University High School

Summary:

University High School is a public high school located in Ferndale, Michigan, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 476. The school has a predominantly African American student body, with 95.38% of students identifying as such in the 2022-2023 school year.

While University High School maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 94.1% to 98.2% over the past five years, the school consistently underperforms compared to the Ferndale Public Schools district and the state of Michigan in various academic measures, such as proficiency in M-Step/Science, M-Step/Social Studies, and SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. For example, in 2023-2024, only 13.2% of University High School's 11th-grade students were proficient or better in M-Step/Science, compared to 16.7% for the Ferndale Public Schools district and 37.5% for the state of Michigan. Additionally, the school's dropout rate has been increasing, from 0.0% in 2018-2019 to 2.7% in 2022-2023, and it has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 57.1% in 2019-2020 to 81.3% in 2022-2023, which is much higher than the state average.

Interestingly, while University High School and Tri County Educational Center (another Ferndale Public Schools high school) have similar racial demographics, Tri County Educational Center performs significantly worse in terms of graduation rates (29.8% vs. 95.5% at University High School) and dropout rates (18.6% vs. 2.7% at University High School). Additionally, University High School has a higher per-student spending ($11,601 in 2022-2023) compared to Tri County Educational Center ($7,281 in 2022-2023), but this does not translate to better academic outcomes, suggesting that factors beyond funding may be contributing to the school's challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2521 Bermuda St
Ferndale, MI 48220-1326

(248) 586-8846

District: Ferndale Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
708^th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,601

Student/teacher ratio: 24.5

Number of students: 476

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.4%

Two or more races:

2.1%

White:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details University High School ranks worse than 95.3% of high schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.86. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at University High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (95.4%), two or more races (2.1%), White (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at University High School is 24.5. 2 high schools in the Ferndale Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare University High School employs 19.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at University High School is $11,601, which is the 2^nd highest among 2 high schools in the Ferndale Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

University High School:

SchoolDigger ranks University High School 708^th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See University High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

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Rank History for University High School

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Rank History for all students at University High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2007	39.23	532^nd	767	30.6%
2008	24.82	584^th	750	22.1%
2009	38.43	531^st	754	29.6%
2010	22.53	595^th	765	22.2%
2011	32.12	569^th	784	27.4%
2012	17.54	616^th	773	20.3%
2013	20.43	603^rd	805	25.1%
2014	17.13	631^st	799	21.0%
2015	19.69	658^th	832	20.9%
2016	9.99	719^th	852	15.6%
2017	7.35	699^th	835	16.3%
2018	6.81	756^th	824	8.3%
2019	3.66	646^th	666	3.0%
2023	3.85	722^nd	735	1.8%
2024	5.86	708^th	743	4.7%

See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	7.33	691^st	755	8.5%
2019	5.15	508^th	532	4.5%
2021	12.41	392^nd	417	6.0%
2023	5.21	598^th	614	2.6%
2024	8.14	617^th	654	5.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at University High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	5.57	648^th	710	8.7%
2019	2.74	540^th	554	2.5%
2023	3.53	600^th	611	1.8%
2024	5.43	594^th	619	4.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at University High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.13	670^th	707	5.2%
2024	3.61	623^rd	633	1.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at University High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	20.58	199^th	254	21.7%
2019	14.31	131^st	147	10.9%
2023	15.33	157^th	170	7.6%
2024	15.06	175^th	188	6.9%

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

Data source: test scores: Michigan 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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for University High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2006	17	191	0	2	7	n/a	n/a	217
2007	5	276	0	0	7	n/a	n/a	288
2008	5	354	n/a	n/a	4	n/a	n/a	363
2009	9	405	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	417
2010	6	444	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	450
2011	5	471	0	2	1	0	5	484
2012	3	477	0	2	0	0	3	485
2013	1	461	1	0	0	0	5	468
2014	1	418	1	0	0	0	6	426
2015	2	401	1	1	0	0	8	413
2016	2	442	3	3	1	0	8	459
2017	2	442	1	5	1	0	4	455
2018	3	424	1	5	1	0	3	437
2019	6	446	1	5	2	0	5	465
2020	6	470	1	4	0	0	8	489
2021	4	468	1	2	0	0	10	485
2022	6	493	1	2	2	0	10	514
2023	6	454	1	2	2	1	10	476

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 University High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	217	28.5	7.6	33.2
2007	288	14.0	20.6	28.5
2008	363	19.0	19.1	40.8
2009	417	20.0	20.9	59.2
2010	450	23.0	19.5	67.1
2011	484	23.0	21.0	73.1
2012	485	23.0	21.0	74.2
2013	468	21.2	22.0	73.5
2014	426	22.8	18.6	75.6
2015	413	19.0	21.7	76
2016	459	19.0	24.1	78
2017	455	18.5	24.4	76.7
2018	437	18.8	23.2	75.5
2019	465	18.8	24.6	76.8
2020	489	18.3	26.7	83.2
2021	485	18.5	26.2	78.8
2022	514	19.0	27.0	79.6
2023	476	19.4	24.5	85.5

