Is University City Senior High a good school?

University City Senior High ranks in the bottom 17.3% of Missouri high schools.

How many students attend University City Senior High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 726 students attended University City Senior High.

What is the racial makeup of University City Senior High?

Students at University City Senior High are 82% African American, 9% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into University City Senior High?

University City Senior High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Barbara Jordan Elementary Elementary : Flynn Park Elementary Elementary : Jackson Park Elementary Elementary : Pershing Elementary Middle : Brittany Woods

University City Senior High

Summary:

University City Senior High is a public high school serving 726 students in grades 9-12 in University City, Missouri, which is part of the Clayton School District. The school faces significant challenges, with a high percentage of African American students, low academic performance, and a student population that is predominantly economically disadvantaged.

University City Senior High consistently ranks in the bottom half of Missouri high schools, with proficiency rates on state assessments ranging from just 3.6% to 54.3% across different subject areas. This is significantly lower than the state and surrounding district averages. The school's performance is particularly low for African American, special education, and gifted and talented student subgroups. In contrast, neighboring schools like Clayton High, Ladue Horton Watkins High, and Maplewood-Richmond Heights High significantly outperform University City Senior High on academic measures, despite serving student populations with varying socioeconomic and racial backgrounds.

The high percentage of economically disadvantaged students at University City Senior High, coupled with the school's low academic performance, suggests that factors such as access to resources, quality of instruction, and school climate may be contributing to the challenges faced by the school. Despite spending significantly more per student ($19,793 in 2021-2022) compared to the state average and some of the higher-performing nearby schools, the additional funding does not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of the school's underperformance and provides targeted support to students and teachers.

Detail:

Public 9-12

7401 Balson Ave
University City, MO 63130-2911

(314) 290-4100

District: University City

SchoolDigger Rank:
291^st of 352 Missouri High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,793

Feeder schools for University City Senior High:

Elementary:	Barbara Jordan Elementary
	Flynn Park Elementary
	Jackson Park Elementary
	Pershing Elementary
Middle:	Brittany Woods

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 726

Racial breakdown:

African American:

81.7%

White:

9.4%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.7%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare University City Senior High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details University City Senior High ranks worse than 82.7% of high schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.56. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at University City Senior 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.

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 (81.7%), White (9.4%), Hispanic (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at University City Senior High is 12.8. (See more...)

Compare University City Senior High employs 56.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at University City Senior High is $19,793.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

University City Senior High:

SchoolDigger ranks University City Senior High 291^st of 352 Missouri public high schools. (See University City Senior High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

University City:

SchoolDigger ranks University City 306^th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for University City Senior High

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Rank History for all students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	22.51	467^th	534	12.5%
2007	15.50	492^nd	538	8.6%
2008	15.17	495^th	539	8.2%
2009	5.48	488^th	507	3.7%
2010	5.77	495^th	516	4.1%
2011	4.61	501^st	528	5.1%
2012	10.48	490^th	522	6.1%
2013	16.00	482^nd	523	7.8%
2014	13.87	484^th	521	7.1%
2015	11.75	477^th	504	5.4%
2016	11.49	380^th	401	5.2%
2017	7.32	394^th	404	2.5%
2018	10.47	452^nd	468	3.4%
2019	20.47	389^th	460	15.4%
2021	30.28	248^th	358	30.7%
2022	23.95	278^th	361	23.0%
2023	17.56	291^st	352	17.3%

See the entire list of Missouri High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.11	109^th	127	14.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	20.87	341^st	382	10.7%
2019	34.95	255^th	368	30.7%
2021	50.38	102^nd	255	60.0%
2022	50.34	109^th	250	56.4%
2023	41.29	151^st	268	43.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.72	68^th	95	28.4%
2022	21.35	100^th	111	9.9%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	10.86	96^th	100	4.0%
2019	44.72	68^th	96	29.2%
2022	15.77	42^nd	45	6.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for African American students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	21.73	98^th	111	11.7%
2019	33.23	73^rd	106	31.1%
2021	20.19	90^th	96	6.3%
2022	46.71	57^th	105	45.7%
2023	37.20	64^th	99	35.4%

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

Rank History for White students at University City Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	89.18	10^th	440	97.7%
2019	88.78	15^th	430	96.5%

