Desert Vista High School

Summary:

Desert Vista High School is a public high school serving 2,964 students in grades 9-12 in Phoenix, Arizona, and is part of the Tempe Union High School District. The school consistently ranks among the top high schools in Arizona, earning a 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger in most years and outperforming the district and state averages across various standardized tests.

Desert Vista High School's academic performance is exceptional, with the school ranking 44th out of 259 schools in Arizona for the 2023-2024 school year. The school maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 94.1% to 96.1% over the past five years, which are well above the district and state averages. Additionally, the school's dropout rates are exceptionally low, ranging from 0.4% to 2.1% over the past five years, significantly lower than the district and state averages.

When compared to nearby schools within the Tempe Union High School District, Desert Vista High School outperforms its peers in academic metrics, graduation rates, and dropout rates. This suggests the school has effective strategies and resources that contribute to its strong performance, which is maintained across diverse student subgroups. While the school excels in many areas, there may be opportunities for improvement in the performance of certain student subgroups, such as Native American and Pacific Islander students, as well as students with special needs and military-connected students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 16440 S 32nd St
       Phoenix, AZ  85048-7807


(480) 706-7900

District: Tempe Union High School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
44th of 259 Arizona High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,366 Help


Feeder schools for Desert Vista High School:

Elementary:    Kyrene de la Sierra School
    Kyrene de los Cerritos School
    Kyrene De Los Lagos School
    Kyrene del Milenio
    More...
Middle:    Kyrene Akimel A-Al Middle School
    Kyrene Centennial Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  23.4 Help
Number of students:  2,964

Racial breakdown:

White:
52.2%
Hispanic:
25.0%
Two or more races:
7.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  10% Help


 See top rated Arizona high schools

 Compare Desert Vista High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Vista High School ranks better than 83% of high schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 7 ranked high schools in the Tempe Union High School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.13. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Desert Vista High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Desert Vista High School has the largest high school student body size in the Tempe Union High School District. Racial makeup is: White (52.2%), Hispanic (25%), two or more races (7.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 10% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Vista High School is 23.4. 5 high schools in the Tempe Union High School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Desert Vista High School employs 126.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Vista High School is $6,366. 6 high schools in the Tempe Union High School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Vista High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Vista High School 44th of 259 Arizona public high schools. (See Desert Vista High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Tempe Union High School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tempe Union High School District 142nd of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Desert Vista High School?

Rank History for Desert Vista High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 94.83 12th 395 97.0%
2010 94.57 17th 403 95.8%
2011 94.97 17th 397 95.7%
2012 92.58 18th 471 96.2%
2013 91.48 24th 491 95.1%
2014 92.15 19th 394 95.2%
2015 67.97 51st 261 80.5%
2016 88.43 33rd 406 91.9%
2017 81.28 46th 416 88.9%
2018 81.45 39th 420 90.7%
2019 71.39 47th 285 83.5%
2021 90.87 41st 509 91.9%
2022 86.86 46th 464 90.1%
2023 94.15 28th 469 94.0%
2024 83.13 44th 259 83.0%
See the entire list of Arizona High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.98 6th 76 92.1%
2019 20.26 22nd 25 12.0%
2021 68.80 96th 374 74.3%
2022 59.62 93rd 282 67.0%
2023 91.36 9th 199 95.5%
2024 51.95 17th 36 52.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 44.58 29th 312 90.7%
2022 78.31 7th 258 97.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.70 44th 155 71.6%
2021 64.70 64th 422 84.8%
2022 38.54 167th 380 56.1%
2023 39.58 77th 172 55.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 57.87 49th 168 70.8%
2023 83.95 26th 347 92.5%
2024 74.23 38th 168 77.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 91.96 13th 168 92.3%
2022 82.50 10th 150 93.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.92 39th 354 89.0%
2019 73.96 46th 247 81.4%
2021 92.46 38th 492 92.3%
2022 86.54 43rd 456 90.6%
2023 94.25 17th 406 95.8%
2024 81.65 37th 193 80.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 34.65 38th 130 70.8%
2022 30.47 48th 116 58.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 19.81 64th 102 37.3%
2022 50.37 56th 125 55.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.63 65th 370 82.4%
2019 68.20 57th 238 76.1%
2021 86.06 52nd 492 89.4%
2022 82.76 60th 455 86.8%
2023 93.23 27th 429 93.7%
2024 79.12 46th 207 77.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.97 20th 83 75.9%
2019 57.23 15th 44 65.9%
2021 74.83 60th 231 74.0%
2022 78.55 46th 238 80.7%
2023 90.62 7th 146 95.2%
2024 35.23 20th 28 28.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.85 22nd 122 82.0%
2019 71.00 9th 33 72.7%
2021 54.62 101st 306 67.0%
2022 48.15 121st 301 59.8%
2023 84.14 32nd 201 84.1%
2024 60.95 4th 10 60.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.17 34th 311 89.1%
2019 70.83 30th 183 83.6%
2021 87.68 38th 479 92.1%
2022 88.28 40th 441 90.9%
2023 93.30 16th 379 95.8%
2024 75.66 35th 164 78.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.39 21st 68 69.1%
2021 77.65 31st 256 87.9%
2022 44.94 93rd 255 63.5%
2023 94.08 6th 128 95.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 63.02 19th 94 79.8%
2022 57.12 36th 129 72.1%
2023 18.63 38th 41 7.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Vista High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.83 55th 291 81.1%
2019 67.34 45th 217 79.3%
2021 85.06 49th 448 89.1%
2022 81.54 46th 409 88.8%
2023 90.47 27th 371 92.7%
2024 83.53 29th 174 83.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Desert Vista High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
14%

