Compton High School Leads California in Graduating Students Who Meet UC and Cal State Requirements

A high school in one of California's poorest communities is defying the odds with a 96% A-G completion rate.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 4:18pm

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High school seniors across California are anxiously awaiting word on their public university acceptances, but thousands of other soon-to-be graduates are virtually locked out due to not taking the required classes. However, Dominguez High School in Compton Unified School District is bucking the trend, with 96% of its students graduating having met the UC and Cal State admission requirements.

Why it matters

California's public university systems require all students applying for admission to earn a C or better in a suite of courses known as the A-G requirements, which often dictate a student's schedule beginning in 9th grade. Statewide, only 54% of high school students pass these classes, with low-income, Black, and Latino students having among the lowest completion rates. Dominguez High's success in getting nearly all of its students A-G ready shows it's possible to dramatically improve college access, even in one of the state's poorest communities.

The details

Reaching Dominguez High's high A-G rate took about 10 years and was the result of key decisions by the district and school's principal. In 2015, the district created Compton Early College High School to emphasize a college-going culture, and by 2020 all of the school's students were graduating on time and A-G eligible. At Dominguez, the principal eliminated non-A-G classes, added an extra period for students to retake courses, revised the counseling model, and added a college admissions counselor. The year the school adopted the A-G graduation requirement, about two-thirds of seniors finished high school meeting the UC and Cal State criteria. By 2024, that rate jumped to 96%.

  • In 2015, the district created Compton Early College High School.
  • By 2020, all of Compton Early College High School's students were graduating on time and completing the necessary courses for UC and Cal State eligibility.
  • The year Dominguez High adopted the A-G graduation requirement, about two-thirds of its seniors finished high school having met the UC and Cal State admission criteria.
  • By 2024, when the first freshmen held to the higher standard were graduating, about three-quarters of Dominguez High students graduated A-G ready.
  • In 2025, Dominguez High's A-G rate jumped more than 20 percentage points, to 96%.

The players

Dominguez High

A high school in the Compton Unified School District that had among California's highest percentage of students graduating who met the UC and Cal State requirements, at 96% in the 2024-25 school year.

Compton Unified School District

The school district that created Compton Early College High School in 2015 to emphasize a college-going culture, leading to all of the school's students graduating on time and A-G eligible by 2020.

Caleb Oliver

The principal of Dominguez High who implemented key changes to help the school reach its high A-G completion rate, including eliminating non-A-G classes, adding an extra period for students to retake courses, revising the counseling model, and adding a college admissions counselor.

Jorge Torres

The director of college and career readiness for Compton Unified School District, who said the district's recent turnaround at Dominguez High is a constant surprise to people he meets at conferences.

Gisele Genovez

A senior at Dominguez High who will have taken 14 community college courses by the time she graduates, and has applied to and been accepted by UC and Cal State schools with nursing programs.

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What they’re saying

“To this day, you get that sense of, like, 'Wait, who, Compton?'”

— Jorge Torres, Director of college and career readiness, Compton Unified School District

“This school has really shown the importance of taking college courses, how it will benefit you, and it's not something that you're going to regret in the future.”

— Gisele Genovez, Senior, Dominguez High

What’s next

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The takeaway

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