Fossil Ridge High School

Summary:

Fossil Ridge High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Fort Collins, Colorado, with a diverse student population of 2,053. As part of the highly-ranked Poudre School District R-1, Fossil Ridge consistently performs among the top high schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fossil Ridge High School's academic excellence is evident across various metrics. The school ranks 18th out of 349 Colorado high schools and outperforms state and district averages on standardized tests, including CMAS Science, SAT, and PSAT. Notably, Fossil Ridge excels in the performance of diverse student subgroups, ranking highly for female, male, Asian, Hispanic, multi-racial, special education, and low socioeconomic status students. In contrast, nearby Poudre High School has lower academic performance and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Fossil Ridge High School's consistent high ranking and exceptional student outcomes suggest the school is providing a robust educational experience. While the data does not fully explain the school's success, factors such as its resources, teaching quality, curriculum, and student support programs may contribute to its exceptional performance. Fossil Ridge's ability to support the academic success of diverse student populations is a particular strength, setting it apart from some nearby schools within the Poudre School District R-1.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 5400 Ziegler Road
       Fort Collins, CO  80528-9524


(970) 488-6260

District: Poudre School District R-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
18th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,243 Help


Feeder schools for Fossil Ridge High School:

Elementary:    Bacon Elementary School
    Werner Elementary School
    Zach Elementary School
Middle:    Preston Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.3 Help
Number of students:  1,968

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.7%
Hispanic:
11.6%
Asian:
5.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  15.9% Help


 See top rated Colorado high schools

 Compare Fossil Ridge High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Fossil Ridge High School ranks better than 94.8% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks first among 5 ranked high schools in the Poudre School District R-1! (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.81. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Fossil Ridge 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.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.7%), Hispanic (11.6%), Asian (5.9%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 15.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fossil Ridge High School is 19.3. 5 high schools in the Poudre School District R-1 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Fossil Ridge High School employs 101.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fossil Ridge High School is $14,243. 5 high schools in the Poudre School District R-1 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fossil Ridge High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Fossil Ridge High School 18th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See Fossil Ridge 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:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Poudre School District R-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Poudre School District R-1 11th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Fossil Ridge High School?

Rank History for Fossil Ridge High School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 90.49 16th 298 94.6%
2008 87.26 29th 301 90.4%
2009 84.73 36th 310 88.4%
2010 82.98 42nd 327 87.2%
2011 89.16 24th 337 92.9%
2012 88.69 20th 334 94.0%
2013 86.89 31st 349 91.1%
2014 91.05 19th 369 94.9%
2015 70.71 42nd 292 85.6%
2016 53.93 75th 255 70.6%
2017 68.77 33rd 256 87.1%
2018 94.61 15th 388 96.1%
2019 94.84 19th 411 95.4%
2021 87.13 19th 210 91.0%
2022 89.73 16th 221 92.8%
2023 92.13 20th 349 94.3%
2024 92.81 18th 349 94.8%
See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 88.94 4th 61 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 80.78 6th 77 92.2%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 62.83 53rd 188 71.8%
2022 90.44 12th 203 94.1%
2023 82.32 26th 200 87.0%
2024 93.83 8th 211 96.2%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 89.08 20th 239 91.6%
2022 92.26 15th 257 94.2%
2023 89.17 21st 254 91.7%
2024 89.73 21st 257 91.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 80.49 7th 74 90.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 76.42 7th 118 94.1%
2022 71.13 22nd 108 79.6%
2023 71.50 25th 135 81.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 90.63 19th 240 92.1%
2022 92.45 17th 253 93.3%
2023 91.58 14th 252 94.4%
2024 92.30 17th 256 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 74.15 10th 41 75.6%
2022 80.87 4th 45 91.1%
2023 77.06 6th 43 86.0%
2024 82.98 6th 43 86.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 91.00 13th 181 92.8%
2022 94.09 12th 205 94.1%
2023 89.01 19th 198 90.4%
2024 93.56 10th 199 95.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Fossil Ridge High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 83.45 29th 225 87.1%
2022 87.53 20th 228 91.2%
2023 84.35 27th 234 88.5%
2024 83.79 27th 229 88.2%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado 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.

