Northwestern Senior High School

Q: Is Northwestern Senior High School a good school?

Northwestern Senior High School ranks 236 th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northwestern Senior High School is a public high school located in Albion, Pennsylvania, serving around 410 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Northwestern School District, which is ranked 198 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Northwestern Senior High School maintains relatively strong graduation and dropout rates compared to nearby schools, it faces some unique challenges. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (96.83%) compared to the more diverse student populations in surrounding areas. In academic performance, the school has performed better than the state average in Literature on the Keystone Exams, but has struggled in Algebra I and Biology. Additionally, the school has seen a sharp increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from around 47% in 2020-2021 to 89.27% in 2022-2023, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges in the community.

When compared to nearby high schools like Fort LeBoeuf Senior High School, McDowell High School, and Cambridge Springs Junior/Senior High School, Northwestern Senior High School generally performs on par or slightly below in terms of test scores and graduation rates. However, the school stands out with its significantly higher percentage of white students and lower racial diversity compared to the surrounding schools. The school's ranking has also fluctuated over the years, dropping from a high of 242 in 2014-2015 to a low of 466 in 2021-2022, before rebounding to 236 in the current school year, suggesting that the school may be facing challenges in keeping up with the performance of other high schools in the state.

Detail:

Public 9-12

200 Harthan Way
Albion, PA 16401-1370

(814) 756-9400

District: Northwestern School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
236^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,332

Feeder schools for Northwestern Senior High School:

Elementary:	Northwestern Elementary School
	Springfield Elementary School
Middle:	Northwestern Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 410

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.8%

Two or more races:

1.7%

Asian:

0.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.3%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Northwestern Senior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwestern Senior High School ranks better than 65% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.38. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Northwestern Senior 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 (96.8%), two or more races (1.7%), Asian (0.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northwestern Senior High School is 12.9. (See more...)

Compare Northwestern Senior High School employs 31.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwestern Senior High School is $17,332.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Northwestern Senior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwestern Senior High School 236^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Northwestern Senior High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Northwestern School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwestern School District 198^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwestern Senior High School

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Rank History for all students at Northwestern Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	28.39	474^th	583	18.7%
2004	39.48	422^nd	590	28.5%
2005	37.69	451^st	593	23.9%
2006	65.19	229^th	604	62.1%
2007	51.27	378^th	615	38.5%
2008	51.16	369^th	621	40.6%
2009	46.10	426^th	632	32.6%
2010	42.23	463^rd	649	28.7%
2011	55.41	365^th	660	44.7%
2012	39.24	485^th	664	27.0%
2013	34.22	462^nd	591	21.8%
2014	48.71	365^th	580	37.1%
2015	68.48	242^nd	680	64.4%
2016	64.43	310^th	677	54.2%
2017	61.90	323^rd	663	51.3%
2018	67.59	288^th	673	57.2%
2019	67.33	278^th	693	59.9%
2022	36.91	466^th	634	26.5%
2023	67.38	236^th	674	65.0%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwestern Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	79.94	103^rd	652	84.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Northwestern Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.74	271^st	502	46.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Northwestern Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.83	273^rd	577	52.7%

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 Northwestern Senior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	444	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
1989	454	4	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	459
1990	439	6	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
1991	542	10	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	565
1992	505	9	5	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	531
1993	509	8	2	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	524
1994	535	6	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	550
1995	560	5	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	576
1996	560	5	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	576
1997	595	7	1	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	611
1998	639	12	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	654
1999	619	8	1	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	633
2000	623	8	2	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	638
2001	578	7	3	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	593
2002	568	7	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2003	568	7	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2004	578	4	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	587
2005	601	5	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	613
2006	626	3	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	636
2007	605	6	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	616
2008	610	7	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	622
2009	587	8	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	2	598
2010	562	6	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	4	575
2011	558	10	0	4	0	0	2	0	574
2012	540	7	0	3	1	0	2	0	553
2013	526	3	1	2	1	0	2	0	535
2014	490	8	0	2	3	0	1	0	504
2015	464	4	0	4	2	0	2	0	476
2016	449	3	0	3	2	0	2	0	459
2017	435	3	0	6	1	0	3	0	448
2018	439	1	0	6	1	0	3	0	450
2019	421	1	0	3	1	0	10	0	436
2020	394	1	2	4	2	0	15	0	418
2021	401	0	3	5	2	0	11	0	422
2022	404	0	3	3	1	0	11	0	422
2023	397	2	3	0	1	0	7	0	410