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

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for University City Senior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1115	1115
1992	193	1149	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1351
1993	168	1082	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1258
1994	161	1005	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1172
1995	140	1006	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1156
1996	140	1006	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1156
1997	157	953	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	1117
1998	158	963	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1131
1999	132	1002	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1140
2000	136	1005	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1147
2001	130	979	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	1120
2002	135	985	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1128
2003	135	985	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1128
2004	141	961	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	1114
2005	131	956	5	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	1103
2006	123	940	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	1079
2007	115	984	5	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1112
2008	86	941	6	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	1041
2009	86	935	5	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	1037
2010	84	954	7	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	1055
2011	85	828	5	7	4	0	0	0	929
2012	81	776	7	17	4	1	1	0	887
2013	96	717	9	13	3	1	2	0	841
2014	65	736	6	15	0	1	3	0	826
2015	65	734	6	13	2	0	5	0	825
2016	69	745	9	14	1	0	3	0	841
2017	64	671	9	20	0	0	17	0	781
2018	70	647	7	23	0	0	23	0	770
2019	82	607	6	23	2	0	26	0	746
2020	79	590	5	32	3	0	24	0	733
2021	74	587	1	29	0	0	31	0	722
2022	63	586	1	31	1	0	26	0	708
2023	68	593	3	32	1	0	29	0	726

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 City Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	1115	67.8	16.4	n/a
1992	1351	68.8	19.6	2.4
1993	1258	71.6	17.6	5.5
1994	1172	74.2	15.8	21.1
1995	1156	76.6	15.1	24.2
1996	1156	76.6	15.1	24.2
1997	1117	72.9	15.3	25.9
1998	1131	72.5	15.6	27.9
1999	1140	72.5	15.7	34.2
2000	1147	71.5	16.0	35.3
2001	1120	71.5	15.7	36.2
2002	1128	76.5	14.7	40.1
2003	1128	76.5	14.7	40.1
2004	1114	77.0	14.5	48
2005	1103	74.5	14.8	50
2006	1079	70.8	15.2	58.3
2007	1112	69.8	15.9	52.6
2008	1041	67.8	15.4	52.4
2009	1037	74.8	13.9	52.1
2010	1055	73.9	14.2	56
2011	929	71.2	13.0	53.5
2012	887	69.2	12.8	60.3
2013	841	66.0	12.7	59.6
2014	826	64.7	12.7	68.6
2015	825	62.0	13.3	69.7
2016	841	61.0	13.7	59.8
2017	781	59.4	13.1	99.2
2018	770	60.0	12.8	100
2019	746	57.1	13.0	99.6
2020	733	60.4	12.1	99.6
2021	722	55.1	13.1	98.6
2022	708	59.1	11.9	n/a
2023	726	56.4	12.8	99.7

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 City Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	1115	67.8	16.4	n/a
1992	1351	68.8	19.6	2.4
1993	1258	71.6	17.6	5.5
1994	1172	74.2	15.8	21.1
1995	1156	76.6	15.1	24.2
1996	1156	76.6	15.1	24.2
1997	1117	72.9	15.3	25.9
1998	1131	72.5	15.6	27.9
1999	1140	72.5	15.7	34.2
2000	1147	71.5	16.0	35.3
2001	1120	71.5	15.7	36.2
2002	1128	76.5	14.7	40.1
2003	1128	76.5	14.7	40.1
2004	1114	77.0	14.5	48
2005	1103	74.5	14.8	50
2006	1079	70.8	15.2	58.3
2007	1112	69.8	15.9	52.6
2008	1041	67.8	15.4	52.4
2009	1037	74.8	13.9	52.1
2010	1055	73.9	14.2	56
2011	929	71.2	13.0	53.5
2012	887	69.2	12.8	60.3
2013	841	66.0	12.7	59.6
2014	826	64.7	12.7	68.6
2015	825	62.0	13.3	69.7
2016	841	61.0	13.7	59.8
2017	781	59.4	13.1	99.2
2018	770	60.0	12.8	100
2019	746	57.1	13.0	99.6
2020	733	60.4	12.1	99.6
2021	722	55.1	13.1	98.6
2022	708	59.1	11.9	n/a
2023	726	56.4	12.8	99.7

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 City Senior High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$790 (4.5%)	$16,740 (95.5%)	$17,530
2020	$770 (4.5%)	$16,296 (95.5%)	$17,066
2021	$1,494 (8.6%)	$15,964 (91.4%)	$17,458
2022	$1,848 (9.3%)	$17,945 (90.7%)	$19,793

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on University City Senior 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 389^th of 460 High schools	Ranks 291^st of 352 High schools	1.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (University City Senior High)	18.7	23.5	4.8%
End of Course Algebra I (University City)	18.7	27.3	8.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)	45.3	41.5	3.8%
End of Course Biology I (University City Senior High)	21.2	15.5	5.7%
End of Course Biology I (University City)	21.2	15.5	5.7%
End of Course Biology I (Missouri)	39.2	38.5	0.7%
End of Course English II (University City Senior High)	43.4	44.2	0.8%
End of Course English II (University City)	43.4	44.2	0.8%
End of Course English II (Missouri)	59	53.6	5.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	746	726	2.7%
African American	607	593	2.3%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	6	3	50%
Hispanic	23	32	39.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	82	68	17.1%
Two or More Races	26	29	11.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.6%	99.7%	0.1%

