooking the village of Mendocino and the Pacific Ocean, the original Mendocino High School was dedicated in 1894. Recently remodeled, the high school facility is an inviting and functional campus. The Mendocino High School (MHS) and Mendocino Community High School (MCHS) together serve 160 students from Mendocino Unified School District and neighboring districts. Mendocino High School offers a traditional college preparatory program, while Mendocino Community High School is a smaller “school within a school” that offers students a close-knit, family-like learning community.

Mendocino High School is 60% socioeconomic disadvantaged, 78% white/15% Hispanic, has a 5% homeless population, and 17% of students are in Special Education.

For a small school, the Mendocino High Schools offer a rich diversity of classes, including a fully developed Career Technical Education (CTE) program with six pathways of study. Two annual CTE fairs invite in the community and showcase student work and performances. We also support a robust dual enrollment program through Mendocino College and were recognized as a California Exemplary Dual Enrollment School in 2023. Most recently, we have added a Patient Care pathway through Mendocino College that will lead to EMT certification. A thirty year running program, Alternative Education Week, takes place during one week in the spring where students break from their regularly scheduled classes to participate in unique educational experiences and adventures on and off campus.

Many of the programs we have developed over the years, from a standards-based grading philosophy to a multi-tiered system of supports for academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs, have served our students well, resulting in excellent graduation rates, college placement, and some of the top standardized test scores in the county. We were ranked as one of the nation’s Best High Schools by U.S. News and World Report for 2025-26. We continue to build on and improve our systems as well as supporting the many varied needs of our students.

Together, we strive for Excellence, Perseverance, Investment and Citizenship. Be EPIC!

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