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 Northwestern Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	448	27.0	16.5	n/a
1989	459	26.0	17.6	n/a
1990	449	25.0	17.9	0
1991	565	30.5	18.5	n/a
1992	531	27.5	19.3	n/a
1993	524	25.5	20.5	n/a
1994	550	25.4	21.7	n/a
1995	576	26.4	21.8	n/a
1996	576	26.4	21.8	n/a
1997	611	26.4	23.1	n/a
1998	654	27.2	24.0	n/a
1999	633	30.0	21.1	n/a
2000	638	31.0	20.6	45.8
2001	593	31.0	19.1	45.2
2002	584	32.0	18.3	64.7
2003	584	32.0	18.3	64.7
2004	587	33.4	17.6	54.7
2005	613	34.2	17.9	61.7
2006	636	34.2	18.6	61.6
2007	616	36.3	17.0	64.4
2008	622	36.0	17.3	64
2009	598	36.0	16.6	67.1
2010	575	35.7	16.1	39.4
2011	574	35.6	16.1	41.6
2012	553	34.1	16.1	39.2
2013	535	33.2	16.0	46
2014	504	33.2	15.1	44.4
2015	476	33.0	14.4	44.3
2016	459	33.0	13.9	51.9
2017	448	34.3	13.0	50.7
2018	450	33.1	13.5	49.6
2019	436	32.9	13.2	51.6
2020	418	31.8	13.1	48.3
2021	422	32.5	12.9	48.6
2022	422	31.6	13.3	46.9
2023	410	31.6	12.9	89.3

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 Northwestern Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	448	27.0	16.5	n/a
1989	459	26.0	17.6	n/a
1990	449	25.0	17.9	0
1991	565	30.5	18.5	n/a
1992	531	27.5	19.3	n/a
1993	524	25.5	20.5	n/a
1994	550	25.4	21.7	n/a
1995	576	26.4	21.8	n/a
1996	576	26.4	21.8	n/a
1997	611	26.4	23.1	n/a
1998	654	27.2	24.0	n/a
1999	633	30.0	21.1	n/a
2000	638	31.0	20.6	45.8
2001	593	31.0	19.1	45.2
2002	584	32.0	18.3	64.7
2003	584	32.0	18.3	64.7
2004	587	33.4	17.6	54.7
2005	613	34.2	17.9	61.7
2006	636	34.2	18.6	61.6
2007	616	36.3	17.0	64.4
2008	622	36.0	17.3	64
2009	598	36.0	16.6	67.1
2010	575	35.7	16.1	39.4
2011	574	35.6	16.1	41.6
2012	553	34.1	16.1	39.2
2013	535	33.2	16.0	46
2014	504	33.2	15.1	44.4
2015	476	33.0	14.4	44.3
2016	459	33.0	13.9	51.9
2017	448	34.3	13.0	50.7
2018	450	33.1	13.5	49.6
2019	436	32.9	13.2	51.6
2020	418	31.8	13.1	48.3
2021	422	32.5	12.9	48.6
2022	422	31.6	13.3	46.9
2023	410	31.6	12.9	89.3

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 Northwestern Senior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$61 (0.4%)	$14,891 (99.6%)	$14,953
2020	$76 (0.4%)	$18,490 (99.6%)	$18,566
2021	$1,504 (5.6%)	$25,408 (94.4%)	$26,912
2022	$1,695 (9.8%)	$15,637 (90.2%)	$17,332

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwestern Senior 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 278^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 236^th of 674 High schools	5.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Northwestern Senior High School)	71.3	33.8	37.5%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Northwestern Senior High School)	66.7	62.4	4.3%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Northwestern Senior High School)	77.4	69.7	7.7%
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	436	410	6%
African American	1	2	100%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	3	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	421	397	5.7%
Two or More Races	10	7	30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.6%	89.3%	37.7%

