Northern High School

Summary:

Northern High School is a public high school serving 1,134 students in grades 9-12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Part of the highly-ranked Forest Hills Public Schools district, Northern High School consistently performs among the top high schools in the state, ranking 39th out of 743 schools in Michigan for the 2023-2024 school year.

Northern High School's academic performance is particularly strong, with 75.8% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to the state average of 51.3%. The school also excels in SAT/Mathematics, with 56% of 11th-graders proficient or better, higher than the state average of 26.3%. Northern High School's graduation rate is an impressive 98.3%, and its dropout rate is just 1.0%. The school's performance is especially noteworthy for certain student subgroups, with Eastern High School and East Grand Rapids High School ranking lower in these areas.

While Northern High School faces some challenges, such as increasing chronic absenteeism, the school's strong academic performance, high graduation rates, and diverse student population make it a standout educational institution in the Grand Rapids area. With a spending per student of $15,550, which is higher than the state average, Northern High School's resources and commitment to excellence contribute to its continued success.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 3801 Leonard St NE
       Grand Rapids, MI  49525-3372


(616) 493-8600

District: Forest Hills Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
39th of 743 Michigan High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,550 Help


Feeder schools for Northern High School:

Elementary:    Collins Elementary School
    Meadow Brook Elementary School
Middle:    Northern Hills Middle School
    Northern Trails 56 School

Student/teacher ratio:  19.0 Help
Number of students:  1,134

Racial breakdown:

White:
73.2%
Asian:
9.8%
African American:
6.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16.5% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Northern High School ranks better than 94.8% of high schools in Michigan. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.48. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Northern High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Northern High School has the largest high school student body size in the Forest Hills Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (73.2%), Asian (9.8%), African American (6.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 16.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern High School is 19, which is the 2nd best among 3 high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Northern High School employs 59.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern High School is $15,550, which is the 2nd highest among 3 high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northern High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern High School 39th of 743 Michigan public high schools. (See Northern High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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:


Forest Hills Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Forest Hills Public Schools 15th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Northern High School

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Rank History for all students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 90.33 34th 705 95.2%
2007 89.76 37th 767 95.2%
2008 87.26 71st 750 90.5%
2009 89.61 53rd 754 93.0%
2010 91.60 20th 765 97.4%
2011 90.67 28th 784 96.4%
2012 95.47 21st 773 97.3%
2013 95.53 28th 805 96.5%
2014 94.49 29th 799 96.4%
2015 90.85 51st 832 93.9%
2016 95.76 20th 852 97.7%
2017 97.56 9th 835 98.9%
2018 95.93 22nd 824 97.3%
2019 95.26 24th 666 96.4%
2021 83.95 69th 561 87.7%
2022 98.22 9th 531 98.3%
2023 92.81 37th 735 95.0%
2024 93.48 39th 743 94.8%
See the entire list of Michigan High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 84.93 13th 93 86.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 82.84 3rd 43 93.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 30.75 91st 130 30.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.97 42nd 755 94.4%
2019 96.64 14th 532 97.4%
2021 84.52 45th 417 89.2%
2022 92.18 20th 369 94.6%
2023 72.92 116th 614 81.1%
2024 55.75 255th 654 61.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.87 31st 710 95.6%
2019 91.43 37th 554 93.3%
2021 70.81 98th 462 78.8%
2022 98.06 6th 416 98.6%
2023 88.11 49th 611 92.0%
2024 92.50 34th 619 94.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.65 12th 707 98.3%
2019 96.11 13th 543 97.6%
2021 87.84 49th 472 89.6%
2022 97.33 15th 440 96.6%
2023 94.18 30th 611 95.1%
2024 91.19 42nd 633 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.04 15th 87 82.8%
2019 65.32 17th 42 59.5%
2022 69.99 12th 31 61.3%
2023 81.21 14th 63 77.8%
2024 62.76 32nd 70 54.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.36 63rd 254 75.2%
2022 99.32 1st 51 98.0%
2023 65.98 38th 170 77.6%
2024 64.71 47th 188 75.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.54 12th 201 94.0%
2019 96.37 3rd 97 96.9%
2022 93.35 4th 83 95.2%
2023 64.50 54th 190 71.6%
2024 88.38 18th 195 90.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northern High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.62 17th 708 97.6%
2019 95.64 20th 582 96.6%
2021 75.32 94th 516 81.8%
2022 98.19 6th 492 98.8%
2023 90.32 48th 647 92.6%
2024 90.85 43rd 638 93.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan High Schools for White 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.

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



Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Northern High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 620 6 12 0 2 n/a n/a -3 637
1989 605 2 10 0 0 n/a n/a -3 614
1990 576 5 16 2 0 n/a n/a -6 593
1991 593 6 17 1 4 n/a n/a 25 646
1992 687 9 16 2 0 n/a n/a 0 714
1993 709 9 17 7 3 n/a n/a 0 745
1994 760 16 18 12 3 n/a n/a 0 809
1995 855 24 21 9 1 n/a n/a 0 910
1996 855 24 21 9 1 n/a n/a 0 910
1997 899 23 21 14 2 n/a n/a -3 956
1998 999 17 24 12 2 n/a n/a -19 1035
1999 1060 18 24 15 2 n/a n/a 0 1119
2000 1124 13 43 14 1 n/a n/a 44 1239
2001 1251 18 49 23 3 n/a n/a 0 1344
2002 1307 28 43 18 0 n/a n/a 0 1396
2003 1307 28 43 18 0 n/a n/a 0 1396
2004 1344 39 47 16 3 n/a n/a 0 1449
2005 1000 49 36 18 5 n/a n/a 0 1108
2006 833 90 59 19 5 n/a n/a 0 1006
2007 751 100 63 16 6 n/a n/a 0 936
2008 748 87 68 15 7 n/a n/a 0 925
2009 786 91 66 20 3 n/a n/a 0 966
2010 769 84 86 23 3 n/a n/a 0 965
2011 803 88 95 28 2 0 2 0 1018
2012 864 82 93 33 2 0 8 0 1082
2013 855 81 98 40 3 1 11 0 1089
2014 869 70 95 45 1 1 40 0 1121
2015 885 68 95 41 0 2 34 0 1125
2016 839 74 100 48 0 2 43 0 1106
2017 828 76 108 57 0 2 46 0 1117
2018 852 68 116 61 0 0 46 0 1143
2019 857 68 120 64 1 1 54 0 1165
2020 881 64 122 61 2 1 57 0 1188
2021 872 64 130 65 2 1 60 0 1194
2022 839 65 122 65 1 2 59 0 1153
2023 830 76 111 63 0 0 54 0 1134