Schools Near University City Senior High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MAP Algebra I (2023)	MAP Biology I (2023)	MAP English II (2023)	MAP Algebra II (2023)	MAP Government (2023)	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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University City Senior High	Public	9-12	7401 Balson Ave	University City	63130	St. Louis County	University City	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 290-4100	726	56	12.8	99.7%	68 (9.4%)	593 (81.7%)	32 (4.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.0%)	17.6	291^st of 352 public high schools	17.3%		24	278^th of 361 public high schools	23.0%	13	23.5	15.5			23.0	$19,793	$1,848	$17,945
Clayton High	Public	9-12	#1 Mark Twain Circle	Clayton	63105	St. Louis County	Clayton	No	No	No	No	(314) 854-6600	835	83	10.1	8.7%	509 (61.0%)	131 (15.7%)	36 (4.3%)	100 (12.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (6.9%)	87.6	10^th of 352 public high schools	97.2%		87.7	12^th of 361 public high schools	96.7%	2	64.6	65.1	73.1		65.6	$21,543	$658	$20,885
Juvenile Detention Center	Public	6-12	501 S Brentwood Blvd	Clayton	63105	St. Louis County	Specl. School Dst. St. Louis County	No	No	No	No	(314) 615-2974	30	15	2.0	56.7%	4 (13.3%)	26 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						$123,689	$3,094	$120,595
Reach St. Louis Day Treatment	Public	6-12	6124 Enright Ave	Saint Louis	63112	St. Louis city	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(314) 725-4122	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Met Day Treatment Center	Public	6-12	6347 Plymouth Ave.	Saint Louis	63133	St. Louis County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(314) 746-0850	5	1	5.0		0 (0.0%)	4 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (20.0%)								(n/a)
Normandy High	Public	9-12	6701 St Charles Rock Rd	Saint Louis	63133	St. Louis County	Normandy Schools Collaborative	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 493-0600	732	46	15.8	99.6%	11 (1.5%)	680 (92.9%)	23 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.5%)	2.4	349^th of 352 public high schools	0.9%		6.6	340^th of 361 public high schools	5.8%	9			15.5		5.0	$19,092	$6,830	$12,262
Soldan International Studies	Public, Magnet	9-12	918 N Union Blvd	Saint Louis	63108	St. Louis city	St. Louis City	No	Yes	No	Yes	(314) 367-9222	487	41	11.9	99.4%	8 (1.6%)	439 (90.1%)	28 (5.7%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	2.3	351^st of 352 public high schools	0.3%		4.8	355^th of 361 public high schools	1.7%	4		3.3	13.4		3.2	$15,749	$533	$15,216
Brentwood High	Public	9-12	2221 High School Dr	Brentwood	63144	St. Louis County	Brentwood	No	No	No	No	(314) 962-3837	191	22	8.5	29.8%	106 (55.5%)	40 (20.9%)	18 (9.4%)	12 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.9%)								(n/a)	67.7					$24,534	$768	$23,766
Ritenour Senior High	Public	9-12	9100 St Charles Rock Rd	Saint Louis	63114	St. Louis County	Ritenour	No	No	No	No	(314) 493-6105	1,873	98	19.0	99.8%	374 (20.0%)	788 (42.1%)	538 (28.7%)	28 (1.5%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	141 (7.5%)	17.1	295^th of 352 public high schools	16.2%		23.9	279^th of 361 public high schools	22.7%	16	23.5	18.4	36.3	14.0	17.0	$11,538	$998	$10,539
Maplewood-Richmond Heights High	Public	9-12	7500 Lohmeyer Ave	Maplewood	63143	St. Louis County	Maplewood-Richmond Heights	No	No	No	No	(314) 644-4401	413	34	12.1	32.0%	238 (57.6%)	92 (22.3%)	28 (6.8%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (11.1%)	65.7	64^th of 352 public high schools	81.8%		67.2	67^th of 361 public high schools	81.4%	3	62.7	46.6	51.0			$17,246	$611	$16,635

University City Senior High

University City Senior High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

University City:

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Rank History for University City Senior High

Rank History for all students at University City Senior High

Rank History for Special Education students at University City Senior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at University City Senior High

Rank History for Disabled students at University City Senior High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at University City Senior High

Rank History for African American students at University City Senior High

Rank History for White students at University City Senior High

Enrollment information for University City Senior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at University City Senior High

Student/Teacher Ratio University City Senior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for University City Senior High

Impact of COVID-19 on University City Senior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near University City Senior High

Frequently Asked Questions about University City Senior High

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