with an overall pass rate of 75%. College-going culture is particularly strong at Carmel High School. Each year, between 75 and 80 percent of graduating seniors complete the 4-year college eligibility requirements (A through G coursework). Approximately 63-70% of seniors matriculate to a 4-year college while 27-33% attend community college—of these 27-33% of students who matriculate to community college, over 95% intend to transfer to a 4-year college and earn a bachelor's degree. As of 2018, the average ACT score for CHS students was a 27.1 and U.S. News & World Report ranked Carmel High as #330 in the country. Carmel High School has a multiple valedictorian policy. In order to be a valedictorian, students are required to have taken a minimum of 13 Honors or Advanced Placement courses (earning nothing below an A-). The graduation ceremony includes 2 student speeches. Valedictorians have the option to audition for the role of "speaking valedictorian" while auditions for the other speaking role are open to the rest of the graduating class. Graduation usually takes place on the campus of Carmel High School. On June 3, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a drive-though graduation ceremony took place at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California; it was broadcast by the Monterey County Office of Education via YouTube. Despite its relatively modest size, Carmel High is fortunate to offer a wide array of electives with strong student participation in visual and performing arts courses including: Video Production, Graphic Design, Art, Journalism, Yearbook, Photography, Drama, Concert Choir, Orchestra, Concert Band, and Digital Music. Rankings Newsweek ranked Carmel High School #191 in their America's Best High School public school rankings (2013). U.S. News & World Report ranked Carmel High #199 in their national ranking of best high schools (2017) and #21 in the state of California. The Washington Post ranked Carmel High School #288 in the nation (2017). Athletics Carmel High shares a cross town rivalry with Pacific Grove High School, wherein every year the two varsity football teams compete in "The Shoe Game", so named after a shoe that was bronzed and made into a trophy by Carmel High students in an attempt to start the rivalry. In 2014, Pacific Grove ended Carmel's six-game winning streak in the series; as of 2017 Carmel leads the all-time series 35–33–2. The school's mascot is the Padre, which pays homage to the peninsula's history with the