State College Area High School

Summary:

State College Area High School is a public high school serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 2,410 students in State College, Pennsylvania, part of the highly-ranked Bellefonte Area School District.

This exceptional high school consistently ranks among the top schools in Pennsylvania, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and a 2022-2023 ranking of 29th out of 674 schools statewide. The school's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with students outperforming state averages on Keystone Exams and the school ranking 10th out of 260 Pennsylvania high schools for African American students, 17th out of 252 for Hispanic students, and 27th out of 577 for White students. State College Area High School also maintains a high graduation rate of 93.8%, well above the state average, and a low dropout rate of just 0.6%.

Compared to nearby high schools like Juniata Valley Junior/Senior High School, Penns Valley Area Junior/Senior High School, and Mifflin County High School, State College Area High School consistently outperforms these schools in academic metrics, graduation rates, and overall school rankings. With a diverse student population, low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and a track record of exceptional performance, State College Area High School stands out as an exceptional educational institution in the region.


Detail:

Public 8-12

 650 Westerly Pkwy
       State College, PA  16801-4225


(814) 231-1111

District: State College Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
29th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,149 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  11.8 Help
Number of students:  2,410

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.3%
Asian:
7.3%
Two or more races:
6.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  20.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details State College Area High School ranks better than 95.7% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.59. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of State College Area High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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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 (76.3%), Asian (7.3%), two or more races (6.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 20.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at State College Area High School is 11.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare State College Area High School employs 203.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at State College Area High School is $20,149.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

State College Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks State College Area High School 29th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See State College Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Disabled students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


State College Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks State College Area School District 49th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for State College Area High School?

Rank History for State College Area High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 89.28 34th 583 94.2%
2004 85.34 63rd 590 89.3%
2005 85.06 45th 593 92.4%
2006 83.57 50th 604 91.7%
2007 84.98 42nd 615 93.2%
2008 86.66 34th 621 94.5%
2009 80.19 87th 632 86.2%
2010 86.38 33rd 649 94.9%
2011 84.39 47th 660 92.9%
2012 82.86 61st 664 90.8%
2013 85.15 48th 591 91.9%
2014 72.12 146th 580 74.8%
2015 83.06 74th 680 89.1%
2016 82.96 66th 677 90.3%
2017 80.16 109th 663 83.6%
2018 79.99 108th 673 84.0%
2019 82.51 93rd 693 86.6%
2021 90.89 12th 537 97.8%
2022 92.06 11th 634 98.3%
2023 91.59 29th 674 95.7%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 69.82 44th 129 65.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 63.73 19th 85 77.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 85.37 71st 652 89.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 94.29 23rd 502 95.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Asian students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 67.75 47th 112 58.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 94.43 10th 260 96.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 90.18 17th 252 93.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at State College Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 91.86 27th 577 95.3%
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.

State College Area High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
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100%

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Reviews:
by a citizen
Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Open Quote SchoolDigger paints a different picture than does Wikipedia for the State College Area School District. As one example, PSSA Science scores, 11th Grade, from 2008 to 2012, students at grade level, was reported at 62 to 68 percent, certainly above the state average of 39-40 percent, but not 5-stars. (The district stopped reporting to Wiki 2012 to 2016.) Compare science to 78 to 83 percent at grade level in grade 11 reading and math. The poor science trend begins in grades 4 to 8 with 42 percent of SCASD students scoring basic or below basic grade level. While still above the state average, the results are very poor. Beginning in 3rd grade, the longer a student attends the SCASD the lower the PSSA science score. How does this rate a 5-star performance by SchoolDigger? Clearly, the SCASD and the high school in particular have PSSA/Keystone scores higher than 80 percent of other school districts. Nevertheless, the percent of students at grade level scores are not stellar, not 5-stars. 5-stars suggests most students are at grade level in all subjects based on PSSA/Keystone. That's not true. You should also verify the high school ADM. enrollment. For consideration, about 20 percent of SCASD students attend alternate schools. Close Quote



Enrollment information for State College Area High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 957 13 15 11 1 n/a n/a 0 997
1989 873 16 27 7 1 n/a n/a 0 924
1990 720 28 29 11 2 n/a n/a 0 790
1991 1502 48 61 20 1 n/a n/a 0 1632
1992 1520 50 81 22 2 n/a n/a 0 1675
1993 1529 59 102 47 24 n/a n/a 0 1761
1994 1706 68 84 34 2 n/a n/a 0 1894
1995 1865 59 77 20 3 n/a n/a 0 2024
1996 1865 59 77 20 3 n/a n/a 0 2024
1997 1950 60 82 22 6 n/a n/a 0 2120
1998 2076 77 93 24 3 n/a n/a 0 2273
1999 2144 79 96 32 3 n/a n/a 0 2354
2000 2196 90 104 32 6 n/a n/a 0 2428
2001 2269 89 94 41 8 n/a n/a 0 2501
2002 2243 110 164 59 40 n/a n/a 0 2616
2003 2243 110 164 59 40 n/a n/a 0 2616
2004 2398 86 149 22 9 n/a n/a 0 2664
2005 2487 75 127 33 7 n/a n/a 0 2729
2006 2472 80 141 9 8 n/a n/a 0 2710
2007 2396 74 133 73 9 n/a n/a 0 2685
2008 2344 70 129 82 10 n/a n/a 0 2635
2009 2245 57 116 89 9 n/a n/a 25 2541
2010 2259 46 114 81 9 n/a n/a 29 2538
2011 2164 62 123 60 8 4 38 0 2459
2012 2078 69 119 59 5 7 50 0 2387
2013 2034 71 129 64 5 4 61 0 2368
2014 1969 74 149 79 4 6 77 0 2358
2015 1930 66 138 79 2 5 81 0 2301
2016 1909 60 159 78 1 3 78 0 2288
2017 1904 66 154 75 5 3 71 0 2278
2018 1912 77 166 85 6 1 71 0 2318
2019 1876 74 179 94 7 1 113 0 2344
2020 1879 74 165 93 7 0 138 0 2356
2021 1861 70 185 98 3 1 152 0 2370
2022 1869 85 181 125 4 5 167 0 2436
2023 1839 79 176 143 3 5 165 0 2410