14%

0%

0%

71%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Open Quote Administrations talk of "supportive culture, caring, concern for the student' which is not reflected in the reality of what happens at the school. Very poor communication with parents. Phone calls and emails are ignored. Highly overrated, students excel largely due to socioeconomics of the area. Heavy drug use (vaping IN class) Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, August 25, 2016

Open Quote I cannot stand this school, it gives me a bad feeling right from the very beginning when you drive up to the school with the very rude security guards that are stationed at the driveway entrance, they won't let you drive in the parking lot to park to go into the office. Once security lets you go to the office you walk into the office to find the office staff just as rude and disrespectful as security. The teachers are not helpful with the students at all, the counseling staff are rude to the students, I just recently found out there is an extreme amount of drugs going around the school, there is no dress code for the students so numerous amounts of kids are walking around wearing very inappropriate clothing, the rating for this school should not be an 8 it should be a 5 or lower. I am and for any parent researching schools I would tell you to look at other schools besides this one because if your child don't do drugs when coming into this school they will do drugs when attending with all of the drugs in this school. Just be aware before attending Desert Vista. Close Quote


by a student
Friday, July 26, 2013

Open Quote Desert Vista,
For a person focused on academics and for someone who is college bound and ready to succeed and have a foot through the door this would be an excellent opportunity. Maybe one in every 20 there is there a bad teacher, which is far better than any other school. They offer advanced technology and curriculums to prepare you for your future. Not only are these classes offered to make their school look better but enhance it as well. The teachers are well trained and know what there doing. Not all of them are going to be the childrens' favorite but they'll get the job done. As far as a person that is focused on being social and being popular this is probably not the right atmosphere for you. Dr.Battle along with the other staff go out of their way to make sure to establish a staff environment. For anyone looking for a great school i'd definitely recommend Desert Vista. Close Quote


by a student
Monday, August 20, 2012

Open Quote Terrible school. Administration could care less about the students. They were able to buy several flat screen televisions for the "hard working" office people and a personal TV for Dr. Battle, but couldn't afford paper or enough textbooks for the students. Close Quote


by a student
Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Open Quote As a student, I can say Desert Vista is overrated. The administration is by far the worst aspect of it. It really has no idea what it is doing. They fund football and numerous other athletics generously while leaving little for academics. They once wasted $3,000 to spend for glow sticks at a prep assembly. In addition, talking with the student activities coordinators is like talking to rocks. They don't respond to emails and aren't even in their offices most of the time. They also take 5 hour "lunch breaks," which apparently makes them "way too busy" to even sit in their offices.

As far as academics, things aren't looking much better. Most of the textbooks used in classes are outdated, and in many cases several editions outdated. The teaching quality is horrible, as the vast majority of teachers don't know what they are talking about. Only a handful of teachers are dedicated, and those teach rigorous courses. The good scores and success that comes out of the school is purely based on the students' personal drive and motivation with the exception of very few passionate educators.