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 Northern High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 637 n/a n/a n/a
1989 614 n/a n/a 1.5
1990 593 53.0 11.1 1.3
1991 646 n/a n/a n/a
1992 714 n/a n/a 0.8
1993 745 n/a 0.0 2.8
1994 809 44.1 18.3 1.7
1995 910 51.6 17.6 2.7
1996 910 51.6 17.6 2.7
1997 956 56.0 17.1 1.7
1998 1035 59.0 17.5 1.6
1999 1119 63.0 17.8 1.3
2000 1239 70.8 16.9 2.4
2001 1344 76.0 17.7 3.6
2002 1396 76.4 18.3 4.9
2003 1396 76.4 18.3 4.9
2004 1449 79.8 18.2 6.1
2005 1108 65.2 17.0 10
2006 1006 57.9 17.4 14.2
2007 936 57.4 16.3 15.8
2008 925 58.0 15.9 13.8
2009 966 62.9 15.4 16.4
2010 965 60.9 15.8 14.1
2011 1018 56.5 18.0 14.5
2012 1082 58.7 18.4 15.1
2013 1089 58.5 18.5 12.6
2014 1121 62.6 17.9 12.8
2015 1125 61.0 18.4 11.7
2016 1106 58.0 19.0 11.8
2017 1117 58.9 18.9 10.6
2018 1143 61.0 18.7 14.1
2019 1165 60.0 19.4 14.7
2020 1188 58.4 20.3 14.1
2021 1194 56.3 21.1 15.3
2022 1153 57.5 20.0 14.7
2023 1134 59.4 19.0 16.5

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 Northern High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 637 n/a n/a n/a
1989 614 n/a n/a 1.5
1990 593 53.0 11.1 1.3
1991 646 n/a n/a n/a
1992 714 n/a n/a 0.8
1993 745 n/a 0.0 2.8
1994 809 44.1 18.3 1.7
1995 910 51.6 17.6 2.7
1996 910 51.6 17.6 2.7
1997 956 56.0 17.1 1.7
1998 1035 59.0 17.5 1.6
1999 1119 63.0 17.8 1.3
2000 1239 70.8 16.9 2.4
2001 1344 76.0 17.7 3.6
2002 1396 76.4 18.3 4.9
2003 1396 76.4 18.3 4.9
2004 1449 79.8 18.2 6.1
2005 1108 65.2 17.0 10
2006 1006 57.9 17.4 14.2
2007 936 57.4 16.3 15.8
2008 925 58.0 15.9 13.8
2009 966 62.9 15.4 16.4
2010 965 60.9 15.8 14.1
2011 1018 56.5 18.0 14.5
2012 1082 58.7 18.4 15.1
2013 1089 58.5 18.5 12.6
2014 1121 62.6 17.9 12.8
2015 1125 61.0 18.4 11.7
2016 1106 58.0 19.0 11.8
2017 1117 58.9 18.9 10.6
2018 1143 61.0 18.7 14.1
2019 1165 60.0 19.4 14.7
2020 1188 58.4 20.3 14.1
2021 1194 56.3 21.1 15.3
2022 1153 57.5 20.0 14.7
2023 1134 59.4 19.0 16.5

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 Northern High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $185 (1.6%) $11,223 (98.4%) $11,408
2020 $153 (1.3%) $11,674 (98.7%) $11,828
2021 $568 (4.4%) $12,458 (95.6%) $13,026
2022 $464 (3.3%) $13,507 (96.7%) $13,971
2023 $484 (3.1%) $15,065 (96.9%) $15,550

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern 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 24th of 666 High schoolsRanks 37th of 735 High schools
 1.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Social Studies (Northern High School)7050.2
 19.8%
   11th Grade Social Studies (Forest Hills Public Schools)74.859.3
 15.5%
   11th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)46.636.1
 10.5%
11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Northern High School)80.979.6
 1.3%
   11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Forest Hills Public Schools)82.980.7
 2.2%
   11th Grade Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Michigan)55.352.2
 3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Northern High School)67.164
 3.1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Forest Hills Public Schools)67.167.8
 0.7%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Michigan)36.329.9
 6.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students11651134
 2.7%
African American6876
 11.8%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian120111
 7.5%
Hispanic6463
 1.6%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White857830
 3.2%
Two or More Races5454
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients14.7%16.5%
 1.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Northern High School

Students at Northern High School are 73% White, 10% Asian, 7% African American, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,134 students attended Northern High School.

Yes. Northern High School ranks in the top 5.2% of Michigan high schools.


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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.





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