Is Berwick Area High School a good school?

Berwick Area High School ranks 478 th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Berwick Area High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 782 students attended Berwick Area High School.

What is the racial makeup of Berwick Area High School?

Students at Berwick Area High School are 81% White, 15% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Berwick Area High School?

Berwick Area High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Nescopeck Elementary School Elementary : Salem Elementary School Middle : Berwick Area Middle School

Berwick Area High School

Summary:

Berwick Area High School is a public high school serving 782 students in grades 9-12 in Berwick, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Berwick Area School District, which is ranked 321 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Berwick Area High School stands out for several reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of white students (81.46%) compared to nearby schools like Shenandoah Valley Junior/Senior High School (33.21%) and Hazleton Area High School (33.75%). However, the school's test scores on the Keystone Exams are generally lower than state averages, with proficiency rates of 23% in Algebra I, 37.8% in Biology, and 55.4% in Literature, compared to state averages of 34.1%, 50.7%, and 65.3%, respectively. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate of 88.5% is lower than nearby schools like Millville Area Junior/Senior High School (95.0%) and Central Columbia Senior High School (95.6%), and its dropout rate of 2.0% is higher than some of the surrounding schools.

One of the most striking findings about Berwick Area High School is the extremely high percentage of students (100%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. This is significantly higher than the surrounding schools, such as Millville Area Junior/Senior High School (39.84%) and Central Columbia Senior High School (26.8%). The school's performance, as measured by its statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating, has also been declining over the years, dropping from a ranking of 235 out of 663 in 2016-2017 to 478 out of 674 in 2022-2023, and from a 3-star rating to a 1-star rating during this period.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1100 Fowler Ave
Berwick, PA 18603-2300

(570) 759-6400

District: Berwick Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
478^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,062

Feeder schools for Berwick Area High School:

Elementary:	Nescopeck Elementary School
	Salem Elementary School
Middle:	Berwick Area Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 782

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.5%

Hispanic:

15.0%

African American:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Berwick Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Berwick Area High School ranks worse than 70.9% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.41. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Berwick Area High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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 (81.5%), Hispanic (15%), African American (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Berwick Area High School is 15.5. (See more...)

Compare Berwick Area High School employs 50.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Berwick Area High School is $12,062.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Berwick Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Berwick Area High School 478^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Berwick Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Berwick Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Berwick Area School District 321^st of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Berwick Area High School?

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Rank History for Berwick Area High School

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Rank History for all students at Berwick Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	52.68	333^rd	583	42.9%
2004	43.74	389^th	590	34.1%
2005	52.04	347^th	593	41.5%
2006	52.59	349^th	604	42.2%
2007	40.32	462^nd	615	24.9%
2008	49.18	382^nd	621	38.5%
2009	48.21	406^th	632	35.8%
2010	40.25	479^th	649	26.2%
2011	46.78	436^th	660	33.9%
2012	27.00	541^st	664	18.5%
2013	35.41	457^th	591	22.7%
2014	56.05	303^rd	580	47.8%
2015	63.11	304^th	680	55.3%
2016	62.13	336^th	677	50.4%
2017	70.04	235^th	663	64.6%
2018	70.37	243^rd	673	63.9%
2019	59.35	351^st	693	49.4%
2021	58.88	284^th	537	47.1%
2022	39.24	456^th	634	28.1%
2023	35.41	478^th	674	29.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Berwick Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.68	534^th	652	18.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Berwick Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.09	434^th	502	13.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Berwick Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.91	183^rd	252	27.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Berwick Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	27.92	458^th	577	20.6%

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

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

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Enrollment information for Berwick Area High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	715	2	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	721
1989	925	3	7	13	0	n/a	n/a	948
1990	881	3	5	6	1	n/a	n/a	896
1991	861	5	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	872
1992	864	8	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	876
1993	959	10	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	975
1994	911	13	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	929
1995	993	11	6	4	1	n/a	n/a	1015
1996	993	11	6	4	1	n/a	n/a	1015
1997	963	12	5	13	0	n/a	n/a	993
1998	1029	11	5	21	0	n/a	n/a	1066
1999	1010	10	6	20	0	n/a	n/a	1046
2000	957	8	8	14	0	n/a	n/a	987
2001	970	15	10	14	0	n/a	n/a	1009
2002	925	14	5	21	0	n/a	n/a	965
2003	925	14	5	21	0	n/a	n/a	965
2004	905	14	5	24	0	n/a	n/a	948
2005	896	17	4	28	0	n/a	n/a	945
2006	948	13	3	27	1	n/a	n/a	992
2007	936	15	7	25	2	n/a	n/a	985
2008	891	15	6	28	2	n/a	n/a	942
2009	892	15	10	30	0	n/a	n/a	947
2010	904	18	12	34	1	n/a	n/a	969
2011	852	16	9	37	0	0	1	915
2012	857	22	7	41	0	0	2	929
2013	794	27	4	53	0	0	1	879
2014	739	27	5	41	0	0	1	813
2015	684	28	7	44	0	1	3	767
2016	666	35	9	46	1	0	5	762
2017	654	26	7	44	0	0	7	738
2018	664	24	6	48	0	0	9	751
2019	653	21	5	49	0	0	4	732
2020	667	15	3	67	0	0	10	762
2021	659	18	4	76	0	0	8	765
2022	605	16	3	85	0	0	8	717
2023	637	13	2	117	0	0	13	782

