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Highland High School

Q: Is Highland High School a good school?

Highland High School ranks 88 th of 271 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 8-12

88^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 271 Arizona High Schools

Better than 68% of Arizona high schools

Summary

Highland High School is a public high school located in Gilbert, Arizona, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 3,027 students. It is part of the Gilbert Unified District, which is ranked 85 out of 289 districts in Arizona and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Highland High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Arizona, with a statewide ranking between 50-94 out of 420-509 high schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on standardized tests is impressive, with 11th-grade students consistently outperforming the state and district averages in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. For example, in 2024-2025, 59% of Highland High School's 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 40% statewide and 53% in the Gilbert Unified District. Highland High School has also maintained a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 77.5% to 92.9% over the past few years, which is on par with or better than the nearby Gilbert High School.

While Highland High School's academic performance is generally stronger than that of its nearby public high school counterparts, it faces competition from the nearby Gilbert Classical Academy 7-12, a public charter school that outperforms Highland High School in several academic metrics, including higher proficiency rates in ELA, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, Highland High School has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 5.88% in 2021-2022 to 14.97% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of students from lower-income families.

2,992

Students ?

21.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$5,707

Per pupil spending ?

15%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4301 E Guadalupe Rd
Gilbert, AZ 85234-7601

(480) 813-0051

District: Gilbert Unified District

Feeder schools for Highland High School:

Elementary:	Carol Rae Ranch Elementary
	Greenfield Elementary School
	Highland Park Elementary
	Superstition Springs Elementary
	More...
	Towne Meadows Elementary School
Middle:	Highland Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.4%

Hispanic:

20.3%

Two or more races:

5.4%

See top rated Arizona high schools

Compare Highland High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2015 → 68th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (42% vs 30% meeting standards)

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Arizona average (80%)

✓Above the Arizona median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg40%

Arizona avg30%

88^th of 271

Arizona public high schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 17% (2015) to top 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6High Schools in the Gilbert Unified District

85^th of 289Gilbert Unified District among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	60.6	88 of 271	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	87 of 270	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.3	67 of 469	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	78.6	69 of 464	85.1%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	79 of 509	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	61.7	72 of 285	74.7%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	94 of 420	77.6%	★★★★☆
2017	78.5	50 of 416	88.0%	★★★★☆
2016	84.2	42 of 406	89.7%	★★★★☆
2015	71.7	44 of 261	83.1%	★★★★☆
2014	87.6	40 of 394	89.8%	★★★★★
2013	85.6	52 of 491	89.4%	★★★★☆
2012	89.6	38 of 471	91.9%	★★★★★
2011	91.8	31 of 397	92.2%	★★★★★
2010	89.5	40 of 403	90.1%	★★★★★
2009	89.8	35 of 395	91.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	50.0	88 of 201	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.8	51 of 301	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	86.2	21 of 306	93.1%	★★★★★
2018	76.3	15 of 122	87.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	52.0	17 of 35	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	15.1	26 of 30	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.4	88 of 146	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.2	111 of 238	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.2	144 of 231	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.3	36 of 44	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.9	50 of 83	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	84.2	3 of 24	87.5%	★★★★★
2022	41.7	53 of 258	79.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	29 of 312	90.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	61.2	69 of 207	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.7	75 of 200	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	86.2	37 of 406	90.9%	★★★★★
2022	78.0	63 of 456	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	84.8	63 of 492	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	64.2	74 of 247	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	85 of 354	76.0%	★★★★☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	34.6	38 of 130	70.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	67 of 176	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.0	58 of 170	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.2	45 of 379	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	62.6	101 of 441	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	68.4	94 of 479	80.4%	★★★★☆
2019	43.7	78 of 183	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.4	121 of 311	61.1%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	31.1	69 of 168	58.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	55.5	67 of 180	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	53 of 172	69.2%	★★★★☆
2023	79.8	42 of 347	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	76.0	31 of 168	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	60.0	63 of 253	75.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	87 of 223	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.0	80 of 219	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	82.7	64 of 429	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	87 of 455	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	77.2	86 of 492	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	59.2	70 of 238	70.6%	★★★★☆
2018	64.6	96 of 370	74.1%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	22.6	60 of 74	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	101 of 125	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.1	52 of 102	49.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	16 of 32	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.9	13 of 37	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.5	132 of 199	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.5	77 of 282	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	68.9	94 of 374	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	4 of 25	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	52.0	32 of 76	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	74.6	27 of 128	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	32 of 255	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	90.8	17 of 256	93.4%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	46.6	26 of 41	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	66 of 129	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.1	18 of 94	80.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	34.6	90 of 172	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	73.4	31 of 380	91.8%	★★★★★
2021	67.8	47 of 422	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	54.2	46 of 155	70.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	46.8	87 of 178	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.3	90 of 184	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.1	90 of 371	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.6	97 of 409	76.3%	★★★★☆
2021	74.3	94 of 448	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	53.9	82 of 217	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	96 of 291	67.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2023)88th percentile~ school