The school is also filled with a lot of rich, snobby kids who don't take school seriously at all. The only thing they do is cuss and talk about sex. There are also tons of cliques, segregated groups, etc. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Desert Vista High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1997 837 67 39 79 9 n/a n/a 0 1031
1998 1288 96 76 117 7 n/a n/a 0 1584
1999 1725 118 112 166 10 n/a n/a 0 2131
2000 1883 134 122 176 15 n/a n/a 0 2330
2001 2012 138 129 200 14 n/a n/a 0 2493
2002 2161 144 183 231 18 n/a n/a 0 2737
2003 2161 144 183 231 18 n/a n/a 0 2737
2004 2226 157 191 240 22 n/a n/a 0 2836
2005 2258 157 221 216 24 n/a n/a 0 2876
2006 2296 166 226 225 22 n/a n/a 0 2935
2007 2288 164 221 226 28 n/a n/a 0 2927
2008 2257 177 231 239 29 n/a n/a 0 2933
2009 2234 176 230 247 30 n/a n/a 0 2917
2010 2148 195 239 271 31 n/a n/a 0 2884
2011 2116 203 269 297 32 1 5 0 2923
2012 2074 186 282 359 26 4 43 0 2974
2013 1992 210 297 404 29 5 77 0 3014
2014 1937 221 289 448 42 9 118 0 3064
2015 1920 197 251 478 41 7 143 0 3037
2016 1898 205 261 473 53 12 144 0 3046
2017 1911 205 251 515 41 8 161 0 3092
2018 1819 185 237 540 45 7 145 0 2978
2019 1807 155 227 590 37 7 156 0 2979
2020 1799 153 199 622 35 6 209 0 3023
2021 1614 183 176 591 43 8 164 0 2779
2022 1656 216 196 699 53 10 202 0 3032
2023 1546 202 197 742 59 7 211 0 2964

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Vista High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 1031 42.8 24.1 n/a
1998 1584 77.0 20.6 n/a
1999 2131 99.4 21.4 n/a
2000 2330 103.6 22.5 n/a
2001 2493 114.0 21.9 n/a
2002 2737 122.8 22.3 n/a
2003 2737 122.8 22.3 n/a
2004 2836 126.4 22.4 0.6
2005 2876 128.0 22.5 n/a
2006 2935 128.5 22.8 n/a
2007 2927 127.6 22.9 n/a
2008 2933 125.9 23.3 2.4
2009 2917 128.2 22.8 6.4
2010 2884 121.5 23.7 6.8
2011 2923 121.5 24.0 5
2012 2974 124.3 23.9 6.2
2013 3014 129.1 23.3 n/a
2014 3064 133.2 23.0 0.3
2015 3037 130.0 23.3 0.3
2016 3046 127.0 23.9 0.5
2017 3092 130.2 23.7 n/a
2018 2978 126.0 23.6 11
2019 2979 129.5 22.9 9
2020 3023 128.4 23.5 6
2021 2779 126.3 21.9 n/a
2022 3032 124.6 24.3 5.8
2023 2964 126.6 23.4 10

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Vista High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 1031 42.8 24.1 n/a
1998 1584 77.0 20.6 n/a
1999 2131 99.4 21.4 n/a
2000 2330 103.6 22.5 n/a
2001 2493 114.0 21.9 n/a
2002 2737 122.8 22.3 n/a
2003 2737 122.8 22.3 n/a
2004 2836 126.4 22.4 0.6
2005 2876 128.0 22.5 n/a
2006 2935 128.5 22.8 n/a
2007 2927 127.6 22.9 n/a
2008 2933 125.9 23.3 2.4
2009 2917 128.2 22.8 6.4
2010 2884 121.5 23.7 6.8
2011 2923 121.5 24.0 5
2012 2974 124.3 23.9 6.2
2013 3014 129.1 23.3 n/a
2014 3064 133.2 23.0 0.3
2015 3037 130.0 23.3 0.3
2016 3046 127.0 23.9 0.5
2017 3092 130.2 23.7 n/a
2018 2978 126.0 23.6 11
2019 2979 129.5 22.9 9
2020 3023 128.4 23.5 6
2021 2779 126.3 21.9 n/a
2022 3032 124.6 24.3 5.8
2023 2964 126.6 23.4 10

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Vista High School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $210 (2.7%) $68 (0.9%) $488 (6.3%) $6,312 (81.2%) $1,180 (15.2%) $7,492 (96.4%) $7,770
2020 $175 (2.8%) $22 (0.4%) $371 (6.0%) $5,263 (85.4%) $706 (11.5%) $5,969 (96.8%) $6,165
2021 $208 (3.1%) $90 (1.3%) $505 (7.6%) $5,770 (86.5%) $598 (9.0%) $6,369 (95.5%) $6,667
2022 $163 (2.6%) $374 (5.9%) $700 (11.0%) $5,423 (85.2%) $406 (6.4%) $5,829 (91.6%) $6,366

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Vista High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 47th of 285 High schoolsRanks 28th of 469 High schools
 10.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students29792964
 0.5%
African American155202
 30.3%
American Indian3759
 59.5%
Asian227197
 13.2%
Hispanic590742
 25.8%
Pacific Islander77
White18071546
 14.4%
Two or More Races156211
 35.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients9%10%
 1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Vista High School

Desert Vista High School ranks 44th of 259 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,964 students attended Desert Vista High School.

Students at Desert Vista High School are 52% White, 25% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 7% African American, 7% Asian, 2% American Indian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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