Is Meridian High School a good school?

Meridian High School ranks 101 st of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Meridian High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 487 students attended Meridian High School.

What is the racial makeup of Meridian High School?

Students at Meridian High School are 64% White, 19% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Meridian High School?

Meridian High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Irene Reither Elementary School Middle : Meridian Middle School

Meridian High School

Summary:

Meridian High School is a public high school located in Bellingham, Washington, serving 487 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Meridian School District, which is ranked 80 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Meridian High School consistently performs above the state average in standardized test scores, with 71.43% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 43.81% proficient or better in Math. The school's academic performance ranks it among the top 25% of high schools in Washington, outperforming nearby schools like Bellingham High School and Options High School. Meridian High School also maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 82.4% to 88.1% over the past five years.

The school's diverse student population includes 64.07% White, 18.69% Hispanic, and 8.83% Asian students. However, the school's performance for certain subgroups, such as Asian students and students with special education needs or low socioeconomic status, is relatively lower compared to the overall high performance. Despite these areas for improvement, Meridian High School has consistently maintained a strong educational program, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

Detail:

Public 9-12

194 W Laurel Road
Bellingham, WA 98226

(360) 398-8111

District: Meridian School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
101^st of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,070

Feeder schools for Meridian High School:

Elementary:	Irene Reither Elementary School
Middle:	Meridian Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.4

Number of students: 487

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.1%

Hispanic:

18.7%

Asian:

8.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37.2%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare Meridian High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Meridian High School ranks better than 76.9% of high schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.62. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Meridian 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 (64.1%), Hispanic (18.7%), Asian (8.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Meridian High School is 18.4. (See more...)

Compare Meridian High School employs 26.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Meridian High School is $20,070.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Meridian High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Meridian High School 101^st of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Meridian High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Meridian School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Meridian School District 80^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Meridian High School

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Rank History for all students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	69.43	108^th	390	72.3%
2005	65.83	139^th	394	64.7%
2006	54.65	209^th	395	47.1%
2007	63.12	156^th	399	60.9%
2008	68.90	116^th	396	70.7%
2009	61.30	178^th	402	55.7%
2010	67.86	139^th	423	67.1%
2011	58.90	150^th	440	65.9%
2012	62.05	149^th	450	66.9%
2013	70.42	88^th	454	80.6%
2015	70.17	75^th	341	78.0%
2016	67.92	92^nd	306	69.9%
2019	77.26	77^th	417	81.5%
2021	65.45	122^nd	455	73.2%
2022	49.58	211^th	434	51.4%
2023	64.71	138^th	442	68.8%
2024	71.62	101^st	437	76.9%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	56.39	45^th	139	67.6%
2019	53.79	48^th	128	62.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	70.66	73^rd	344	78.8%
2021	58.56	125^th	392	68.1%
2022	50.57	171^st	370	53.8%
2023	55.40	154^th	362	57.5%
2024	44.55	201^st	356	43.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	76.65	69^th	358	80.7%
2021	63.60	114^th	390	70.8%
2022	31.71	257^th	368	30.2%
2023	62.24	122^nd	357	65.8%
2024	76.04	66^th	347	81.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	64.69	87^th	254	65.7%
2019	76.86	68^th	355	80.8%
2021	64.82	112^th	395	71.6%
2022	62.22	132^nd	363	63.6%
2023	64.89	104^th	358	70.9%
2024	61.09	126^th	362	65.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	23.91	106^th	136	22.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	58.82	57^th	156	63.5%
2019	74.99	45^th	241	81.3%
2021	57.44	97^th	278	65.1%
2022	41.39	149^th	261	42.9%
2023	51.44	108^th	249	56.6%
2024	65.66	64^th	248	74.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Meridian High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	78.60	62^nd	382	83.8%
2021	70.18	97^th	413	76.5%
2022	44.75	223^rd	390	42.8%
2023	62.30	128^th	379	66.2%
2024	65.66	113^th	374	69.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Meridian High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	340	6	4	15	4	n/a	n/a	0	369
1989	324	2	5	27	6	n/a	n/a	0	364
1990	309	1	2	25	5	n/a	n/a	0	342
1991	327	0	6	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	356
1992	316	0	3	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	336
1993	342	0	7	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	372
1994	417	0	8	18	5	n/a	n/a	0	448
1995	449	2	14	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	489
1996	449	2	14	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	489
1997	451	1	19	21	4	n/a	n/a	0	496
1998	432	0	20	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	469
1999	459	0	24	21	5	n/a	n/a	0	509
2000	459	1	30	24	6	n/a	n/a	0	520
2001	452	0	28	31	5	n/a	n/a	0	516
2002	459	2	20	25	5	n/a	n/a	0	511
2003	459	2	20	25	5	n/a	n/a	0	511
2004	439	1	23	23	6	n/a	n/a	0	492
2005	424	2	24	29	8	n/a	n/a	0	487
2006	431	4	24	32	13	n/a	n/a	2	506
2007	415	4	15	35	10	n/a	n/a	2	481
2008	420	4	12	46	11	n/a	n/a	2	495
2009	395	4	16	59	8	n/a	n/a	2	484
2010	382	7	12	80	8	n/a	n/a	2	491
2011	341	3	9	91	1	3	25	0	473
2012	330	3	14	88	4	3	27	0	469
2013	335	2	16	92	8	2	23	0	478
2014	345	3	22	81	6	1	19	0	477
2015	350	2	31	89	7	1	20	0	500
2016	362	1	38	109	6	0	18	0	534
2017	352	5	39	103	2	0	19	0	520
2018	322	2	47	107	1	1	29	0	509
2019	317	2	34	99	2	1	25	0	480
2020	288	3	40	103	4	0	19	0	457
2021	279	3	37	109	4	0	25	0	457
2022	316	3	36	107	4	3	27	1	497
2023	312	4	43	91	4	3	29	1	487

