Is Northern High School a good school?

Northern High School ranks 349 th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northern High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 998 students attended Northern High School.

What is the racial makeup of Northern High School?

Students at Northern High School are 89% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Northern High School?

Northern High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Dillsburg Elementary School Elementary : Northern Elementary School Elementary : South Mountain Elementary School Elementary : Wellsville Campus Middle : Northern Middle School

Northern High School

Summary:

Northern High School is a public high school located in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,051 students. It is part of the Northern York County School District, which is ranked 248 out of 610 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northern High School's academic performance has been somewhat inconsistent, with its statewide ranking fluctuating between 159 out of 674 Pennsylvania high schools (4-star rating) in 2022-2023 and 349 out of 686 (2-star rating) in 2023-2024. The school's performance also varies among different student groups, with Northern High School ranking 354 out of 665 for female students (2-star rating) and 326 out of 662 for male students (3-star rating) in 2023-2024. Additionally, the school's proficiency rates on the Keystone Exams are mixed, with below-average performance in Algebra I and Biology, but above-average performance in Literature compared to the state average.

When comparing Northern High School to nearby schools, it generally performs in the middle to lower range. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Red Land Senior High School ranked 207 out of 686 Pennsylvania high schools, while Bermudian Springs High School ranked 439. This suggests that Northern High School may have room for improvement to reach the performance levels of some of its neighboring schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

653 S Baltimore St
Dillsburg, PA 17019-9690

(717) 432-8691

District: Northern York County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
349^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,189

Feeder schools for Northern High School:

Elementary:	Dillsburg Elementary School
	Northern Elementary School
	South Mountain Elementary School
	Wellsville Campus
Middle:	Northern Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 998

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.3%

Hispanic:

3.9%

Two or more races:

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Northern High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northern High School ranks worse than 50.9% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.37. (See more...)

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

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.3%), Hispanic (3.9%), two or more races (2.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 23% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern High School is 15.4. (See more...)

Compare Northern High School employs 64.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern High School is $14,189.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northern High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern High School 349^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Northern High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Northern York County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern York County School District 248^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Northern High School.

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Your rating for Northern High School?

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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	PA State Percentile
2003	68.21	185^th	583	68.3%
2004	64.68	235^th	590	60.2%
2005	47.45	385^th	593	35.1%
2006	45.16	406^th	604	32.8%
2007	62.71	269^th	615	56.3%
2008	42.09	434^th	621	30.1%
2009	51.75	372^nd	632	41.1%
2010	64.40	251^st	649	61.3%
2011	55.33	367^th	660	44.4%
2012	57.28	346^th	664	47.9%
2013	43.94	406^th	591	31.3%
2014	47.77	371^st	580	36.0%
2015	57.00	376^th	680	44.7%
2016	70.09	238^th	677	64.8%
2017	66.93	268^th	663	59.6%
2018	74.74	185^th	673	72.5%
2019	68.40	267^th	693	61.5%
2021	55.70	305^th	537	43.2%
2022	67.66	221^st	634	65.1%
2023	74.01	159^th	674	76.4%
2024	54.37	349^th	686	49.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	78.19	116^th	652	82.2%
2024	46.91	360^th	664	45.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania 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	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	52.94	354^th	665	46.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Northern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	71.08	105^th	502	79.1%
2024	40.31	267^th	513	48.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Northern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	53.89	326^th	662	50.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Northern High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	64.30	200^th	577	65.3%
2024	38.33	384^th	595	35.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

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	904	3	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	914
1989	853	5	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	864
1990	791	5	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	802
1991	730	7	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	744
1992	762	5	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	779
1993	768	6	6	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	790
1994	783	3	7	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	804
1995	864	1	14	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	885
1996	864	1	14	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	885
1997	877	1	10	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	893
1998	883	3	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	894
1999	915	1	9	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	926
2000	914	2	11	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	929
2001	924	2	12	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	942
2002	1008	5	17	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1032
2003	1008	5	17	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1032
2004	1037	6	17	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1063
2005	1061	7	15	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	1099
2006	1023	10	14	16	5	n/a	n/a	0	1068
2007	1021	9	11	19	8	n/a	n/a	0	1068
2008	1034	12	10	21	9	n/a	n/a	0	1086
2009	1008	15	12	14	7	n/a	n/a	1	1057
2010	994	13	13	13	8	n/a	n/a	3	1044
2011	988	14	19	15	4	0	7	0	1047
2012	920	13	19	16	4	1	2	0	975
2013	926	11	23	19	5	1	4	0	989
2014	914	11	23	26	4	1	8	0	987
2015	897	12	20	28	2	1	14	0	974
2016	925	12	22	26	4	0	6	0	995
2017	909	8	19	24	2	0	7	0	969
2018	932	11	20	26	3	0	12	0	1004
2019	940	11	17	20	1	0	12	0	1001
2020	968	12	15	26	2	0	11	0	1034
2021	979	17	15	35	1	1	11	0	1059
2022	969	18	19	38	2	3	13	0	1062
2023	942	23	15	44	2	3	22	0	1051
2024	891	20	19	39	1	3	25	0	998