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 University High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	217	28.5	7.6	33.2
2007	288	14.0	20.6	28.5
2008	363	19.0	19.1	40.8
2009	417	20.0	20.9	59.2
2010	450	23.0	19.5	67.1
2011	484	23.0	21.0	73.1
2012	485	23.0	21.0	74.2
2013	468	21.2	22.0	73.5
2014	426	22.8	18.6	75.6
2015	413	19.0	21.7	76
2016	459	19.0	24.1	78
2017	455	18.5	24.4	76.7
2018	437	18.8	23.2	75.5
2019	465	18.8	24.6	76.8
2020	489	18.3	26.7	83.2
2021	485	18.5	26.2	78.8
2022	514	19.0	27.0	79.6
2023	476	19.4	24.5	85.5

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 University High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$811 (8.1%)	$9,177 (91.9%)	$9,988
2020	$784 (8.0%)	$9,072 (92.0%)	$9,856
2021	$1,172 (11.4%)	$9,074 (88.6%)	$10,246
2022	$1,450 (13.2%)	$9,496 (86.8%)	$10,946
2023	$1,145 (9.9%)	$10,456 (90.1%)	$11,601

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on University 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 646^th of 666 High schools	Ranks 722^nd of 735 High schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (University High School)	12.4	5.4	7%
11th Grade Social Studies (Ferndale Public Schools)	22.3	15.2	7.1%
11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	46.6	36.1	10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (University High School)	19.2	18.4	0.8%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Ferndale Public Schools)	28.3	30.4	2.1%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)	55.3	52.2	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	465	476	2.4%
African American	446	454	1.8%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	5	2	60%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	6	6
Two or More Races	5	10	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	76.8%	85.5%	8.7%

Schools Near University High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step Science (2024)	M-Step Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University High School	Public	9-12	2521 Bermuda St	Ferndale	48220	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 586-8846	476	19	24.5	85.5%	6 (1.3%)	454 (95.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.1%)	5.9	708^th of 743 public high schools	4.7%		3.8	722^nd of 735 public high schools	1.8%	14	14.0		13.2	6.6	$11,601	$1,145	$10,456
Ferndale High School	Public	9-12	881 Pinecrest Dr	Ferndale	48220	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 548-8622	712	42	17.1	57.6%	183 (25.7%)	457 (64.2%)	20 (2.8%)	6 (0.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.9%)	21.9	583^rd of 743 public high schools	21.5%		32.4	498^th of 735 public high schools	32.2%	85	33.9	14.9	22.9	21.8	$15,768	$1,208	$14,561
Invest Roosevelt Alternative High School	Public	9-12	24131 S Chrysler Dr	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	No	(248) 658-5200	304	2	131.0	87.2%	286 (94.1%)	18 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$14,659	$1,475	$13,184
Casa	Public	9-12	23561 Rosewood St	Oak Park	48237	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 691-8502	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Tri County Educational Center	Public	9-12	21131 Garden Ln	Ferndale	48220	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 586-8885	346	12	29.9	87.0%	27 (7.8%)	307 (88.7%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)								(n/a)					$7,281	$1,130	$6,151
Hazel Park High School	Public	9-12	23400 Hughes Ave	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	No	(248) 658-5100	587	43	13.6	72.9%	258 (44.0%)	273 (46.5%)	30 (5.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.4%)	13.1	648^th of 743 public high schools	12.8%		17.5	612^th of 735 public high schools	16.7%	36	28.3	7.1	18.4	15.8	$19,486	$1,677	$17,809
Oak Park High School	Public	9-12	13701 Oak Park Blvd	Oak Park	48237	Oakland County	Oak Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 336-7740	993	49	20.1	80.1%	27 (2.7%)	933 (94.0%)	10 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.4%)	4.8	721^st of 743 public high schools	3.0%		6.3	695^th of 735 public high schools	5.4%	26	14.1		6.8	9.6	$16,578	$2,020	$14,558
Madison High School	Public	9-12	915 E 11 Mile Rd	Madison Heights	48071	Oakland County	Madison District Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 548-1800	269	16	16.8	78.1%	86 (32.0%)	164 (61.0%)	3 (1.1%)	9 (3.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	19.1	607^th of 743 public high schools	18.3%		15.2	630^th of 735 public high schools	14.3%	23	32.2		16.4	23.0	$21,061	$1,652	$19,409
Madison Preparatory High School	Public	9-12	915 E 11 Mile Rd	Madison Heights	48071	Oakland County	Madison District Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 543-5465	2	1	1.6		1 (50.0%)	1 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Viking Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	9-12	23400 Hughes Ave	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	Yes	No	(248) 658-5200	49	1	46.6	77.6%	32 (65.3%)	12 (24.5%)	2 (4.1%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.1%)								(n/a)					$10,549	$1,095	$9,454

Frequently Asked Questions about University High School

What district is University High School in?

Ferndale Public Schools

Is University High School a good school?

University High School ranks in the bottom 4.7% of Michigan high schools.

What is the racial makeup of University High School?

Students at University High School are 95% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

How many students attend University High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 476 students attended University High School.

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