Ruston High School

Q: Is Ruston High School a good school?

Ruston High School ranks 85 th of 333 Louisiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ruston High School is a public high school in Ruston, Louisiana, serving 1,310 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Lincoln Parish School District, which is ranked 20 out of 122 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Ruston High School stands out for its diverse student population, with a relatively balanced racial makeup of 44.66% White, 44.35% African American, and 7.48% Hispanic students. This is notable compared to nearby Choudrant High School, which has a student body that is 87.92% White. Academically, Ruston High School has consistently performed well on state assessments, often exceeding the Lincoln Parish and Louisiana averages. The school has also shown strong performance across different student subgroups, ranking highly for White, African American, and Hispanic students.

However, Ruston High School faces some challenges, including a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 31.94% in 2021-2022 to 50.08% in 2022-2023. This suggests a growing population of economically disadvantaged students, which may require targeted interventions to ensure their success. Additionally, while the school has steadily improved its statewide ranking over the years, it has consistently underperformed compared to Choudrant High School in certain academic areas, indicating room for improvement.

Detail:

Public 9-12

900 Bearcat Drive
Ruston, LA 71270

(318) 255-0807

District: Lincoln Parish

SchoolDigger Rank:
85^th of 333 Louisiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,838

Feeder schools for Ruston High School:

Elementary:	Cypress Springs Elementary School
	Dubach School
	Glen View Elementary School
	Hillcrest Elementary School
	More...
	Ruston Elementary School
Middle:	I.A. Lewis School
	Ruston Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.1

Number of students: 1,310

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.7%

African American:

44.4%

Hispanic:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.1%

See top rated Louisiana high schools

Compare Ruston High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ruston High School ranks better than 74.5% of high schools in Louisiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.26. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (44.7%), African American (44.4%), Hispanic (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ruston High School is 16.1. (See more...)

Compare Ruston High School employs 80.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ruston High School is $13,838.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ruston High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ruston High School 85^th of 333 Louisiana public high schools. (See Ruston High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Lincoln Parish:

SchoolDigger ranks Lincoln Parish 20^th of 122 Louisiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Ruston High School?

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Rank History for Ruston High School

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Rank History for all students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2007	69.20	89^th	290	69.3%
2008	68.96	77^th	291	73.5%
2009	66.80	82^nd	301	72.8%
2010	67.26	86^th	297	71.0%
2011	69.62	82^nd	300	72.7%
2012	61.70	140^th	310	54.8%
2013	57.90	154^th	312	50.6%
2014	44.36	218^th	309	29.4%
2015	62.18	125^th	312	59.9%
2016	62.11	118^th	297	60.3%
2017	69.07	96^th	297	67.7%
2018	61.51	104^th	302	65.6%
2019	57.94	131^st	313	58.1%
2021	66.22	89^th	322	72.4%
2022	66.49	102^nd	326	68.7%
2023	72.32	70^th	321	78.2%
2024	70.26	85^th	333	74.5%

See the entire list of Louisiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	26.21	29^th	38	23.7%
2022	63.82	11^th	40	72.5%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	22.32	95^th	122	22.1%
2021	63.00	35^th	135	74.1%
2022	56.59	48^th	139	65.5%
2023	62.39	39^th	138	71.7%
2024	33.46	112^th	165	32.1%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	33.26	210^th	301	30.2%
2021	49.83	141^st	285	50.5%
2022	47.37	166^th	322	48.4%
2023	54.73	141^st	321	56.1%
2024	57.20	126^th	328	61.6%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	58.36	134^th	292	54.1%
2021	65.42	99^th	288	65.6%
2022	60.88	124^th	311	60.1%
2023	72.14	72^nd	308	76.6%
2024	70.78	79^th	308	74.4%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	58.61	118^th	291	59.5%
2021	66.65	82^nd	292	71.9%
2022	70.31	79^th	301	73.8%
2023	72.04	63^rd	306	79.4%
2024	70.11	82^nd	315	74.0%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	46.82	118^th	233	49.4%
2021	63.18	65^th	243	73.3%
2022	56.08	94^th	256	63.3%
2023	66.39	58^th	252	77.0%
2024	67.34	55^th	260	78.8%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	40.52	53^rd	78	32.1%
2021	33.40	62^nd	92	32.6%
2022	55.01	43^rd	103	58.3%
2023	55.60	46^th	107	57.0%
2024	51.11	56^th	113	50.4%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Ruston High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	LA State Percentile
2019	77.89	33^rd	249	86.7%
2021	82.94	19^th	245	92.2%
2022	83.97	19^th	250	92.4%
2023	83.94	21^st	249	91.6%
2024	80.85	32^nd	248	87.1%

See the entire list of Best Louisiana High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Louisiana Dept 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.

