South Fayette High School

Summary:

South Fayette High School is a public high school located in Mc Donald, Pennsylvania, serving 1,074 students in grades 9-12 as part of the South Fayette Township School District, which is ranked 8th out of 610 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Fayette High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Pennsylvania, with a statewide ranking of 13th out of 686 schools in the 2023-2024 school year. The school has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years, indicating exceptional academic achievement. Students at South Fayette High School significantly outperform the state averages on the Keystone Exams, with 79.6% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra I, 84.7% in Biology, and 89.1% in Literature, compared to the state averages of 41.6%, 50.5%, and 63.2%, respectively. The school also maintains a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.0% to 97.1% over the past few years, which is consistently higher than the state average, and a very low dropout rate, ranging from 0.0% to 1.6%.

Despite being a high-performing school, South Fayette High School serves a relatively diverse student population, with 9.96% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. The school's ranking for low socioeconomic status students is 30th out of 664 Pennsylvania high schools, indicating that it is able to provide a high-quality education to students from various socioeconomic backgrounds. South Fayette High School is surrounded by other high-performing institutions, such as Upper Saint Clair High School and Mt. Lebanon Senior High School, which are ranked 11th and 6th in the state, respectively, creating a competitive environment that may contribute to the continued excellence of South Fayette High School.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 3640 Old Oakdale Rd
       Mc Donald, PA  15057-2580


(412) 221-4542

District: South Fayette Township School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
13th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,422 Help


Feeder schools for South Fayette High School:

Elementary:    South Fayette Elementary School
    South Fayette Intermediate School
Middle:    South Fayette Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.9 Help
Number of students:  1,115

Racial breakdown:

White:
71.6%
Asian:
20.1%
Two or more races:
4.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details South Fayette High School ranks better than 98.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.61. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South Fayette High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71.6%), Asian (20.1%), two or more races (4.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 16.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Fayette High School is 14.9. (See more...)
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Compare South Fayette High School employs 74.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Fayette High School is $16,422.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Fayette High School:

SchoolDigger ranks South Fayette High School 13th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See South Fayette High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Asian students:
White students:


South Fayette Township School District:

SchoolDigger ranks South Fayette Township School District 8th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for South Fayette High School

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Rank History for all students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 89.86 30th 583 94.9%
2004 94.90 7th 590 98.8%
2005 88.70 22nd 593 96.3%
2006 83.85 47th 604 92.2%
2007 84.04 51st 615 91.7%
2008 88.82 24th 621 96.1%
2009 90.24 20th 632 96.8%
2010 90.15 18th 649 97.2%
2011 90.63 15th 660 97.7%
2012 85.86 37th 664 94.4%
2013 90.94 16th 591 97.3%
2014 90.51 19th 580 96.7%
2015 89.34 21st 680 96.9%
2016 82.87 69th 677 89.8%
2017 87.04 31st 663 95.3%
2018 86.60 38th 673 94.4%
2019 90.25 19th 693 97.3%
2021 84.64 51st 537 90.5%
2022 90.30 19th 634 97.0%
2023 94.77 14th 674 97.9%
2024 95.61 13th 686 98.1%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 79.45 32nd 150 78.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 96.87 8th 652 98.8%
2024 92.26 30th 664 95.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 93.98 14th 665 97.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 97.39 15th 502 97.0%
2024 95.07 25th 513 95.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 96.12 13th 662 98.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 86.16 10th 112 91.1%
2024 81.16 16th 121 86.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at South Fayette High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 92.24 25th 577 95.7%
2024 93.86 24th 595 96.0%
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.

South Fayette High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

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100%

  

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Enrollment information for South Fayette High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 447 19 36 0 0 n/a n/a 0 502
1989 454 39 12 1 0 n/a n/a 0 506
1990 436 43 10 2 0 n/a n/a 0 491
1991 455 45 12 2 0 n/a n/a 0 514
1992 473 36 10 1 0 n/a n/a 0 520
1993 507 36 12 2 0 n/a n/a 0 557
1994 551 45 15 1 0 n/a n/a 0 612
1995 595 44 14 3 0 n/a n/a 0 656
1996 595 44 14 3 0 n/a n/a 0 656
1997 595 44 10 7 0 n/a n/a 0 656
1998 415 26 14 3 0 n/a n/a 0 458
1999 404 24 9 2 0 n/a n/a 0 439
2000 434 25 10 3 0 n/a n/a 0 472
2001 456 21 10 4 0 n/a n/a 0 491
2002 491 18 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 522
2003 491 18 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 522
2004 507 22 11 4 0 n/a n/a 0 544
2005 512 20 13 3 0 n/a n/a 0 548
2006 552 19 13 1 1 n/a n/a 0 586
2007 581 23 13 4 1 n/a n/a 0 622
2008 561 23 10 5 3 n/a n/a 2 604
2009 604 21 15 6 3 n/a n/a 1 650
2010 610 17 19 4 2 n/a n/a 4 656
2011 643 23 28 4 1 0 8 0 707
2012 609 22 28 8 1 0 7 0 675
2013 642 26 40 5 2 1 11 0 727
2014 663 25 44 8 2 1 12 0 755
2015 659 25 51 10 2 1 15 0 763
2016 698 28 59 9 3 1 14 0 812
2017 685 27 76 12 3 0 16 0 819
2018 733 29 97 14 2 0 20 0 895
2019 774 30 122 15 3 0 23 0 967
2020 785 25 153 18 2 0 28 0 1011
2021 835 17 169 19 4 0 32 0 1076
2022 825 13 191 21 4 1 39 0 1094
2023 778 18 203 18 4 1 52 0 1074
2024 798 19 224 21 2 1 50 0 1115

