Is Southwest High a good school?

Southwest High ranks 51 st of 480 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southwest High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,484 students attended Southwest High.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest High?

Students at Southwest High are 64% White, 19% African American, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Southwest High

Summary:

Southwest High is a public high school in Minneapolis, MN, serving 1,484 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Minneapolis Public School District, which is ranked 322 out of 463 districts in Minnesota and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southwest High consistently outperforms the Minneapolis Public School District and the state of Minnesota in standardized test scores, with 56.74% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in MCA-III Math, compared to 31.82% for the district and 34.99% for the state. The school also maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 88.4% to 92.1% over the past five years, significantly higher than the district average. Southwest High has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup that is 63.75% White, 19% African American, 8.96% Hispanic, and smaller percentages of other races. However, the school has struggled with the performance of African American and English Language Learner students, ranking in the bottom quartile of Minnesota high schools for these subgroups.

When compared to nearby schools, Southwest High stands out as a relatively high-performing institution. For example, Washburn High, another Minneapolis public high school, has similar demographic characteristics but lower academic performance. In contrast, the Edina Secondary Virtual Pathway, a public virtual school in a neighboring district, serves a more socioeconomically disadvantaged student population but has a lower student-teacher ratio and higher free/reduced lunch rates. Despite its overall strong performance, Southwest High faces some socioeconomic challenges, with 29.11% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3414 W 47th St
Minneapolis, MN 55410-8888

(612) 668-3030

District: Minneapolis Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
51^st of 480 Minnesota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,735

Student/teacher ratio: 27.9

Number of students: 1,484

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.7%

African American:

19.0%

Hispanic:

9.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.1%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Southwest High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwest High ranks better than 89.4% of high schools in Minnesota. It also ranks first among 12 ranked high schools in the Minneapolis Public School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.2. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Southwest High 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.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (63.7%), African American (19%), Hispanic (9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest High is 27.9, which is the 16^th best among 12 high schools in the Minneapolis Public School District. (See more...)

Compare Southwest High employs 53.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest High is $13,735. 21 high schools in the Minneapolis Public School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwest High:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwest High 51^st of 480 Minnesota public high schools. (See Southwest High 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:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Minneapolis Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Minneapolis Public School District 322^nd of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southwest High

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Rank History for all students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	48.21	324^th	433	25.2%
2005	51.97	322^nd	452	28.8%
2006	84.68	45^th	450	90.0%
2007	92.06	19^th	463	95.9%
2008	81.06	85^th	460	81.5%
2009	85.32	25^th	234	89.3%
2010	79.68	62^nd	540	88.5%
2011	70.61	161^st	545	70.5%
2012	69.84	183^rd	539	66.0%
2013	71.01	138^th	534	74.2%
2014	51.82	280^th	483	42.0%
2015	53.84	276^th	504	45.2%
2016	68.14	164^th	489	66.5%
2017	58.90	237^th	489	51.5%
2018	76.00	115^th	494	76.7%
2019	48.19	299^th	492	39.2%
2021	81.45	49^th	428	88.6%
2022	61.23	190^th	472	59.7%
2023	74.68	100^th	476	79.0%
2024	84.20	51^st	480	89.4%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.79	36^th	64	43.8%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	63.62	19^th	85	77.6%
2022	41.13	50^th	87	42.5%
2024	22.02	101^st	102	1.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	47.54	116^th	220	47.3%
2021	32.86	127^th	173	26.6%
2022	40.05	140^th	214	34.6%
2023	23.28	181^st	216	16.2%
2024	80.05	22^nd	221	90.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	31.44	278^th	374	25.7%
2019	12.51	330^th	370	10.8%
2021	23.19	229^th	270	15.2%
2022	21.16	257^th	312	17.6%
2023	36.73	267^th	393	32.1%
2024	34.84	268^th	389	31.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	85.70	22^nd	395	94.4%
2019	42.02	267^th	401	33.4%
2021	76.51	53^rd	339	84.4%
2022	52.77	202^nd	388	47.9%
2023	56.76	173^rd	396	56.3%
2024	88.63	28^th	403	93.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	51.56	223^rd	398	44.0%
2019	39.03	282^nd	411	31.4%
2021	81.04	44^th	351	87.5%
2022	57.24	171^st	403	57.6%
2023	79.10	63^rd	398	84.2%
2024	70.57	108^th	405	73.3%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	65.89	23^rd	76	69.7%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	34.62	72^nd	106	32.1%
2019	18.44	90^th	103	12.6%
2022	38.02	56^th	102	45.1%
2023	19.01	86^th	98	12.2%
2024	20.72	92^nd	109	15.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	48.10	65^th	132	50.8%
2021	24.67	85^th	101	15.8%
2022	55.96	55^th	135	59.3%
2023	49.20	64^th	136	52.9%
2024	51.88	66^th	145	54.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Southwest High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	83.33	36^th	414	91.3%
2019	64.01	152^nd	412	63.1%
2021	86.50	26^th	364	92.9%
2022	62.27	150^th	401	62.6%
2023	72.74	87^th	398	78.1%
2024	84.09	36^th	402	91.0%