Native American (2023)79th percentile-7 vs school

Foster Care (2021)71st percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)67th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)62nd percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)61st percentile-7 vs school

Homeless (2021)59th percentile-26 vs school

African American (2023)56th percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2025)51st percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)51st percentile-16 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)50th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2023)48th percentile-38 vs school

Pacific Islander (2023)37th percentile-49 vs school

Military Connected (2023)19th percentile-67 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts59%+19 vs state

Mathematics53%+23 vs state

Science15%-4 vs state

3.8

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★2

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 25, 2022

I am very disappointed with the poor education and the lack of tolerance for diversity in this school. There are many incidences of racism, bigotry and hateful attitudes toward the LGBTQ community which the administration has done the bare minimum to address. The very conservative oppressive atmosphere of this school breeds unacceptable attitudes and behaviors of students that makes it appear we are still living in the 1970s. My son graduated from there, and my daughter has decided to change to a different School district altogether for her last two years of HS because of the very exclusive intolerant views of the majority of the students. If you aren’t Caucasian, conservative and of a Christian faith you will be excluded, ridiculed and not fit in. And I’m some caused verbally abused if not physically abused. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of effort the administration has put into providing education and awareness to enhance tolerance and understanding of diversity. If they put even a tenth of an effort into a cultural diversity awareness program compared to what they do for their sports and music programs, there might actually be some movement in the right direction. For now HHS seems to be a continued breeding ground for allowing and condoning hate and discrimination. Close Quote

by a student
Friday, April 30, 2021

This is a great school!!
It is sad that 48 of kids there are below average IQ though. :( Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, March 18, 2012

Great parent involvement, supportive administration and focused faculty and departments. I currently have two children attending Highland and one that graduated two years ago. We have experienced much of what Highland has to offer from sports to music to clubs as well as their focus on academic success. The school is focused on leading the district and being a pioneer in technology. This is a large school and the school population represents the school boundaries with a good mix of different sized homes in different subdivisions. The school has very active boosters supporting over 16 clubs/sports/organizations and it creates an environment where students have opportunities to participate and succeed. I highly recommend Highland High School! Close Quote

by a student
Monday, April 13, 2009

the principal is very mean to students and he spend a lot of the funding we need on a new office! Close Quote