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 Berwick Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	721	46.8	15.4	n/a
1989	948	66.3	14.2	n/a
1990	896	64.0	14.0	0
1991	872	65.3	13.3	n/a
1992	876	68.0	12.8	n/a
1993	975	61.5	15.9	n/a
1994	929	65.0	14.3	n/a
1995	1015	64.5	15.7	n/a
1996	1015	64.5	15.7	n/a
1997	993	64.5	15.4	n/a
1998	1066	65.5	16.3	n/a
1999	1046	66.0	15.8	n/a
2000	987	67.0	14.7	22.1
2001	1009	69.0	14.6	25.2
2002	965	73.9	13.1	26.8
2003	965	73.9	13.1	26.8
2004	948	75.0	12.6	24.1
2005	945	74.8	12.6	27.4
2006	992	73.6	13.5	26.9
2007	985	73.8	13.3	29.5
2008	942	73.3	12.9	30.4
2009	947	77.3	12.3	29.3
2010	969	75.3	12.8	37
2011	915	76.3	11.9	32.9
2012	929	72.8	12.7	34.6
2013	879	65.3	13.4	39.5
2014	813	61.2	13.2	36.9
2015	767	58.0	13.2	40.5
2016	762	53.0	14.3	48.4
2017	738	52.6	14.0	48.1
2018	751	53.2	14.1	50.1
2019	732	52.8	13.8	50.7
2020	762	49.7	15.3	n/a
2021	765	47.7	16.0	99.6
2022	717	50.2	14.2	99.6
2023	782	50.4	15.5	100

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 Berwick Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	721	46.8	15.4	n/a
1989	948	66.3	14.2	n/a
1990	896	64.0	14.0	0
1991	872	65.3	13.3	n/a
1992	876	68.0	12.8	n/a
1993	975	61.5	15.9	n/a
1994	929	65.0	14.3	n/a
1995	1015	64.5	15.7	n/a
1996	1015	64.5	15.7	n/a
1997	993	64.5	15.4	n/a
1998	1066	65.5	16.3	n/a
1999	1046	66.0	15.8	n/a
2000	987	67.0	14.7	22.1
2001	1009	69.0	14.6	25.2
2002	965	73.9	13.1	26.8
2003	965	73.9	13.1	26.8
2004	948	75.0	12.6	24.1
2005	945	74.8	12.6	27.4
2006	992	73.6	13.5	26.9
2007	985	73.8	13.3	29.5
2008	942	73.3	12.9	30.4
2009	947	77.3	12.3	29.3
2010	969	75.3	12.8	37
2011	915	76.3	11.9	32.9
2012	929	72.8	12.7	34.6
2013	879	65.3	13.4	39.5
2014	813	61.2	13.2	36.9
2015	767	58.0	13.2	40.5
2016	762	53.0	14.3	48.4
2017	738	52.6	14.0	48.1
2018	751	53.2	14.1	50.1
2019	732	52.8	13.8	50.7
2020	762	49.7	15.3	n/a
2021	765	47.7	16.0	99.6
2022	717	50.2	14.2	99.6
2023	782	50.4	15.5	100

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 Berwick Area High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$268 (1.8%)	$14,809 (98.2%)	$15,077
2020	$324 (2.1%)	$15,047 (97.9%)	$15,371
2021	$633 (4.1%)	$14,924 (95.9%)	$15,557
2022	$82 (0.7%)	$11,980 (99.3%)	$12,062

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Berwick Area 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 351^st of 693 High schools	Ranks 478^th of 674 High schools	20.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Berwick Area High School)	66.6	23	43.6%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Berwick Area High School)	65.8	37.8	28%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Berwick Area High School)	69.1	55.4	13.7%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	732	782	6.8%
African American	21	13	38.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	49	117	138.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	653	637	2.5%
Two or More Races	4	13	225%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50.7%	100%	49.3%

