Report: 71% of Murrieta Grads Enrolled in College

While nearly three-fourths of Murrieta's high school graduates are going on to college, that number is slightly below the statewide average, according to newly- released data.

Seventy-one percent of 2008-2009 graduates were enrolled in post-secondary institutions somewhere in the nation, the California Department of Education reported Thursday, while 74.4 percent statewide took that next step.

The department's new post-secondary transition data provides new insights on where high school graduates are enrolling, information that was not available before the creation of a statewide student tracking system, according to a CDE news release.

For the first time, according to the news release, the department matched student data from its California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) with two other data systems to create college-going rates for California high school graduates who enroll in colleges and universities inside and outside the state.

"In a knowledge-based economy, college and career training are becoming the price of admission to the job market, so it's good to see so many California graduates taking the next step on the path to success," State Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson said.

In the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, 73.3 percent of graduates were enrolled in postsecondary education. From , the number was 74.2 percent. From Tenaja Canyon Academy, the district's independent study program, 61.9 percent went on. And from the district's continuation school, 31.7 percent continued their education.

did not have a graduating class in 2009. The same reports were not yet released for the 2009-2010 or 2010-2011 school years.

In neighboring districts, 60.3 percent of 2008-2009 Lake Elsinore Unified graduates were enrolled in college, while 77.2 percent from Temecula Valley Unified continued their education. Just over 59 percent Perris Union High School District--which includes Paloma Valley and Heritage high schools--went on.