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 State College Area High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 997 68.7 14.5 n/a
1989 924 68.4 13.5 n/a
1990 790 59.0 13.3 0
1991 1632 125.9 12.9 n/a
1992 1675 137.8 12.1 n/a
1993 1761 117.7 15.0 n/a
1994 1894 123.0 15.4 n/a
1995 2024 150.3 13.5 n/a
1996 2024 150.3 13.5 n/a
1997 2120 154.3 13.7 n/a
1998 2273 158.2 14.4 n/a
1999 2354 161.8 14.5 n/a
2000 2428 165.8 14.6 10
2001 2501 169.1 14.8 9.6
2002 2616 184.2 14.2 10.4
2003 2616 184.2 14.2 10.4
2004 2664 191.1 13.9 9.9
2005 2729 196.7 13.9 10
2006 2710 198.1 13.7 12.3
2007 2685 198.7 13.5 10.8
2008 2635 198.4 13.3 10.9
2009 2541 201.9 12.6 12.4
2010 2538 203.2 12.4 13.1
2011 2459 203.3 12.0 11.5
2012 2387 191.0 12.4 9.8
2013 2368 189.5 12.4 16.4
2014 2358 185.0 12.7 14.1
2015 2301 189.0 12.1 13.8
2016 2288 192.0 11.9 12.2
2017 2278 195.0 11.6 16.8
2018 2318 197.0 11.7 19.4
2019 2344 199.8 11.7 21.7
2020 2356 203.3 11.5 17.7
2021 2370 198.0 11.9 17.6
2022 2436 200.7 12.1 17.2
2023 2410 203.3 11.8 20.2

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 State College Area High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 997 68.7 14.5 n/a
1989 924 68.4 13.5 n/a
1990 790 59.0 13.3 0
1991 1632 125.9 12.9 n/a
1992 1675 137.8 12.1 n/a
1993 1761 117.7 15.0 n/a
1994 1894 123.0 15.4 n/a
1995 2024 150.3 13.5 n/a
1996 2024 150.3 13.5 n/a
1997 2120 154.3 13.7 n/a
1998 2273 158.2 14.4 n/a
1999 2354 161.8 14.5 n/a
2000 2428 165.8 14.6 10
2001 2501 169.1 14.8 9.6
2002 2616 184.2 14.2 10.4
2003 2616 184.2 14.2 10.4
2004 2664 191.1 13.9 9.9
2005 2729 196.7 13.9 10
2006 2710 198.1 13.7 12.3
2007 2685 198.7 13.5 10.8
2008 2635 198.4 13.3 10.9
2009 2541 201.9 12.6 12.4
2010 2538 203.2 12.4 13.1
2011 2459 203.3 12.0 11.5
2012 2387 191.0 12.4 9.8
2013 2368 189.5 12.4 16.4
2014 2358 185.0 12.7 14.1
2015 2301 189.0 12.1 13.8
2016 2288 192.0 11.9 12.2
2017 2278 195.0 11.6 16.8
2018 2318 197.0 11.7 19.4
2019 2344 199.8 11.7 21.7
2020 2356 203.3 11.5 17.7
2021 2370 198.0 11.9 17.6
2022 2436 200.7 12.1 17.2
2023 2410 203.3 11.8 20.2

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 State College Area High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $38 (0.2%) $18,889 (99.8%) $18,927
2020 $216 (1.1%) $19,403 (98.9%) $19,619
2021 $536 (2.7%) $19,328 (97.3%) $19,864
2022 $514 (2.6%) $19,635 (97.4%) $20,149

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

Impact of COVID-19 on State College 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 93rd of 693 High schoolsRanks 29th of 674 High schools
 9.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (State College Area High School)80.759.8
 20.9%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (State College Area High School)81.678.2
 3.4%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (State College Area High School)86.385.7
 0.6%
   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 Students23442410
 2.8%
African American7479
 6.8%
American Indian73
 57.1%
Asian179176
 1.7%
Hispanic94143
 52.1%
Pacific Islander15
 400%
White18761839
 2%
Two or More Races113165
 46%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients21.7%20.2%
 1.4%


Schools Near State College Area High School









Frequently Asked Questions about State College Area High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,410 students attended State College Area High School.

Yes! State College Area High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 29th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools.

Students at State College Area High School are 76% White, 7% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 3% African American.


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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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