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	914	59.2	15.4	n/a
1989	864	59.6	14.4	n/a
1990	802	57.2	14.0	0
1991	744	57.6	12.9	n/a
1992	779	57.0	13.6	n/a
1993	790	54.0	14.6	n/a
1994	804	55.3	14.5	n/a
1995	885	58.1	15.2	n/a
1996	885	58.1	15.2	n/a
1997	893	59.5	15.0	n/a
1998	894	61.0	14.7	n/a
1999	926	60.0	15.4	n/a
2000	929	60.5	15.4	3.6
2001	942	61.0	15.4	4
2002	1032	70.7	14.6	4.8
2003	1032	70.7	14.6	4.8
2004	1063	71.2	14.9	3.9
2005	1099	70.7	15.5	4.5
2006	1068	67.8	15.8	9
2007	1068	67.8	15.8	8.8
2008	1086	70.6	15.4	9.9
2009	1057	73.2	14.4	9.9
2010	1044	73.2	14.2	10
2011	1047	71.7	14.6	11.8
2012	975	67.2	14.4	11.3
2013	989	66.0	14.9	13.3
2014	987	65.8	14.9	17.4
2015	974	66.0	14.7	19.6
2016	995	67.0	14.8	20.4
2017	969	68.0	14.2	18.9
2018	1004	67.8	14.8	18.3
2019	1001	68.8	14.5	18.2
2020	1034	67.8	15.2	20
2021	1059	64.7	16.3	19.9
2022	1062	62.7	16.9	19.7
2023	1051	62.4	16.8	21.1
2024	998	64.4	15.4	23

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	914	59.2	15.4	n/a
1989	864	59.6	14.4	n/a
1990	802	57.2	14.0	0
1991	744	57.6	12.9	n/a
1992	779	57.0	13.6	n/a
1993	790	54.0	14.6	n/a
1994	804	55.3	14.5	n/a
1995	885	58.1	15.2	n/a
1996	885	58.1	15.2	n/a
1997	893	59.5	15.0	n/a
1998	894	61.0	14.7	n/a
1999	926	60.0	15.4	n/a
2000	929	60.5	15.4	3.6
2001	942	61.0	15.4	4
2002	1032	70.7	14.6	4.8
2003	1032	70.7	14.6	4.8
2004	1063	71.2	14.9	3.9
2005	1099	70.7	15.5	4.5
2006	1068	67.8	15.8	9
2007	1068	67.8	15.8	8.8
2008	1086	70.6	15.4	9.9
2009	1057	73.2	14.4	9.9
2010	1044	73.2	14.2	10
2011	1047	71.7	14.6	11.8
2012	975	67.2	14.4	11.3
2013	989	66.0	14.9	13.3
2014	987	65.8	14.9	17.4
2015	974	66.0	14.7	19.6
2016	995	67.0	14.8	20.4
2017	969	68.0	14.2	18.9
2018	1004	67.8	14.8	18.3
2019	1001	68.8	14.5	18.2
2020	1034	67.8	15.2	20
2021	1059	64.7	16.3	19.9
2022	1062	62.7	16.9	19.7
2023	1051	62.4	16.8	21.1
2024	998	64.4	15.4	23

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$370 (2.6%)	$13,873 (97.4%)	$14,243
2020	$127 (0.9%)	$13,732 (99.1%)	$13,860
2021	$432 (3.2%)	$13,203 (96.8%)	$13,635
2022	$331 (2.3%)	$13,858 (97.7%)	$14,189

Data source: Pennsylvania 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 267^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 159^th of 674 High schools	14.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Northern High School)	70.3	29.3	41%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Northern High School)	69.4	63	6.4%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Northern High School)	77.7	83.8	6.1%
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	1001	1051	5%
African American	11	23	109.1%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	17	15	11.8%
Hispanic	20	44	120%
Pacific Islander	0	3
White	940	942	0.2%
Two or More Races	12	22	83.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.2%	21.1%	2.9%