Data source: Louisiana Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Ruston High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1227	1227
1990	747	429	9	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	1189
1991	715	413	15	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1150
1992	752	425	13	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	1198
1993	779	458	11	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	1254
1994	773	499	11	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	1289
1995	705	536	11	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	1262
1996	705	536	11	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	1262
1997	704	507	16	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	1233
1998	728	486	24	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	1251
1999	729	460	19	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1220
2000	712	465	25	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	1213
2001	695	447	19	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1168
2002	663	476	12	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1163
2003	663	476	12	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1163
2004	623	502	16	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1153
2005	579	510	18	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	1118
2006	591	561	20	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	1187
2007	565	534	16	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	1127
2008	544	486	18	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	1062
2009	529	481	16	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	1042
2010	527	511	14	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	1071
2011	551	528	15	21	0	0	1	0	1116
2012	546	549	10	23	2	0	2	0	1132
2013	552	554	8	30	2	0	3	0	1149
2014	576	576	10	32	3	0	3	0	1200
2015	589	611	7	35	3	0	6	0	1251
2016	595	654	9	47	1	0	9	0	1315
2017	591	647	7	51	3	0	11	0	1310
2018	610	661	11	47	1	0	11	0	1341
2019	588	635	14	60	1	0	10	0	1308
2020	607	600	14	62	1	1	8	0	1293
2021	595	592	18	78	0	1	17	0	1301
2022	547	601	16	85	1	1	20	0	1271
2023	585	581	22	98	1	1	22	0	1310

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 Ruston High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1227	72.5	16.9	27.4
1990	1189	71.0	16.7	22.5
1991	1150	69.0	16.6	24.3
1992	1198	71.0	16.8	26.3
1993	1254	72.0	17.4	25.2
1994	1289	73.0	17.7	27.2
1995	1262	77.4	16.3	28.1
1996	1262	77.4	16.3	28.1
1997	1233	79.8	15.5	29.4
1998	1251	75.7	16.5	28
1999	1220	74.0	16.5	33.3
2000	1213	76.5	15.9	31.2
2001	1168	78.8	14.8	27.1
2002	1163	82.9	14.0	31.4
2003	1163	82.9	14.0	31.4
2004	1153	84.8	13.6	34.5
2005	1118	87.2	12.8	36.2
2006	1187	79.1	15.0	41.8
2007	1127	78.0	14.4	42.3
2008	1062	78.3	13.6	42.7
2009	1042	84.7	12.3	40.2
2010	1071	87.6	12.2	42.1
2011	1116	84.1	13.2	45.6
2012	1132	90.8	12.4	46.3
2013	1149	84.2	13.6	46.5
2014	1200	92.0	13.0	50.4
2015	1251	99.0	12.6	48.4
2016	1315	126.0	10.4	56.6
2017	1310	104.2	12.5	30.6
2018	1341	87.3	15.3	24.3
2019	1308	84.1	15.5	35.7
2020	1293	85.3	15.1	40.2
2021	1301	79.6	16.3	33.4
2022	1271	79.0	16.0	31.9
2023	1310	80.9	16.1	50.1

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 Ruston High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1227	72.5	16.9	27.4
1990	1189	71.0	16.7	22.5
1991	1150	69.0	16.6	24.3
1992	1198	71.0	16.8	26.3
1993	1254	72.0	17.4	25.2
1994	1289	73.0	17.7	27.2
1995	1262	77.4	16.3	28.1
1996	1262	77.4	16.3	28.1
1997	1233	79.8	15.5	29.4
1998	1251	75.7	16.5	28
1999	1220	74.0	16.5	33.3
2000	1213	76.5	15.9	31.2
2001	1168	78.8	14.8	27.1
2002	1163	82.9	14.0	31.4
2003	1163	82.9	14.0	31.4
2004	1153	84.8	13.6	34.5
2005	1118	87.2	12.8	36.2
2006	1187	79.1	15.0	41.8
2007	1127	78.0	14.4	42.3
2008	1062	78.3	13.6	42.7
2009	1042	84.7	12.3	40.2
2010	1071	87.6	12.2	42.1
2011	1116	84.1	13.2	45.6
2012	1132	90.8	12.4	46.3
2013	1149	84.2	13.6	46.5
2014	1200	92.0	13.0	50.4
2015	1251	99.0	12.6	48.4
2016	1315	126.0	10.4	56.6
2017	1310	104.2	12.5	30.6
2018	1341	87.3	15.3	24.3
2019	1308	84.1	15.5	35.7
2020	1293	85.3	15.1	40.2
2021	1301	79.6	16.3	33.4
2022	1271	79.0	16.0	31.9
2023	1310	80.9	16.1	50.1