Schools Near Northwestern Senior 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
Northwestern Senior High School	Public	9-12	200 Harthan Way	Albion	16401	Erie County	Northwestern School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 756-9400	410	32	12.9	89.3%	397 (96.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	67.4	236^th of 674 public high schools	65.0%		36.9	466^th of 634 public high schools	26.5%	230	33.8	62.4	69.7									$17,332	$1,695	$15,637
Girard High School	Public	9-12	1135 Lake St	Girard	16417	Erie County	Girard School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 774-5607	511	32	16.1	47.7%	465 (91.0%)	3 (0.6%)	20 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.1%)	84.8	83^rd of 674 public high schools	87.7%		78	129^th of 634 public high schools	79.7%	46	60.8	61.4	82.0									$18,367	$2,330	$16,037
Fairview High School	Public	9-12	7460 McCray Rd	Fairview	16415	Erie County	Fairview School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 474-2600	588	54	10.8	20.6%	506 (86.1%)	7 (1.2%)	27 (4.6%)	23 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.3%)	88.2	54^th of 674 public high schools	92.0%		92.4	10^th of 634 public high schools	98.4%	44	53.9	83.2	78.6									$17,122	$77	$17,045
General McLane High School	Public	9-12	11761 Edinboro Rd	Edinboro	16412	Erie County	General McLane School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 273-1033	698	45	15.3	37.1%	632 (90.5%)	7 (1.0%)	23 (3.3%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.2%)	60.4	292^nd of 674 public high schools	56.7%		63.6	258^th of 634 public high schools	59.3%	34	32.9	51.8	68.8									$18,696	$324	$18,372
Saegertown Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	18079 Mook Road	Saegertown	16433	Crawford County	Penncrest School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 337-1635	445	31	14.3	38.9%	413 (92.8%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)	55.3	337^th of 674 public high schools	50.0%		64	257^th of 634 public high schools	59.5%	80	5.3	53.4	72.6	45.9	15.9	30.0	53.6	53.6	61.7	31.9	45.7	$20,279	$1,946	$18,333
Cambridge Springs Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	641 Venango Avenue	Cambridge Springs	16403	Crawford County	Penncrest School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 398-4631	368	31	11.9	47.0%	333 (90.5%)	5 (1.4%)	13 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.3%)	57.1	321^st of 674 public high schools	52.4%		76.4	151^st of 634 public high schools	76.2%	170	21.6	55.2	67.6	21.1	22.0	21.5	71.5	71.5	49.1	60.0	54.3	$23,326	$1,946	$21,380
Conneaut Area Senior High	Public	9-12	302 W School Dr	Linesville	16424	Crawford County	Conneaut School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 683-5551	579	43	13.5	79.8%	544 (94.0%)	7 (1.2%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	52.9	355^th of 674 public high schools	47.3%		32	489^th of 634 public high schools	22.9%	134	23.6	55.5	61.9									$21,476	$2,150	$19,326
Erie County Technical School	Public	9-12	8500 Oliver Road	Erie	16509	Erie County	Erie County Technical School	No	No	No	No	(814) 464-8600	1	23	.0		1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
McDowell High School	Public	9-12	3580 West 38th St	Erie	16506	Erie County	Millcreek Township School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 835-5403	2,205	134	16.4	40.4%	1,801 (81.7%)	77 (3.5%)	99 (4.5%)	90 (4.1%)	5 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	132 (6.0%)	77.1	136^th of 674 public high schools	79.8%		77.6	137^th of 634 public high schools	78.4%	1	43.5	64.8	75.2									$14,805	$1,008	$13,797
Fort LeBoeuf Senior High School	Public	9-12	931 N High St	Waterford	16441	Erie County	Fort LeBoeuf School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 796-2616	663	50	13.2	44.9%	641 (96.7%)	3 (0.5%)	10 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	88.3	53^rd of 674 public high schools	92.1%		60.4	288^th of 634 public high schools	54.6%	235	64.6	66.6	83.3									$16,986	$1,439	$15,546

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwestern Senior High School

Is Northwestern Senior High School a good school?

Northwestern Senior High School ranks 236^th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Northwestern Senior High School?

Students at Northwestern Senior High School are 97% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Northwestern Senior High School?

Northwestern Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Northwestern Elementary School
Elementary : Springfield Elementary School
Middle : Northwestern Middle School

What district is Northwestern Senior High School in?

Northwestern School District

How many students attend Northwestern Senior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 410 students attended Northwestern Senior High School.

Rate Northwestern Senior High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania 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.