What are Austin's top-rated and most-improved public high schools?

<p>Photo: Unsplash</p>

Photo: Unsplash

How strong are the public high schools in Austin?

With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com — which include comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews — to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year and those that lead their peers.

Reagan High School's overall rating improved the most among similar schools in Austin, rising from a C+ to a B-, according to data from Niche.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 7104 Berkman Drive, enrolls 1,255 students. Reagan High School serves a fairly diverse population: 78% of students identify as Hispanic and 15% identify as black. Niche gave the school mixed grades: C+ on an A-D scale for academics, B for administration and B for clubs and activities.

The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.

Academically, 74% of Reagan High School's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 45% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 76% in math and 63% in reading. The school's improved overall rating is notable in that it serves a less-affluent population, with 81% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 38% more than the city average.

While some public high schools in Austin are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:

Want more of the latest intel on Austin schools? Hoodline also analyzed the latest Niche ratings for the city's charter high schools.


This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.