Alta High

Summary:

Alta High is a public high school located in Sandy, Utah, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 2,294 students. It is part of the Canyons School District, which is ranked 27th out of 98 districts in Utah and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Alta High consistently ranks among the top high schools in Utah, ranking 16th out of 131 schools in 2021-2022 and 25th out of 129 schools in 2020-2021. The school's performance on the Utah Aspire Plus assessments is generally above the state and district averages, particularly in English Language Arts and Science. Alta High's Hispanic students consistently outperform their peers statewide, ranking 4th out of 62 Utah high schools for Hispanic students in 2021-2022. The school's special education students also perform exceptionally well, ranking 2nd out of 20 Utah high schools in 2022-2023. However, the school has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 14.78% to 16.19% over the past three years, which is significantly lower than the nearby Diamond Ridge High School at 46.39%.

While Alta High has a majority White student population, it has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (11.64%) compared to the nearby Corner Canyon High (8.63%) and Jordan High (30.03%). The strong academic performance of schools like Corner Canyon High and Beehive Science & Technology Academy provide interesting comparisons and highlight the competitive educational landscape in the area.


Detail:

Public 8-12

 11055 S 1000 E
       Sandy, UT  84094


(801) 826-5600

District: Canyons District

SchoolDigger Rank:
48th of 138 Utah High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,285 Help


Feeder schools for Alta High:

Elementary:    Altara School
    Crescent School
    Lone Peak School
    Sprucewood School
    More...
Middle:    Indian Hills Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  25.7 Help
Number of students:  2,294

Racial breakdown:

White:
77.6%
Hispanic:
11.6%
Two or more races:
4.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  14.8% Help


 See top rated Utah high schools

 Compare Alta High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Alta High ranks better than 65.2% of high schools in Utah. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked high schools in the Canyons District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.56. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Alta High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Alta High has the largest high school student body size in the Canyons District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alta High is $8,285. 4 high schools in the Canyons District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Alta High:

SchoolDigger ranks Alta High 48th of 138 Utah public high schools. (See Alta High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Canyons District:

SchoolDigger ranks Canyons District 27th of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Alta High.

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Rank History for Alta High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Alta High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 48.57 81st 164 50.6%
2012 51.16 70th 166 57.8%
2013 55.80 60th 167 64.1%
2014 59.97 30th 120 75.0%
2015 56.57 45th 131 65.6%
2016 60.61 36th 129 72.1%
2017 57.25 38th 125 69.6%
2018 48.39 52nd 123 57.7%
2019 58.59 49th 136 64.0%
2021 70.50 25th 129 80.6%
2022 76.95 16th 131 87.8%
2023 63.53 38th 139 72.7%
2024 59.56 48th 138 65.2%
See the entire list of Utah High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Alta High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 85.87 2nd 20 90.0%
See the entire list of Best Utah High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Alta High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 79.43 11th 84 86.9%
2023 42.30 52nd 93 44.1%
2024 41.61 52nd 93 44.1%
See the entire list of Best Utah High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Alta High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 87.64 4th 62 93.5%
2023 86.54 6th 66 90.9%
2024 83.13 8th 72 88.9%
See the entire list of Best Utah High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Alta High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools UT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 74.40 17th 123 86.2%
2023 58.36 40th 122 67.2%
2024 54.60 45th 123 63.4%
See the entire list of Best Utah High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board 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.

Alta High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Utah State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, December 7, 2017

Open Quote This school sucks! Never have seen worse teachers, worse students, and the programs suck! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Alta High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 2319 19 56 78 12 n/a n/a 74 2558
2011 2347 25 44 85 19 23 22 0 2565
2012 2286 21 46 109 12 17 35 0 2526
2013 2103 20 47 135 11 10 85 0 2411
2014 1556 16 40 137 5 10 71 0 1835
2015 1438 12 41 136 4 19 68 0 1718
2016 1373 11 40 129 3 35 64 0 1655
2017 1539 19 35 154 2 29 75 0 1853
2018 1601 20 41 183 5 60 86 0 1996
2019 1684 19 42 236 9 43 104 0 2137
2020 1692 25 49 227 5 28 92 0 2118
2021 1748 29 51 246 4 35 100 0 2213
2022 1804 25 57 274 5 26 95 0 2286
2023 1779 29 67 267 4 39 109 0 2294

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 Alta High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 2558 96.3 26.5 11.6
2011 2565 95.3 26.9 12
2012 2526 92.7 27.2 15.4
2013 2411 93.2 25.8 25.2
2014 1835 65.7 27.9 14.5
2015 1718 n/a n/a 21.7
2016 1655 n/a n/a 18.6
2017 1853 65.7 28.1 16.2
2018 1996 n/a n/a 21.1
2019 2137 87.2 24.5 17.6
2020 2118 89.9 23.5 16.7
2021 2213 n/a n/a 15.5
2022 2286 90.0 25.3 16.2
2023 2294 89.1 25.7 14.8

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 Alta High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 2558 96.3 26.5 11.6
2011 2565 95.3 26.9 12
2012 2526 92.7 27.2 15.4
2013 2411 93.2 25.8 25.2
2014 1835 65.7 27.9 14.5
2015 1718 n/a n/a 21.7
2016 1655 n/a n/a 18.6
2017 1853 65.7 28.1 16.2
2018 1996 n/a n/a 21.1
2019 2137 87.2 24.5 17.6
2020 2118 89.9 23.5 16.7
2021 2213 n/a n/a 15.5
2022 2286 90.0 25.3 16.2
2023 2294 89.1 25.7 14.8

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 Alta High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $432 (5.2%) $7,854 (94.8%) $8,285

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Alta High

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 49th of 136 High schoolsRanks 38th of 139 High schools
 8.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Alta High)52.149.7
 2.4%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Canyons District)52.550.6
 1.9%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)48.244
 4.2%
9th Grade Mathematics (Alta High)41.941.4
 0.5%
   9th Grade Mathematics (Canyons District)44.543.9
 0.6%
   9th Grade Mathematics (Utah)43.632.8
 10.8%
9th Grade Science (Alta High)43.137.5
 5.6%
   9th Grade Science (Canyons District)4242.9
 0.9%
   9th Grade Science (Utah)36.238.1
 1.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Alta High)52.754.5
 1.8%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Canyons District)52.150.6
 1.5%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)49.545.3
 4.2%
10th Grade Mathematics (Alta High)33.732
 1.7%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Canyons District)35.432.5
 2.9%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Utah)36.327.7
 8.6%
10th Grade Science (Alta High)39.336.3
 3%
   10th Grade Science (Canyons District)3937
 2%
   10th Grade Science (Utah)3332.2
 0.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students21372294
 7.3%
African American1929
 52.6%
American Indian94
 55.6%
Asian4267
 59.5%
Hispanic236267
 13.1%
Pacific Islander4339
 9.3%
White16841779
 5.6%
Two or More Races104109
 4.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients17.6%14.8%
 2.9%


Schools Near Alta High









Frequently Asked Questions about Alta High

Students at Alta High are 78% White, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% African American.

Alta High ranks 48th of 138 Utah high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,294 students attended Alta High.

Alta High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Altara School
Elementary : Crescent School
Elementary : Lone Peak School
Elementary : Sprucewood School
Elementary : Sunrise School
Elementary : Willow Springs School
Middle : Indian Hills Middle


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