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 South Fayette High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 502 37.0 13.5 n/a
1989 506 39.0 12.9 n/a
1990 491 38.0 12.9 0
1991 514 38.0 13.5 n/a
1992 520 40.5 12.8 n/a
1993 557 36.1 15.4 n/a
1994 612 40.8 15.0 n/a
1995 656 47.8 13.7 n/a
1996 656 47.8 13.7 n/a
1997 656 46.8 14.0 n/a
1998 458 36.4 12.6 n/a
1999 439 38.0 11.6 n/a
2000 472 41.0 11.5 13.8
2001 491 42.0 11.7 11.4
2002 522 40.0 13.1 8.8
2003 522 40.0 13.1 8.8
2004 544 43.0 12.7 8.3
2005 548 43.1 12.7 8.4
2006 586 41.6 14.1 4.8
2007 622 45.0 13.8 6.9
2008 604 27.6 21.9 11
2009 650 27.2 23.8 10.5
2010 656 30.1 21.7 12.9
2011 707 30.8 22.9 10.5
2012 675 31.7 21.2 13.6
2013 727 49.9 14.5 10.9
2014 755 48.9 15.4 11.1
2015 763 51.0 14.9 8.5
2016 812 52.0 15.6 13.4
2017 819 52.4 15.6 n/a
2018 895 58.9 15.1 n/a
2019 967 62.0 15.5 7.8
2020 1011 65.2 15.5 n/a
2021 1076 69.7 15.4 7.9
2022 1094 69.3 15.7 6.6
2023 1074 69.3 15.4 10
2024 1115 74.5 14.9 16.4

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 South Fayette High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 502 37.0 13.5 n/a
1989 506 39.0 12.9 n/a
1990 491 38.0 12.9 0
1991 514 38.0 13.5 n/a
1992 520 40.5 12.8 n/a
1993 557 36.1 15.4 n/a
1994 612 40.8 15.0 n/a
1995 656 47.8 13.7 n/a
1996 656 47.8 13.7 n/a
1997 656 46.8 14.0 n/a
1998 458 36.4 12.6 n/a
1999 439 38.0 11.6 n/a
2000 472 41.0 11.5 13.8
2001 491 42.0 11.7 11.4
2002 522 40.0 13.1 8.8
2003 522 40.0 13.1 8.8
2004 544 43.0 12.7 8.3
2005 548 43.1 12.7 8.4
2006 586 41.6 14.1 4.8
2007 622 45.0 13.8 6.9
2008 604 27.6 21.9 11
2009 650 27.2 23.8 10.5
2010 656 30.1 21.7 12.9
2011 707 30.8 22.9 10.5
2012 675 31.7 21.2 13.6
2013 727 49.9 14.5 10.9
2014 755 48.9 15.4 11.1
2015 763 51.0 14.9 8.5
2016 812 52.0 15.6 13.4
2017 819 52.4 15.6 n/a
2018 895 58.9 15.1 n/a
2019 967 62.0 15.5 7.8
2020 1011 65.2 15.5 n/a
2021 1076 69.7 15.4 7.9
2022 1094 69.3 15.7 6.6
2023 1074 69.3 15.4 10
2024 1115 74.5 14.9 16.4

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 South Fayette High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $75 (0.5%) $15,410 (99.5%) $15,485
2020 $55 (0.3%) $16,496 (99.7%) $16,551
2021 $193 (1.2%) $15,848 (98.8%) $16,041
2022 $201 (1.2%) $16,220 (98.8%) $16,422

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Fayette 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 19th of 693 High schoolsRanks 14th of 674 High schools
 0.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (South Fayette High School)88.773.8
 14.9%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (South Fayette High School)91.181.5
 9.6%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (South Fayette High School)93.591.6
 1.9%
   11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)71.565.3
 6.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students9671074
 11.1%
African American3018
 40%
American Indian34
 33.3%
Asian122203
 66.4%
Hispanic1518
 20%
Pacific Islander01
White774778
 0.5%
Two or More Races2352
 126.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients7.8%10%
 2.2%


Schools Near South Fayette High School









Frequently Asked Questions about South Fayette High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,115 students attended South Fayette High School.

South Fayette High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : South Fayette Elementary School
Elementary : South Fayette Intermediate School
Middle : South Fayette Middle School

Students at South Fayette High School are 72% White, 20% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Yes! South Fayette High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 13th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools.


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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.





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