[4] The school's students are 50% Hispanic, 29% white, 5% black, 5% Asian, 3% Filipino, 1% Pacific Islander, ≤1% Native American and 7% have multiple ethnicities.

The current song, which bears the line "Toreadores who wear the green and gold...." was created in 1948 and its music was taken from Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, but the words were written by a student.

[6] With the rich Spanish heritage in the city of Monterey, the Toreador was chosen as the school's mascot when it opened in 1905.

The school is also home to the Dan Albert Stadium, named after the longtime Monterey mayor and former football coach.

Girls: Cross country, Golf, field hockey, water polo, tennis, volleyball, cheerleading Boys: Football, cross country, water polo Girls: Basketball, soccer, wrestling Boys: Basketball, soccer, wrestling Girls: Lacrosse, softball, swimming, diving, track and field Boys: Baseball, golf, lacrosse, swimming, diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball[8] Monterey High School contains 50 classrooms, a library, a lecture room, two gymnasiums, a dance studio, a music building, a cafeteria, a black box theater and an administration building.

[9] Additionally, utilizing Measure P bond funds, a $15 million science center was scheduled to be completed by the end of Fall 2020.

Students are required to attend theatrical productions and are encouraged to pursue internships at art museums and other organizations.

The mission of MAOS is to prepare students for academic success in college by offering an integrated, hands-on curriculum based on the Monterey Bay region's rich marine environment.

Field trips send students to Monterey Bay Aquarium, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Naval Postgraduate School, Hopkins Marine Lab, the National Steinbeck Center, Elkhorn Slough, Asilomar State Beach and Del Monte Beach.

SPARC reaches out to at-risk students who may not have access to higher education and who may require stronger accountability to succeed.

The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program is designed to help students ready themselves for academic success in college.

Its philosophy is to "[h]old students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge.

NJROTC students attend community-service activities, drill competitions and field meets, and receive marksmanship and other military training.