Original Research by School Decision on Millikan High
Millikan High sits in Long Beach's residential mid-city area as a regular public high school serving grades 9 through 12. The enrollment is large, spanning all four high school grades with even distribution across cohorts. Just over one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial populations of white, Asian, and Black students, reflecting Long Beach's diversity.
State testing data from the most recent year shows proficiency in English language arts at a level where a clear majority of students met the standard, and proficiency in mathematics and science both running substantially lower. A parent may want to ask the school directly about what accounts for the gap between ELA and math performance, and whether the school has specific supports in place for students who struggle in these areas. Only one year of testing data is available in the records, so trends over time cannot be assessed.
Long Beach itself is a large coastal city with distinct neighborhoods ranging from beachfront and canal districts to quieter suburban areas. It is highly walkable in downtown and several neighborhoods, with extensive transit including the Metro A Line light rail. The city has a diverse, immigrant-influenced population and a major economy anchored by the Port of Long Beach, plus aerospace and defense contractors, health care, and technology employers. Housing values and rental costs in the Millikan area are substantial, and the housing market has been active with significant new development underway, especially downtown.
The broader Long Beach Unified School District, which serves a large enrollment spread across many schools, places students by address with a school-choice lottery component. The district has been in sustained enrollment decline over the past two decades, which has led to closures, most recently Hudson Elementary in 2024. The district is implementing a state-mandated ethnic studies requirement, including new courses and dual-enrollment options with Cal State Long Beach that earn college credit while in high school. In 2022, voters approved a large bond measure to repair and modernize aging school buildings, fund safety upgrades, and expand career-education labs, though this carries a property tax increase extending through the fiscal year 2044–2045.
Information on graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, advanced course offerings, career pathways, or specific extracurricular programs was not available in the data provided. A parent interested in Millikan's college-prep pathways, AP and honors course offerings, athletic and arts programs, or historical graduation outcomes would need to visit the school's website or speak directly with the school to fill those gaps.
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