Schools Near Highland High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)				AASA Mathematics (2025)				AzSCI Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 11th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 11th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Highland High School	Public	8-12	4301 E Guadalupe Rd	Gilbert	85234	Maricopa County	Gilbert Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 813-0051	2,992	139	21.5		2,017 (67.4%)	54 (1.8%)	607 (20.3%)	108 (3.6%)	28 (0.9%)	17 (0.6%)	161 (5.4%)	60.6	88^th of 271 public high schools	67.5%		62.1	87^th of 270 public high schools	67.8%	1				59.0				53.0		15.0	$5,707	$85	$36	$207	$5,097	$489	$5,586
EVIT - Highland High School	Public	9-12	4301 E Guadalupe Rd	Gilbert	85234	Maricopa County	East Valley Institute of Technology	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 461-4000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)												$00			$00
Learning Foundation and Performing Arts Gilbert	Public, Charter	7-12	1120 S. Gilbert Rd.	Gilbert	85296	Maricopa County	CAFA Inc. dba Learning Foundation and Performing	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 635-9400	259	25	10.3		107 (41.3%)	37 (14.3%)	89 (34.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.9%)								(n/a)			31.0	33.0							$14,429	$2,028	$957	$5,014	$4,233	$7,210	$11,444
Great Hearts Academies - Arete Prep	Public, Charter	6-12	4525 E. Baseline Road	Gilbert	85234	Maricopa County	Arete Preparatory Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 222-4233	540	44	12.2		286 (53.0%)	20 (3.7%)	136 (25.2%)	53 (9.8%)	5 (0.9%)	3 (0.6%)	37 (6.9%)	90.8	21^st of 271 public high schools	92.3%		94.6	17^th of 270 public high schools	93.7%	4	55.0	60.0	62.0	75.0	44.0	37.0	42.0	75.0	42.0	46.0	$10,377	$316	$72	$703	$6,258	$3,732	$9,989
EVIT - American Leadership Academy Gilbert North	Public	9-12	1070 S Higley Rd	Gilbert	85296	Maricopa County	East Valley Institute of Technology	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(480) 344-9895	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Williams Field High School	Public	8-12	2076 S. Higley Road	Gilbert	85295	Maricopa County	Higley Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 279-8000	2,150	109	19.7		1,129 (52.5%)	190 (8.8%)	542 (25.2%)	87 (4.0%)	21 (1.0%)	15 (0.7%)	166 (7.7%)	69.8	69^th of 271 public high schools	74.5%		68.3	68^th of 270 public high schools	74.8%	1				62.0				52.0		28.0	$6,282	$264	$130	$658	$4,834	$1,054	$5,888
EVIT - Williams Field High School	Public	9-12	2076 S Higley Rd	Gilbert	85295	Maricopa County	East Valley Institute of Technology	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 461-4000	3				1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$00			$00
East Valley High School	Public, Charter	9-12	7420 E Main St	Mesa	85207	Maricopa County	Legacy Education Group	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 981-2008	150	11	13.6		54 (36.0%)	13 (8.7%)	74 (49.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.3%)								(n/a)												$00			$00
Gilbert High School	Public	7-12	1101 E Elliot Rd	Gilbert	85234	Maricopa County	Gilbert Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 497-0177	2,418	124	19.4		1,262 (52.2%)	70 (2.9%)	800 (33.1%)	83 (3.4%)	28 (1.2%)	14 (0.6%)	161 (6.7%)	57.4	98^th of 271 public high schools	63.8%		48.2	124^th of 270 public high schools	54.1%	26		88.0	78.0	51.0		72.0	62.0	45.0	67.0	24.0	$6,343	$96	$27	$218	$5,775	$446	$6,221
EVIT - Gilbert High School	Public	9-12	1101 E Elliot Rd	Gilbert	85234	Maricopa County	East Valley Institute of Technology	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 461-4000	3				2 (66.7%)	1 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland High School

What is the racial makeup of Highland High School?

Students at Highland High School are 67% White, 20% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

How many students attend Highland High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,992 students attended Highland High School.

What schools feed into Highland High School?

Highland High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Carol Rae Ranch Elementary
Elementary : Greenfield Elementary School
Elementary : Highland Park Elementary
Elementary : Superstition Springs Elementary
Elementary : Towne Meadows Elementary School
Middle : Highland Junior High School

What district is Highland High School in?

Gilbert Unified District

Is Highland High School a good school?

Highland High School ranks 88^th of 271 Arizona 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 Arizona Department 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.