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

Data source: test scores: Minnesota 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: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Southwest High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	1023	230	137	35	36	n/a	n/a	1461
1989	895	271	134	20	30	n/a	n/a	1350
1990	731	280	145	29	34	n/a	n/a	1219
1991	681	292	160	36	26	n/a	n/a	1195
1992	731	273	191	60	19	n/a	n/a	1274
1993	787	273	209	88	18	n/a	n/a	1375
1994	804	281	194	142	14	n/a	n/a	1435
1995	820	269	121	179	15	n/a	n/a	1404
1996	820	269	121	179	15	n/a	n/a	1404
1997	853	299	140	194	26	n/a	n/a	1512
1998	854	278	160	218	31	n/a	n/a	1541
1999	844	274	178	212	23	n/a	n/a	1531
2000	880	267	168	275	30	n/a	n/a	1620
2001	878	286	132	366	32	n/a	n/a	1694
2002	873	297	80	372	24	n/a	n/a	1646
2003	873	297	80	372	24	n/a	n/a	1646
2004	880	291	70	348	22	n/a	n/a	1611
2005	909	284	60	343	22	n/a	n/a	1618
2006	990	259	72	271	28	n/a	n/a	1620
2007	1017	288	88	222	29	n/a	n/a	1644
2008	1104	285	87	161	27	n/a	n/a	1664
2009	1155	310	95	159	23	n/a	n/a	1742
2010	1120	320	100	163	24	n/a	n/a	1727
2011	1090	380	85	165	20	6	6	1752
2012	997	447	93	157	20	4	5	1723
2013	939	470	99	151	21	2	8	1690
2014	931	435	98	165	18	0	11	1658
2015	960	460	103	176	19	0	7	1725
2016	1001	457	94	178	17	2	8	1757
2017	994	495	105	174	15	3	8	1794
2018	1042	532	95	208	19	3	9	1908
2019	1052	535	90	205	16	5	20	1923
2020	1084	525	86	198	16	2	33	1944
2021	1077	513	68	196	13	3	48	1918
2022	1036	366	63	166	13	4	67	1715
2023	946	282	48	133	12	2	61	1484

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 Southwest High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1461	75.0	19.4	22.5
1989	1350	64.0	21.0	22.1
1990	1219	64.4	18.9	22.1
1991	1195	59.5	20.0	24.9
1992	1274	70.1	18.1	29.9
1993	1375	65.6	21.0	31.1
1994	1435	74.4	19.3	32.8
1995	1404	0.0	0.0	29.1
1996	1404	0.0	0.0	29.1
1997	1512	79.8	18.9	29.9
1998	1541	n/a	0.0	30.7
1999	1531	108.5	14.1	30.3
2000	1620	97.5	16.6	36.7
2001	1694	89.7	18.9	35.5
2002	1646	86.1	19.1	37.2
2003	1646	86.1	19.1	37.2
2004	1611	92.8	17.4	37.2
2005	1618	82.5	19.6	36.5
2006	1620	66.4	24.4	30.1
2007	1644	72.3	22.7	29
2008	1664	74.7	22.3	23.6
2009	1742	76.1	22.9	24.1
2010	1727	79.2	21.7	25.9
2011	1752	76.5	22.8	31.8
2012	1723	79.9	21.5	35.9
2013	1690	86.7	19.4	38.8
2014	1658	83.3	19.8	36.9
2015	1725	86.0	20.0	36.8
2016	1757	93.0	18.8	35.9
2017	1794	99.8	17.9	34.8
2018	1908	103.7	18.3	39.4
2019	1923	106.1	18.1	37.4
2020	1944	102.3	18.9	38.7
2021	1918	69.2	27.6	38.3
2022	1715	53.2	32.2	n/a
2023	1484	53.1	27.9	29.1