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 Ruston High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$11,614
2018	$11,828
2019	$12,676
2020	$12,737
2021	$13,092
2022	$13,838

Data source: Louisiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ruston 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 131^st of 313 High schools	Ranks 70^th of 321 High schools	20%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Ruston High School)	55	75	20%
End of Course Algebra I (Lincoln Parish)	64	82	18%
End of Course Algebra I (Louisiana)	67	64	3%
End of Course Geometry (Ruston High School)	87	76	11%
End of Course Geometry (Lincoln Parish)	87	76	11%
End of Course Geometry (Louisiana)	68	61	7%
End of Course English II (Ruston High School)	72	75	3%
End of Course English II (Lincoln Parish)	72	76	4%
End of Course English II (Louisiana)	69	67	2%
End of Course U.S. History (Ruston High School)	61	62	1%
End of Course U.S. History (Lincoln Parish)	64	63	1%
End of Course U.S. History (Louisiana)	59	54	5%
End of Course English I (Ruston High School)	73	80	7%
End of Course English I (Lincoln Parish)	74	84	10%
End of Course English I (Louisiana)	71	67	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1308	1310	0.2%
African American	635	581	8.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	14	22	57.1%
Hispanic	60	98	63.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	588	585	0.5%
Two or More Races	10	22	120%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	35.7%	50.1%	14.4%

Schools Near Ruston High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				LEAP Mathematics (2024)				LEAP English Language Arts (2024)				LEAP Algebra I (2024)	LEAP Geometry (2024)	LEAP English II (2024)	LEAP U.S. History (2024)	LEAP English I (2024)	LEAP Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Algebra I End of Course	LEAP Geometry End of Course	LEAP English II End of Course	LEAP U.S. History End of Course	LEAP English I End of Course	LEAP Biology End of Course	Total
Ruston High School	Public	9-12	900 Bearcat Drive	Ruston	71270	Lincoln Parish	Lincoln Parish	No	No	No	No	(318) 255-0807	1,310	81	16.1	50.1%	585 (44.7%)	581 (44.4%)	98 (7.5%)	22 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (1.7%)	70.3	85^th of 333 public high schools	74.5%		72.3	70^th of 321 public high schools	78.2%	15									68.0	69.0	80.0	67.0	74.0	74.0	$13,838
Choudrant High School	Public	6-12	2555 Hwy. 80	Choudrant	71227	Lincoln Parish	Lincoln Parish	No	No	No	No	(318) 768-2541	356	25	14.1	44.9%	313 (87.9%)	19 (5.3%)	18 (5.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	85.6	22^nd of 333 public high schools	93.4%		89.6	10^th of 321 public high schools	96.9%	12	93.0	84.0	77.0	86.0	90.0	88.0	84.0	88.0	90.0	86.0	88.0	68.0	85.0	88.0	$14,823
Arcadia High School	Public	6-12	967 Daniel Street	Arcadia	71001	Bienville Parish	Bienville Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 263-2264	252	27	9.2	82.9%	14 (5.6%)	223 (88.5%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.6%)	41.5	205^th of 333 public high schools	38.4%		29.5	231^st of 321 public high schools	28.0%	26	40.0	61.0	61.0	52.0	55.0	95.0	82.0	75.0	67.0	31.0	64.0	52.0	66.0	50.0	$24,628
West Ouachita High School	Public	8-12	4061 Caples Road	West Monroe	71292	Ouachita Parish	Ouachita Parish	No	No	No	No	(318) 249-2117	1,080	61	17.6	54.0%	979 (90.6%)	60 (5.6%)	16 (1.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (1.9%)	69.9	89^th of 333 public high schools	73.3%		56.1	151^st of 321 public high schools	53.0%	62									70.0	79.0	71.0	55.0	81.0	80.0	$12,426

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruston High School

What district is Ruston High School in?

Lincoln Parish

How many students attend Ruston High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,310 students attended Ruston High School.

What schools feed into Ruston High School?

Ruston High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cypress Springs Elementary School
Elementary : Dubach School
Elementary : Glen View Elementary School
Elementary : Hillcrest Elementary School
Elementary : Ruston Elementary School
Middle : I.A. Lewis School
Middle : Ruston Junior High School

What is the racial makeup of Ruston High School?

Students at Ruston High School are 45% White, 44% African American, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

Is Ruston High School a good school?

Ruston High School ranks 85^th of 333 Louisiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Ruston High School

Ruston High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lincoln Parish:

What do you think?

Rank History for Ruston High School

Rank History for all students at Ruston High School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ruston High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Ruston High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Ruston High School

Rank History for Male students at Ruston High School

Rank History for African American students at Ruston High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ruston High School

Rank History for White students at Ruston High School

Enrollment information for Ruston High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ruston High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Ruston High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ruston High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Ruston High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ruston High School