Schools Near Northern High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	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 (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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northern High School	Public	9-12	653 S Baltimore St	Dillsburg	17019	York County	Northern York County School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 432-8691	998	64	15.4	23.0%	891 (89.3%)	20 (2.0%)	39 (3.9%)	19 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	25 (2.5%)	54.4	349^th of 686 public high schools	49.1%		74	159^th of 674 public high schools	76.4%	190	31.1	50.5	70.6	$14,189	$331	$13,858
Boiling Springs High School	Public	9-12	21 Academy Street	Boiling Springs	17007	Cumberland County	South Middleton School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 258-6484	744	51	14.5	32.8%	605 (81.3%)	13 (1.7%)	27 (3.6%)	57 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.6%)	54.6	348^th of 686 public high schools	49.3%		67.9	228^th of 674 public high schools	66.2%	120	44.1	46.0	63.4	$17,738	$114	$17,625
Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 S Broad St	Mechanicsburg	17055	Cumberland County	Mechanicsburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 691-4530	1,371	101	13.5	37.9%	982 (71.6%)	135 (9.8%)	110 (8.0%)	60 (4.4%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (5.8%)	63.8	256^th of 686 public high schools	62.7%		74.5	155^th of 674 public high schools	77.0%	101	40.3	59.8	67.2	$16,496	$498	$15,998
Bermudian Springs High School	Public	9-12	7335 Carlisle Pike	York Springs	17372	Adams County	Bermudian Springs School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 528-4113	602	40	15.0	33.7%	487 (80.9%)	2 (0.3%)	94 (15.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.0%)	44.1	439^th of 686 public high schools	36.0%		47.1	404^th of 674 public high schools	40.1%	35	33.3	45.8	58.0	$14,501	$55	$14,447
Cumberland Valley High School	Public	9-12	6746 Carlisle Pike	Mechanicsburg	17050	Cumberland County	Cumberland Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 766-0217	3,114	170	18.3	28.6%	2,005 (64.4%)	155 (5.0%)	195 (6.3%)	614 (19.7%)	10 (0.3%)	4 (0.1%)	131 (4.2%)	88.5	54^th of 686 public high schools	92.1%		91	34^th of 674 public high schools	95.0%	20	61.5	74.7	83.6	$13,700	$00	$13,700
Red Land Senior High School	Public	9-12	560 Fishing Creek Rd	Lewisberry	17339	York County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 938-6561	1,056	74	14.2	28.7%	929 (88.0%)	15 (1.4%)	65 (6.2%)	15 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (2.8%)	70	207^th of 686 public high schools	69.8%		80.9	107^th of 674 public high schools	84.1%	100	49.0	53.6	75.9	$19,934	$1,193	$18,741
Cumberland Perry Area Career & Technical Center	Public	9-12	110 Old Willow Mill Road	Mechanicsburg	17050	Cumberland County	Cumberland Perry Area Career & Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(717) 697-0354	20	38	.5	85.0%	14 (70.0%)	1 (5.0%)	4 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)
Camp Hill Senior High School	Public	9-12	100 S 24th St	Camp Hill	17011	Cumberland County	Camp Hill School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 901-2500	418	27	15.3	17.5%	321 (76.8%)	13 (3.1%)	42 (10.0%)	18 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	86.2	69^th of 686 public high schools	89.9%		87.1	63^rd of 674 public high schools	90.7%	6	53.5	81.2	82.9	$18,332	$602	$17,730
Dover Area High School	Public	9-12	4500 Intermediate Ave	Dover	17315	York County	Dover Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 292-8066	1,013	63	16.0	95.4%	743 (73.3%)	59 (5.8%)	146 (14.4%)	9 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (5.3%)	58.5	312^th of 686 public high schools	54.5%		65.5	251^st of 674 public high schools	62.8%	61	56.7	44.7	60.8	$14,528	$439	$14,089
Cedar Cliff High School	Public	9-12	1301 Carlisle Road	Camp Hill	17011	Cumberland County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 737-8654	1,359	86	15.7	41.0%	917 (67.5%)	114 (8.4%)	189 (13.9%)	58 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	79 (5.8%)	58.8	311^th of 686 public high schools	54.7%		47.2	402^nd of 674 public high schools	40.4%	91	51.7	48.2	61.1	$19,307	$1,156	$18,152

Northern High School

Northern High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Northern York County School District:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Northern High School

Rank History for all students at Northern High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Northern High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Northern High School

Rank History for Male students at Northern High School

Rank History for White students at Northern High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Northern High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northern High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Northern High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northern High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Northern High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern High School

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