Alta High

Q: Is Alta High a good school?

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

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:
48^th of 138 Utah High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,285

Feeder schools for Alta High:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 25.7

Number of students: 2,294

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

11.6%

Two or more races:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 14.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Alta High ranks better than 65.2% of high schools in Utah. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked high schools in the Canyons District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.56. (See more...)

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

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Alta High has the largest high school student body size in the Canyons District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

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 48^th 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 27^th of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Alta High

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Rank History for all students at Alta High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	UT State Percentile
2011	48.57	81^st	164	50.6%
2012	51.16	70^th	166	57.8%
2013	55.80	60^th	167	64.1%
2014	59.97	30^th	120	75.0%
2015	56.57	45^th	131	65.6%
2016	60.61	36^th	129	72.1%
2017	57.25	38^th	125	69.6%
2018	48.39	52^nd	123	57.7%
2019	58.59	49^th	136	64.0%
2021	70.50	25^th	129	80.6%
2022	76.95	16^th	131	87.8%
2023	63.53	38^th	139	72.7%
2024	59.56	48^th	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	2^nd	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
2022	79.43	11^th	84	86.9%
2023	42.30	52^nd	93	44.1%
2024	41.61	52^nd	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
2022	87.64	4^th	62	93.5%
2023	86.54	6^th	66	90.9%
2024	83.13	8^th	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
2022	74.40	17^th	123	86.2%
2023	58.36	40^th	122	67.2%
2024	54.60	45^th	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.

Data source: Utah State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, December 7, 2017

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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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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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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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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 49^th of 136 High schools	Ranks 38^th 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)	52.1	49.7	2.4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Canyons District)	52.5	50.6	1.9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.2	44	4.2%
9th Grade Mathematics (Alta High)	41.9	41.4	0.5%
9th Grade Mathematics (Canyons District)	44.5	43.9	0.6%
9th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	43.6	32.8	10.8%
9th Grade Science (Alta High)	43.1	37.5	5.6%
9th Grade Science (Canyons District)	42	42.9	0.9%
9th Grade Science (Utah)	36.2	38.1	1.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Alta High)	52.7	54.5	1.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Canyons District)	52.1	50.6	1.5%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	49.5	45.3	4.2%
10th Grade Mathematics (Alta High)	33.7	32	1.7%
10th Grade Mathematics (Canyons District)	35.4	32.5	2.9%
10th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	36.3	27.7	8.6%
10th Grade Science (Alta High)	39.3	36.3	3%
10th Grade Science (Canyons District)	39	37	2%
10th Grade Science (Utah)	33	32.2	0.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2137	2294	7.3%
African American	19	29	52.6%
American Indian	9	4	55.6%
Asian	42	67	59.5%
Hispanic	236	267	13.1%
Pacific Islander	43	39	9.3%
White	1684	1779	5.6%
Two or More Races	104	109	4.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	17.6%	14.8%	2.9%

Schools Near Alta High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts (2024)		Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics (2024)		Utah Aspire Plus Science (2024)		RISE English Language Arts (2024)			RISE Mathematics (2024)			RISE Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 10th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 7th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 8th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 7th Grade	RISE Mathematics 8th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	RISE Science 7th Grade	RISE Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alta High	Public	8-12	11055 S 1000 E	Sandy	84094	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-5600	2,294	89	25.7	14.8%	1,779 (77.6%)	29 (1.3%)	267 (11.6%)	67 (2.9%)	4 (0.2%)	39 (1.7%)	109 (4.8%)	59.6	48^th of 138 public high schools	65.2%		63.5	38^th of 139 public high schools	72.7%	10	37.0	37.4	49.9	32.4	47.4	44.6										$8,285	$432	$7,854
Diamond Ridge High School	Public	6-12	9800 S 800 East	Sandy	84094	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-9900	97	11	8.5	46.4%	46 (47.4%)	2 (2.1%)	40 (41.2%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	6 (6.2%)								(n/a)																$11,423	$475	$10,948
Valley High School	Public	7-12	325 W 11000 S	South Jordan	84095	Salt Lake County	Jordan District	No	No	No	No	(801) 572-7035	363	22	16.3	25.3%	238 (65.6%)	7 (1.9%)	90 (24.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	21 (5.8%)								(n/a)																$9,355	$252	$9,103
Jordan High	Public	8-12	95 E 9825 S	Sandy	84070	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-6200	1,785	80	22.4	34.1%	1,081 (60.6%)	30 (1.7%)	536 (30.0%)	29 (1.6%)	8 (0.4%)	22 (1.2%)	79 (4.4%)	27.8	101^st of 138 public high schools	26.8%		32.9	92^nd of 139 public high schools	33.8%	9	34.5	40.9	20.8	20.6	29.4	29.4										$8,596	$455	$8,141
Corner Canyon High	Public	8-12	12943 S. 700 E.	Draper	84020	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-6401	2,434	93	26.0	9.9%	1,997 (82.0%)	28 (1.2%)	210 (8.6%)	54 (2.2%)	1 (0.0%)	14 (0.6%)	130 (5.3%)	89.9	10^th of 138 public high schools	92.8%		87	9^th of 139 public high schools	93.5%	1	51.6	59.6	61.5	49.5	60.4	52.1										$8,282	$348	$7,934
Canyons Transition Academy	Public	12	9361 S 300 E	Sandy	84070	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-5467	46	4	10.6	93.5%	32 (69.6%)	1 (2.2%)	11 (23.9%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)								(n/a)																$18,334	$133	$18,201
Canyons Virtual High School	Public, Virtual	6-12	9361 S 300 E	Sandy	84070	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	Yes	No	(801) 826-5220	0	7	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
American Preparatory Academy - Draper #3	Public, Charter	7-12	11938 Lone Peak Parkway	Draper	84020	Salt Lake County	American Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(801) 810-3590	763	41	18.4	19.3%	335 (43.9%)	13 (1.7%)	226 (29.6%)	160 (21.0%)	1 (0.1%)	10 (1.3%)	18 (2.4%)	86.2	12^th of 138 public high schools	91.3%		70.3	27^th of 139 public high schools	80.6%	15	62.2	63.1	38.5	37.9	67.9	61.2		67.3	64.0		68.0	47.9		73.9	82.0	$7,510	$84	$7,426
Canyons Technical Education Center	Public	7-12	825 E 9085 S	Sandy	84094	Salt Lake County	Canyons District	No	No	No	No	(801) 826-6600	0	15	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Beehive Science & Technology Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	6-12	2165 East 9400 South	Sandy	84093	Salt Lake County	Beehive Science & Technology Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(801) 576-0070	366	19	19.7	18.6%	212 (57.9%)	12 (3.3%)	51 (13.9%)	67 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	16 (4.4%)	50.1	67^th of 138 public high schools	51.4%		82	13^th of 139 public high schools	90.6%	54	39.5	42.1		32.8	50.0	27.3	42.6	46.6	55.9	47.5	61.1	64.1	58.8	54.0	64.1	$9,016	$363	$8,653

Frequently Asked Questions about Alta High

What is the racial makeup of Alta High?

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

How many students attend Alta High?

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

What district is Alta High in?

Canyons District

What schools feed into 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

Is Alta High a good school?

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

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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.