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 Southwest High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1461	75.0	19.4	22.5
1989	1350	64.0	21.0	22.1
1990	1219	64.4	18.9	22.1
1991	1195	59.5	20.0	24.9
1992	1274	70.1	18.1	29.9
1993	1375	65.6	21.0	31.1
1994	1435	74.4	19.3	32.8
1995	1404	0.0	0.0	29.1
1996	1404	0.0	0.0	29.1
1997	1512	79.8	18.9	29.9
1998	1541	n/a	0.0	30.7
1999	1531	108.5	14.1	30.3
2000	1620	97.5	16.6	36.7
2001	1694	89.7	18.9	35.5
2002	1646	86.1	19.1	37.2
2003	1646	86.1	19.1	37.2
2004	1611	92.8	17.4	37.2
2005	1618	82.5	19.6	36.5
2006	1620	66.4	24.4	30.1
2007	1644	72.3	22.7	29
2008	1664	74.7	22.3	23.6
2009	1742	76.1	22.9	24.1
2010	1727	79.2	21.7	25.9
2011	1752	76.5	22.8	31.8
2012	1723	79.9	21.5	35.9
2013	1690	86.7	19.4	38.8
2014	1658	83.3	19.8	36.9
2015	1725	86.0	20.0	36.8
2016	1757	93.0	18.8	35.9
2017	1794	99.8	17.9	34.8
2018	1908	103.7	18.3	39.4
2019	1923	106.1	18.1	37.4
2020	1944	102.3	18.9	38.7
2021	1918	69.2	27.6	38.3
2022	1715	53.2	32.2	n/a
2023	1484	53.1	27.9	29.1

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 Southwest High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$13,735

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest High

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 299^th of 492 High schools	Ranks 100^th of 476 High schools	39.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Reading (Southwest High)	46.3	54.5	8.1%
10th Grade Reading (Minneapolis Public School District)	41.9	45.6	3.7%
10th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	60.4	51.7	8.7%
11th Grade Math (Southwest High)	42.3	43.5	1.2%
11th Grade Math (Minneapolis Public School District)	27.2	31.7	4.6%
11th Grade Math (Minnesota)	45	36	9%
End of Course Science (Southwest High)	47	47.4	0.4%
End of Course Science (Minneapolis Public School District)	34.1	34.2	0.1%
End of Course Science (Minnesota)	54.4	41.8	12.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1923	1484	22.8%
African American	535	282	47.3%
American Indian	16	12	25%
Asian	90	48	46.7%
Hispanic	205	133	35.1%
Pacific Islander	5	2	60%
White	1052	946	10.1%
Two or More Races	20	61	205%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.4%	29.1%	8.3%

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)		MCA-III Reading (2024)		MCA-III Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science End of Course	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Southwest High	Public	9-12	3414 W 47th St	Minneapolis	55410	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-3030	1,484	53	27.9	29.1%	946 (63.7%)	282 (19.0%)	133 (9.0%)	48 (3.2%)	12 (0.8%)	2 (0.1%)	61 (4.1%)	84.2	51^st of 480 public high schools	89.4%		74.7	100^th of 476 public high schools	79.0%	49	56.7	56.7	59.3	59.3	53.8	53.8	$13,735
Southwest High - SWS	Public	9-12	3414 W 47th St	Minneapolis	55410	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(612) 668-3030	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)							$13,416
Washburn High	Public	9-12	201 W 49th St	Minneapolis	55419	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-3400	1,582	58	27.1	37.0%	920 (58.2%)	266 (16.8%)	291 (18.4%)	50 (3.2%)	15 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (2.5%)	68	153^rd of 480 public high schools	68.1%		77.6	89^th of 476 public high schools	81.3%	64	46.7	46.7	51.4	51.4	40.2	40.2	$12,757
Edina Secondary Virtual Pathway	Public, Virtual	9-12	5505 Doncaster Way	Edina	55436	Hennepin County	Edina Public School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(952) 848-4096	38	9	4.0	60.5%	9 (23.7%)	24 (63.2%)	3 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)
283-Ind Stdy 15 And Under - I.S.	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	Intermediate School District 287	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
St. Louis Park Senior High	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	St. Louis Park Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6100	1,483	67	22.2	43.0%	744 (50.2%)	365 (24.6%)	196 (13.2%)	44 (3.0%)	8 (0.5%)	3 (0.2%)	123 (8.3%)	78.6	80^th of 480 public high schools	83.3%		78.7	86^th of 476 public high schools	81.9%	6	45.9	45.9	61.3	61.3	45.9	45.9	$14,273
Special Education	Public	7-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	St. Louis Park Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6068	15	1	18.0	53.3%	9 (60.0%)	4 (26.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)								(n/a)							$3,988
Park Virtual - High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	St. Louis Park Public School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(952) 928-6000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
283-St. Louis Park Alternative Learning Center	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	Intermediate School District 287	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
283 St Louis Pk Independent Study	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	Intermediate School District 287	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Southwest High

Southwest High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Minneapolis Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Southwest High

Rank History for all students at Southwest High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Southwest High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Southwest High

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwest High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwest High

Rank History for Female students at Southwest High

Rank History for Male students at Southwest High

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest High

Rank History for African American students at Southwest High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest High

Rank History for White students at Southwest High

Enrollment information for Southwest High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southwest High

Student/Teacher Ratio Southwest High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southwest High

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Southwest High

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest High

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