Schools Near Berwick Area High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	PSSA Math (2023)			PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Berwick Area High School	Public	9-12	1100 Fowler Ave	Berwick	18603	Columbia County	Berwick Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 759-6400	782	50	15.5	100.0%	637 (81.5%)	13 (1.7%)	117 (15.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.7%)	35.4	478^th of 674 public high schools	29.1%		39.2	456^th of 634 public high schools	28.1%	22	23.0	37.8	55.4									$12,062	$82	$11,980
Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School	Public	9-12	5050 Sweppenheiser Drive	Bloomsburg	17815	Columbia County	Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School	No	No	No	No	(570) 784-8040	609	48	12.5	48.3%	561 (92.1%)	9 (1.5%)	21 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)	56.9	324^th of 674 public high schools	51.9%		17.7	539^th of 634 public high schools	15.0%	215	34.8	55.6	59.8
Central Columbia Senior High School	Public	9-12	4777 Old Berwick Rd	Bloomsburg	17815	Columbia County	Central Columbia School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 784-2833	597	45	13.2	26.8%	531 (88.9%)	9 (1.5%)	22 (3.7%)	16 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.8%)	87.8	57^th of 674 public high schools	91.5%		70.3	208^th of 634 public high schools	67.2%	151	76.9	73.9	75.8									$21,169	$1,080	$20,089
Northwest Area High School	Public	7-12	243 Thorne Hill Rd	Shickshinny	18655	Luzerne County	Northwest Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 542-4126	416	36	11.5	41.6%	398 (95.7%)	3 (0.7%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	64.7	256^th of 674 public high schools	62.0%		55.4	344^th of 634 public high schools	45.7%	88	23.7	64.8	68.6	15.8	13.6	14.7	61.1	61.1	61.8	47.3	54.8	$21,662	$560	$21,102
Benton Area High School	Public	9-12	400 Park St	Benton	17814	Columbia County	Benton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 925-6651	200	17	11.4	40.0%	191 (95.5%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (2.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	58.9	306^th of 674 public high schools	54.6%		55.4	342^nd of 634 public high schools	46.1%	36	25.0	54.9	69.2									$19,220	$913	$18,307
Bloomsburg Area High School	Public	9-12	1200 Railroad St	Bloomsburg	17815	Columbia County	Bloomsburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 784-6100	428	27	15.7	43.0%	348 (81.3%)	18 (4.2%)	30 (7.0%)	9 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	60.3	294^th of 674 public high schools	56.4%		75	165^th of 634 public high schools	74.0%	129	22.3	59.2	69.8									$14,399	$232	$14,166
Hazleton Area High School	Public	9-12	1601 W 23rd St	Hazle Township	18202	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 459-3221	3,795	198	19.1	82.8%	1,281 (33.8%)	61 (1.6%)	2,389 (63.0%)	27 (0.7%)	9 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (0.7%)	26.3	528^th of 674 public high schools	21.7%		26	507^th of 634 public high schools	20.0%	21	15.4	33.4	51.1									$11,014	$4,479	$6,535
Hazleton Area Career Center	Public	9-12	1451 W 23rd St	Hazleton	18202	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area Career Center	No	No	No	No	(570) 459-3221	0	29	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Greater Nanticoke Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	425 Kosciuszko St	Nanticoke	18634	Luzerne County	Greater Nanticoke Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 735-7781	714	36	20.1	88.8%	521 (73.0%)	45 (6.3%)	113 (15.8%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.5%)	31.7	498^th of 674 public high schools	26.1%		29.5	495^th of 634 public high schools	21.9%	3	13.5	32.5	60.1									$15,576	$1,787	$13,789
Millville Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	345 School House Lane	Millville	17846	Columbia County	Millville Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 458-5538	251	34	7.4	39.8%	237 (94.4%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	86.4	68^th of 674 public high schools	89.9%		70.8	204^th of 634 public high schools	67.8%	136	50.0	78.6	79.3	28.5	30.4	29.4	55.6	55.6	60.7	50.0	55.9	$28,142	$2,598	$25,544

Berwick Area High School

Berwick Area High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Berwick Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Berwick Area High School

Rank History for all students at Berwick Area High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Berwick Area High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Berwick Area High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Berwick Area High School

Rank History for White students at Berwick Area High School

Enrollment information for Berwick Area High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Berwick Area High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Berwick Area High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Berwick Area High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Berwick Area High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Berwick Area High School