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 Meridian High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	369	20.0	18.4	0
1989	364	21.0	17.3	n/a
1990	342	21.3	16.0	0
1991	356	20.3	17.5	n/a
1992	336	19.0	17.6	n/a
1993	372	18.9	19.7	n/a
1994	448	22.0	20.4	n/a
1995	489	24.6	19.9	n/a
1996	489	24.6	19.9	n/a
1997	496	24.4	20.3	n/a
1998	469	23.5	20.0	n/a
1999	509	24.3	20.9	n/a
2000	520	24.9	20.9	n/a
2001	516	24.1	21.4	n/a
2002	511	23.5	21.7	25.8
2003	511	23.5	21.7	25.8
2004	492	24.0	20.5	35.4
2005	487	23.5	20.7	26.5
2006	506	23.5	21.5	27.6
2007	481	23.9	20.1	31.1
2008	495	25.6	19.3	35.1
2009	484	25.6	18.9	34.9
2010	491	22.8	21.4	38.9
2011	473	23.0	20.5	12.7
2012	469	23.9	19.6	16.2
2013	478	24.1	19.7	38.9
2014	477	n/a	n/a	34.6
2015	500	26.0	19.2	42
2016	534	26.0	20.5	42.1
2017	520	23.7	21.8	28.5
2018	509	23.1	21.9	41.1
2019	480	23.8	20.1	41.3
2020	457	23.6	19.3	38.7
2021	457	22.6	20.2	34.8
2022	497	25.8	19.2	24.1
2023	487	26.4	18.4	37.2

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 Meridian High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	369	20.0	18.4	0
1989	364	21.0	17.3	n/a
1990	342	21.3	16.0	0
1991	356	20.3	17.5	n/a
1992	336	19.0	17.6	n/a
1993	372	18.9	19.7	n/a
1994	448	22.0	20.4	n/a
1995	489	24.6	19.9	n/a
1996	489	24.6	19.9	n/a
1997	496	24.4	20.3	n/a
1998	469	23.5	20.0	n/a
1999	509	24.3	20.9	n/a
2000	520	24.9	20.9	n/a
2001	516	24.1	21.4	n/a
2002	511	23.5	21.7	25.8
2003	511	23.5	21.7	25.8
2004	492	24.0	20.5	35.4
2005	487	23.5	20.7	26.5
2006	506	23.5	21.5	27.6
2007	481	23.9	20.1	31.1
2008	495	25.6	19.3	35.1
2009	484	25.6	18.9	34.9
2010	491	22.8	21.4	38.9
2011	473	23.0	20.5	12.7
2012	469	23.9	19.6	16.2
2013	478	24.1	19.7	38.9
2014	477	n/a	n/a	34.6
2015	500	26.0	19.2	42
2016	534	26.0	20.5	42.1
2017	520	23.7	21.8	28.5
2018	509	23.1	21.9	41.1
2019	480	23.8	20.1	41.3
2020	457	23.6	19.3	38.7
2021	457	22.6	20.2	34.8
2022	497	25.8	19.2	24.1
2023	487	26.4	18.4	37.2

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.

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