Is Science and Math Institute a good school?

Science and Math Institute ranks 71 st of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Science and Math Institute?

In the 2023-24 school year, 604 students attended Science and Math Institute.

What is the racial makeup of Science and Math Institute?

Students at Science and Math Institute are 56% White, 14% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 7% African American, 7% Asian, 2% Not Specified.

Science and Math Institute

Summary:

The Science and Math Institute (SMI) is a public magnet high school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 610 students in grades 9-12. This high-performing school consistently outshines the Tacoma School District and the state of Washington in academic achievement, with exceptional proficiency rates in English language arts, math, and science.

SMI's academic excellence is evident in its impressive rankings and ratings. In 2023-2024, the school ranked 71 out of 437 high schools in Washington, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, far surpassing nearby schools like Stadium High School and Foss High School. SMI's student subgroups, including female, Asian, Hispanic, and low-income students, also demonstrate exceptional performance, highlighting the school's commitment to equity and inclusion.

What sets SMI apart is its diverse student population, with a higher percentage of non-White students compared to nearby schools. This diversity, combined with the school's focus on science and math, small size, and higher per-student spending, may contribute to its remarkable academic success. The Science and Math Institute's consistent excellence, strong rankings, and ability to support the success of diverse learners make it a standout public high school in the Tacoma area.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

5501 N. Pearl St
Tacoma, WA 98407

(253) 571-2300

District: Tacoma School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
71^st of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,455

Student/teacher ratio: 21.7

Number of students: 604

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.6%

Hispanic:

13.7%

Two or more races:

13.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Science and Math Institute ranks better than 83.8% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks first among 9 ranked high schools in the Tacoma School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.28. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Science and Math Institute is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (55.6%), Hispanic (13.7%), two or more races (13.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Science and Math Institute is 21.7. 10 high schools in the Tacoma School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Science and Math Institute employs 27.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Science and Math Institute is $14,455. 11 high schools in the Tacoma School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Science and Math Institute:

SchoolDigger ranks Science and Math Institute 71^st of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Science and Math Institute in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Tacoma School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tacoma School District 152^nd of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Science and Math Institute

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Rank History for all students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2011	65.21	106^th	440	75.9%
2012	55.38	203^rd	450	54.9%
2013	58.58	198^th	454	56.4%
2015	93.30	12^th	341	96.5%
2016	91.33	9^th	306	97.1%
2017	64.20	120^th	301	60.1%
2018	81.26	46^th	315	85.4%
2019	80.49	60^th	417	85.6%
2021	83.26	57^th	455	87.5%
2022	89.33	33^rd	434	92.4%
2023	79.82	71^st	442	83.9%
2024	80.28	71^st	437	83.8%

See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2021	61.82	63^rd	195	67.7%
2022	71.23	46^th	179	74.3%
2023	66.33	44^th	166	73.5%
2024	71.98	41^st	161	74.5%

See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	81.88	11^th	212	94.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	75.32	30^th	227	86.8%
2019	86.45	21^st	344	93.9%
2021	85.24	24^th	392	93.9%
2022	81.43	44^th	370	88.1%
2023	81.66	34^th	362	90.6%
2024	89.95	20^th	356	94.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	74.06	56^th	243	77.0%
2019	80.83	51^st	358	85.8%
2021	77.04	60^th	390	84.6%
2022	91.22	22^nd	368	94.0%
2023	78.34	63^rd	357	82.4%
2024	73.90	71^st	347	79.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	83.45	30^th	254	88.2%
2019	79.33	58^th	355	83.7%
2021	87.58	34^th	395	91.4%
2022	84.10	49^th	363	86.5%
2023	77.63	60^th	358	83.2%
2024	83.03	54^th	362	85.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	64.85	37^th	87	57.5%
2019	77.17	27^th	121	77.7%
2021	75.68	28^th	136	79.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	83.37	5^th	54	90.7%
2019	85.35	10^th	86	88.4%
2021	95.99	3^rd	111	97.3%
2023	46.90	45^th	78	42.3%
2024	58.10	26^th	70	62.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	87.46	12^th	156	92.3%
2019	71.78	52^nd	241	78.4%
2021	94.55	6^th	278	97.8%
2022	97.47	4^th	261	98.5%
2023	84.68	23^rd	249	90.8%
2024	80.68	35^th	248	85.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Science and Math Institute

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	78.68	40^th	222	82.0%
2019	73.69	85^th	382	77.7%
2021	82.69	54^th	413	86.9%
2022	83.53	45^th	390	88.5%
2023	78.32	63^rd	379	83.4%
2024	78.88	60^th	374	84.0%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, August 26, 2017

Great teachers, great atmosphere and my son has thrived there. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, January 15, 2015

I love going here. The opportunities are unsurpassed by any school. Internships are a great example of opportunities we get that you can hardly find at any other schools. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Science and Math Institute

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2010	74	40	11	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	138
2011	109	29	15	18	4	1	25	0	201
2012	159	34	23	27	4	2	30	0	279
2013	255	64	38	32	6	6	2	0	403
2014	315	54	40	30	4	9	1	0	453
2015	326	47	36	37	4	6	3	0	459
2016	332	55	41	44	5	5	4	0	486
2017	300	57	39	50	3	4	13	0	466
2018	297	50	57	59	2	2	17	0	484
2019	316	57	62	63	2	2	30	5	537
2020	302	42	59	77	3	2	70	0	555
2021	352	40	57	86	4	2	74	0	615
2022	349	41	45	83	5	3	74	0	600
2023	341	43	46	82	3	5	89	1	610
2024	336	44	43	83	3	4	81	10	604

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 Science and Math Institute

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	138	9.4	14.6	46.4
2011	201	12.5	16.0	37.8
2012	279	13.4	20.6	19.7
2013	403	21.2	19.0	42.9
2014	453	n/a	n/a	38.9
2015	459	27.0	17.0	38.3
2016	486	25.0	19.4	39.1
2017	466	24.9	18.6	38
2018	484	26.3	18.3	36.4
2019	537	26.9	19.9	37.2
2020	555	25.4	21.8	38
2021	615	23.4	26.2	36.1
2022	600	25.6	23.3	25.8
2023	610	25.5	23.8	37.2
2024	604	27.8	21.7	39.4

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 Science and Math Institute

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	138	9.4	14.6	46.4
2011	201	12.5	16.0	37.8
2012	279	13.4	20.6	19.7
2013	403	21.2	19.0	42.9
2014	453	n/a	n/a	38.9
2015	459	27.0	17.0	38.3
2016	486	25.0	19.4	39.1
2017	466	24.9	18.6	38
2018	484	26.3	18.3	36.4
2019	537	26.9	19.9	37.2
2020	555	25.4	21.8	38
2021	615	23.4	26.2	36.1
2022	600	25.6	23.3	25.8
2023	610	25.5	23.8	37.2
2024	604	27.8	21.7	39.4

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.

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