Penn High School

Summary:

Penn High School is a public high school located in Mishawaka, Indiana, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 3,624 students. As part of the School City of Mishawaka, Penn High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Indiana, receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penn High School's academic performance is significantly higher than the state average, with 64.56% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-based Reading and Writing, and 40.23% proficient or better in SAT/Mathematics. The school's performance on the ILEARN/Biology End of Course exam is also impressive, with 54.11% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 29%. Penn High School maintains a high four-year graduation rate of 97.3%, significantly higher than the state average. The school's diverse student population, with 71.27% White, 7.62% African American, 8.61% Hispanic, and 6.48% Asian students, is also noteworthy, with the school ranking highly for Asian, African American, and Hispanic students compared to other Indiana high schools.

In comparison to nearby schools, Penn High School significantly outperforms institutions like Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend, which has a much lower four-year graduation rate of 57.1% and a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate of 71.0%. The schools in the South Bend Community School Corp, such as Clay High School and Riley High School, have lower academic performance, with only 36.7% and 34.26% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-based Reading and Writing, respectively. Penn High School's consistent high performance across various metrics is a testament to the school's commitment to providing a quality education to its students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 56100 Bittersweet Rd
       Mishawaka, IN  46545


(574) 259-7961

District: Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
23rd of 431 Indiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,068 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  21.1 Help
Number of students:  3,847

Racial breakdown:

White:
68.2%
African American:
9.7%
Hispanic:
9.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  24.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Penn High School ranks better than 94.7% of high schools in Indiana. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.15. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Penn High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.2%), African American (9.7%), Hispanic (9.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 24.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penn High School is 21.1. (See more...)
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Compare Penn High School employs 181.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penn High School is $9,068.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Penn High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn High School 23rd of 431 Indiana public high schools. (See Penn High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp 26th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Penn High School.

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Rank History for Penn High School

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Rank History for all students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 83.88 34th 349 90.3%
2006 86.67 20th 349 94.3%
2007 86.53 19th 354 94.6%
2008 88.39 18th 360 95.0%
2009 87.16 24th 364 93.4%
2010 61.98 74th 362 79.6%
2011 67.57 52nd 364 85.7%
2012 73.10 36th 373 90.3%
2013 70.58 35th 353 90.1%
2014 65.74 67th 379 82.3%
2015 70.50 54th 400 86.5%
2016 91.89 12th 394 97.0%
2017 91.66 14th 380 96.3%
2018 92.83 15th 385 96.1%
2019 89.14 15th 389 96.1%
2021 88.15 19th 388 95.1%
2022 92.65 22nd 409 94.6%
2023 89.41 17th 398 95.7%
2024 87.15 23rd 431 94.7%
See the entire list of Indiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 80.35 20th 94 78.7%
2023 74.91 22nd 104 78.8%
2024 81.97 14th 102 86.3%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 96.07 3rd 74 95.9%
2024 88.51 5th 94 94.7%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 70.71 50th 285 82.5%
2024 72.23 55th 289 81.0%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 86.61 15th 379 96.0%
2024 81.44 33rd 377 91.2%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 90.10 17th 388 95.6%
2024 86.52 26th 392 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 87.87 20th 383 94.8%
2024 85.97 25th 392 93.6%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 76.11 14th 44 68.2%
2023 71.93 16th 49 67.3%
2024 79.56 8th 47 83.0%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 92.91 12th 125 90.4%
2023 88.35 10th 125 92.0%
2024 71.78 28th 132 78.8%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 83.54 28th 164 82.9%
2023 77.14 32nd 166 80.7%
2024 72.70 36th 184 80.4%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Penn High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 91.55 27th 378 92.9%
2023 88.99 21st 375 94.4%
2024 86.09 30th 381 92.1%
See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Indiana 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.

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




Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.7)
67%

0%

0%

0%

33%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Open Quote Penn is a great school. Both my kids went there and graduated with a full year of college credits at Purdue. The school is large so for almost any interest your child has, there is a group of kids who want to hang out. The teachers were great too. Most were willing to come in before school or stay after to help even if my kids just wanted to clarify their understanding. Close Quote


by a citizen
Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Open Quote Penn High School keeps so much to themselves. No one in the community knows what's really going on there. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Penn High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1769 7 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1780
1989 1595 8 15 11 16 n/a n/a 0 1645
1990 1532 10 8 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1553
1991 2101 16 23 0 0 n/a n/a 0 2140
1992 2241 25 11 16 3 n/a n/a 0 2296
1993 2392 15 35 9 2 n/a n/a 0 2453
1994 2398 27 32 13 4 n/a n/a 0 2474
1995 2561 41 45 15 4 n/a n/a 0 2666
1996 2561 41 45 15 4 n/a n/a 0 2666
1997 2708 33 45 15 8 n/a n/a 9 2818
1998 2744 30 55 15 7 n/a n/a 0 2851
1999 2742 38 64 21 8 n/a n/a 0 2873
2000 2982 46 73 32 14 n/a n/a 0 3147
2001 2835 42 83 37 5 n/a n/a 0 3002
2002 2855 41 86 38 5 n/a n/a 0 3025
2003 2855 41 86 38 5 n/a n/a 0 3025
2004 2833 37 82 30 6 n/a n/a 0 2988
2005 3003 54 84 44 12 n/a n/a 0 3197
2006 3039 66 103 47 13 n/a n/a 0 3268
2007 3021 84 83 61 7 n/a n/a 75 3331
2008 2955 101 84 68 13 n/a n/a 102 3323
2009 2876 110 85 55 12 n/a n/a 102 3240
2010 2944 122 93 66 18 n/a n/a 97 3340
2011 2910 128 126 75 29 0 111 0 3379
2012 2872 158 136 80 28 0 122 0 3396
2013 2847 136 153 110 29 5 120 0 3400
2014 2787 137 158 115 20 6 107 0 3330
2015 2783 145 169 126 21 5 127 0 3376
2016 2739 142 197 145 27 6 127 0 3383
2017 2747 230 210 182 28 6 148 0 3551
2018 2770 325 213 234 25 8 151 0 3726
2019 2750 351 211 252 16 7 164 0 3751
2020 2753 421 201 251 13 10 164 0 3813
2021 2775 408 222 275 21 10 166 0 3877
2022 2632 425 227 329 10 7 183 0 3813
2023 2583 276 235 312 12 4 202 0 3624
2024 2623 372 233 371 14 3 231 0 3847