Fossil Ridge High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Monday, December 13, 2021

Open Quote This school was a terrible experience for me. While I attended this school I was horrendously bullied. I could not walk down a hall without being harassed because of the way that I looked. The forms of harassment I faced were horrible. Every day I was called transphobic slurs, people would threaten to hurt me, people would take photos of me without my consent, and I was constantly laughed at and yelled at. When I attempted to report them to the deans, the only punishment they would face was a small talking to. Because of the way the deans handled it, many students found it fun to harass and bully me. It was so bad that I was forced to leave the school after my first quarter there. I could not attend any after-school event because of how concerned I was for my safety. The teachers would do nothing to help me, and most ignored me when I asked for help. I couldn't sit at the door by any of my classes because people would stand by it and take pictures of me. When it came to the point where I couldn't go a class period without having to make a report of being harassed, my family and I decided to withdraw from the school. Only when I left the school did the school decide to have an assembly about bullying. I would not recommend this school to anyone who is looking for an inclusive environment for their children. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Fossil Ridge High School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 421 5 18 24 4 n/a n/a 0 472
2006 686 3 17 35 9 n/a n/a 0 750
2007 895 5 24 50 11 n/a n/a 0 985
2008 963 5 23 62 9 n/a n/a 0 1062
2009 1064 12 33 84 9 n/a n/a 0 1202
2010 1536 19 51 129 12 n/a n/a 0 1747
2011 1620 17 44 158 10 5 63 0 1917
2012 1686 19 44 131 10 4 66 0 1960
2013 1758 22 77 142 8 2 67 0 2076
2014 1787 23 80 134 4 3 63 0 2094
2015 1634 20 81 130 6 3 66 0 1940
2016 1633 22 100 135 8 1 80 0 1979
2017 1605 28 91 141 8 1 83 0 1957
2018 1644 26 96 145 5 3 84 0 2003
2019 1661 22 109 172 6 2 83 0 2055
2020 1702 22 109 189 7 2 87 0 2118
2021 1751 16 116 193 7 3 89 0 2175
2022 1803 11 127 224 5 2 91 0 2263
2023 1613 10 129 208 3 1 89 0 2053
2024 1510 14 116 228 3 2 95 0 1968

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 Fossil Ridge High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 472 32.0 14.8 6.4
2006 750 45.2 16.6 6
2007 985 50.9 19.4 6.4
2008 1062 51.9 20.5 5.5
2009 1202 63.0 19.1 6.9
2010 1747 89.1 19.6 8.6
2011 1917 92.0 20.8 9.9
2012 1960 97.5 20.0 10.5
2013 2076 106.6 19.4 8.9
2014 2094 107.3 19.5 8.7
2015 1940 104.0 18.6 9.4
2016 1979 102.0 19.4 10
2017 1957 98.4 19.8 9.8
2018 2003 101.5 19.7 9
2019 2055 107.0 19.2 8.1
2020 2118 107.1 19.7 8.9
2021 2175 107.0 20.3 6.2
2022 2263 110.1 20.5 8.5
2023 2053 100.8 20.3 8.8
2024 1968 101.5 19.3 15.9

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 Fossil Ridge High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 472 32.0 14.8 6.4
2006 750 45.2 16.6 6
2007 985 50.9 19.4 6.4
2008 1062 51.9 20.5 5.5
2009 1202 63.0 19.1 6.9
2010 1747 89.1 19.6 8.6
2011 1917 92.0 20.8 9.9
2012 1960 97.5 20.0 10.5
2013 2076 106.6 19.4 8.9
2014 2094 107.3 19.5 8.7
2015 1940 104.0 18.6 9.4
2016 1979 102.0 19.4 10
2017 1957 98.4 19.8 9.8
2018 2003 101.5 19.7 9
2019 2055 107.0 19.2 8.1
2020 2118 107.1 19.7 8.9
2021 2175 107.0 20.3 6.2
2022 2263 110.1 20.5 8.5
2023 2053 100.8 20.3 8.8
2024 1968 101.5 19.3 15.9

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 Fossil Ridge High School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $11,834
2020 $11,542
2021 $11,896
2022 $12,734
2023 $14,243

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Fossil Ridge 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 19th of 411 High schoolsRanks 20th of 349 High schools
 1.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students20552053
 0.1%
African American2210
 54.5%
American Indian63
 50%
Asian109129
 18.3%
Hispanic172208
 20.9%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White16611613
 2.9%
Two or More Races8389
 7.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients8.1%8.8%
 0.7%


Schools Near Fossil Ridge High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Fossil Ridge High School

Students at Fossil Ridge High School are 77% White, 12% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

Fossil Ridge High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bacon Elementary School
Elementary : Werner Elementary School
Elementary : Zach Elementary School
Middle : Preston Middle School

Yes. Fossil Ridge High School ranks in the top 5.2% of Colorado high schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,968 students attended Fossil Ridge High School.


Rate Fossil Ridge High School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Fossil Ridge High School!




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





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 93 milliseconds.