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 Penn High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1780 77.4 22.9 2.5
1989 1645 78.5 20.9 2.7
1990 1553 76.2 20.3 1.9
1991 2140 96.0 22.2 1.7
1992 2296 99.5 23.0 2.5
1993 2453 109.9 22.3 3.4
1994 2474 116.8 21.2 3.3
1995 2666 129.0 20.7 3.5
1996 2666 129.0 20.7 3.5
1997 2818 146.4 19.2 3.8
1998 2851 148.4 19.2 3.9
1999 2873 153.7 18.7 5.8
2000 3147 146.4 21.5 3.8
2001 3002 144.3 20.8 4.1
2002 3025 136.7 22.1 6.4
2003 3025 136.7 22.1 6.4
2004 2988 142.7 20.9 7.4
2005 3197 148.5 21.5 9.2
2006 3268 147.4 22.2 9.4
2007 3331 n/a n/a 10.7
2008 3323 145.6 22.8 12.4
2009 3240 149.2 21.7 15.2
2010 3340 150.0 22.2 20.3
2011 3379 152.2 22.1 18.7
2012 3396 174.2 19.4 21.4
2013 3400 153.0 22.2 23.4
2014 3330 153.6 21.6 23.4
2015 3376 153.0 22.0 23.3
2016 3383 161.0 21.0 22.1
2017 3551 161.5 21.9 19.6
2018 3726 163.7 22.7 21.1
2019 3751 166.3 22.5 20.3
2020 3813 167.8 22.7 21.1
2021 3877 167.5 23.1 18.5
2022 3813 183.5 20.7 20.5
2023 3624 180.0 20.1 26.9
2024 3847 181.5 21.1 24.9

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 Penn High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1780 77.4 22.9 2.5
1989 1645 78.5 20.9 2.7
1990 1553 76.2 20.3 1.9
1991 2140 96.0 22.2 1.7
1992 2296 99.5 23.0 2.5
1993 2453 109.9 22.3 3.4
1994 2474 116.8 21.2 3.3
1995 2666 129.0 20.7 3.5
1996 2666 129.0 20.7 3.5
1997 2818 146.4 19.2 3.8
1998 2851 148.4 19.2 3.9
1999 2873 153.7 18.7 5.8
2000 3147 146.4 21.5 3.8
2001 3002 144.3 20.8 4.1
2002 3025 136.7 22.1 6.4
2003 3025 136.7 22.1 6.4
2004 2988 142.7 20.9 7.4
2005 3197 148.5 21.5 9.2
2006 3268 147.4 22.2 9.4
2007 3331 n/a n/a 10.7
2008 3323 145.6 22.8 12.4
2009 3240 149.2 21.7 15.2
2010 3340 150.0 22.2 20.3
2011 3379 152.2 22.1 18.7
2012 3396 174.2 19.4 21.4
2013 3400 153.0 22.2 23.4
2014 3330 153.6 21.6 23.4
2015 3376 153.0 22.0 23.3
2016 3383 161.0 21.0 22.1
2017 3551 161.5 21.9 19.6
2018 3726 163.7 22.7 21.1
2019 3751 166.3 22.5 20.3
2020 3813 167.8 22.7 21.1
2021 3877 167.5 23.1 18.5
2022 3813 183.5 20.7 20.5
2023 3624 180.0 20.1 26.9
2024 3847 181.5 21.1 24.9

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 Penn High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $184 (2.2%) $8,049 (97.8%) $8,233
2020 $280 (3.4%) $8,000 (96.6%) $8,279
2021 $394 (4.5%) $8,297 (95.5%) $8,690
2022 $377 (4.2%) $8,691 (95.8%) $9,068

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Penn 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 15th of 389 High schoolsRanks 17th of 398 High schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Penn High School)58.654.1
 4.5%
   End of Course Biology (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)58.654.1
 4.5%
   End of Course Biology (Indiana)38.629
 9.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students37513624
 3.4%
African American351276
 21.4%
American Indian1612
 25%
Asian211235
 11.4%
Hispanic252312
 23.8%
Pacific Islander74
 42.9%
White27502583
 6.1%
Two or More Races164202
 23.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients20.3%26.9%
 6.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Penn High School

Yes. Penn High School ranks in the top 5.3% of Indiana high schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 3,847 students attended Penn High School.

Students at Penn High School are 68% White, 10% African American, 10% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 6% Two or more races.


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