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Highland Junior High School

Q: Is Highland Junior High School a good school?

Highland Junior High School ranks 69 th of 552 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

69^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 552 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 88% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Highland Junior High School is a public middle school in Mesa, Arizona, serving 956 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Gilbert Unified District, which is ranked 85 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highland Junior High School consistently performs above state and district averages in standardized test scores, with 67% of 7th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district's 62% and the state's 42%. The school also has relatively low dropout rates, ranging from 2.3% to 6.1% over the past few years, lower than the state average. Highland Junior High School is consistently ranked among the top 25% of middle schools in Arizona, maintaining a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past 10 years.

When compared to nearby middle schools, Highland Junior High School generally outperforms its counterparts in the Gilbert Unified District and the Mesa Unified District. However, Greenfield Junior High School also performs well and is ranked highly in the state. While Highland Junior High School's academic performance is impressive, the school should continue to monitor and address any achievement gaps among its student subgroups to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities for all students.

961

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$5,857

Per pupil spending ?

29.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6915 E Guadalupe Rd
Mesa, AZ 85212-1752

(480) 632-4739

District: Gilbert Unified District

Students who attend Highland Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Highland High School

Feeder schools for Highland Junior High School:

Elementary:	Carol Rae Ranch Elementary
	Highland Park Elementary
	Superstition Springs Elementary
	Towne Meadows Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.6%

Hispanic:

23.8%

Two or more races:

6.0%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Highland Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 79th percentile in 2015 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (57% vs 33% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Arizona middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school57%

District avg51%

Arizona avg33%

69^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Middle 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	82.6	69 of 552	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	72.7	124 of 550	77.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	114 of 854	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	69.1	160 of 605	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	82.7	116 of 832	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	70.9	161 of 605	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.1	143 of 711	79.9%	★★★★☆
2017	78.9	119 of 695	82.9%	★★★★☆
2016	75.0	143 of 677	78.9%	★★★★☆
2015	75.3	111 of 521	78.7%	★★★★☆
2014	87.8	71 of 690	89.7%	★★★★☆
2013	80.8	112 of 787	85.8%	★★★★☆
2012	79.4	120 of 772	84.5%	★★★★☆
2011	81.5	105 of 685	84.7%	★★★★☆
2010	86.1	72 of 692	89.6%	★★★★☆
2009	88.0	49 of 663	92.6%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	48.7	172 of 400	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.0	233 of 573	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	29 of 125	76.8%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	51.8	105 of 247	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	114 of 192	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.7	135 of 404	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.0	21 of 31	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.7	30 of 42	28.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	43.5	57 of 145	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.8	48 of 606	92.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	72.7	72 of 395	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	57.4	131 of 386	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.1	129 of 806	84.0%	★★★★☆
2022	69.5	110 of 494	77.7%	★★★★☆
2021	83.3	100 of 820	87.8%	★★★★☆
2019	65.3	147 of 466	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.0	131 of 624	79.0%	★★★★☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	31.2	129 of 166	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	73.8	62 of 345	82.0%	★★★★☆
2024	54.5	115 of 329	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.2	182 of 760	76.1%	★★★★☆
2022	47.5	188 of 392	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.0	148 of 802	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	67.0	97 of 387	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	65.4	133 of 543	75.5%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	87.0	3 of 64	95.3%	★★★★★
2021	79.7	8 of 257	96.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	76.3	52 of 344	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.9	81 of 320	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	98 of 717	86.3%	★★★★☆
2022	59.9	129 of 369	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.6	94 of 503	81.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	77.8	57 of 379	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	68.5	88 of 370	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	116 of 810	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	58.0	180 of 476	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	80.3	119 of 818	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	65.8	133 of 435	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.4	132 of 617	78.6%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	32.5	86 of 110	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	58 of 68	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	50.4	70 of 143	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	59.7	7 of 23	69.6%	★★★★☆
2024	45.1	11 of 20	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.5	194 of 384	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	26.9	185 of 211	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	76.7	80 of 650	87.7%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	37.6	88 of 159	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	74.2	27 of 390	93.1%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	48.8	44 of 108	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.6	243 of 363	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.0	157 of 789	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	64.5	31 of 178	82.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	69.5	63 of 277	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	58.8	101 of 288	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.9	116 of 675	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	57.5	174 of 446	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.1	128 of 780	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	53.8	156 of 337	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	149 of 436	65.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Homeless (2023)95th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)85th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)85th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)82nd percentile-5 vs school

Female (2025)82nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)77th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)70th percentile-18 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)61st percentile-26 vs school

Pacific Islander (2021)59th percentile-27 vs school

Asian (2023)57th percentile-29 vs school

African American (2023)57th percentile-30 vs school

Native American (2023)45th percentile-42 vs school

Special Education (2023)33rd percentile-54 vs school

Foster Care (2021)22nd percentile-64 vs school

Military Connected (2023)22nd percentile-65 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+23 vs state

Mathematics54%+27 vs state

Science50%+20 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

I go to highland jr. and it is a great school! The music program there is amazing especially band and jazz band. the teachers there are great and really care about their students. The bullying is very small. There are rarely fights and everybody is happy. This is an amazing school Close Quote

Schools Near Highland Junior 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 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th 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 Junior High School	Public	6-8	6915 E Guadalupe Rd	Mesa	85212	Maricopa County	Gilbert Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 632-4739	961	52	18.4		602 (62.6%)	26 (2.7%)	229 (23.8%)	30 (3.1%)	13 (1.4%)	3 (0.3%)	58 (6.0%)	82.6	69^th of 552 public middle schools	87.5%		72.7	124^th of 550 public middle schools	77.5%	55			67.0	61.0			54.0	54.0		50.0	$5,857	$33	$532	$599	$5,509		$5,291
Cooley Middle School	Public	6-8	1100 S Recker Rd	Gilbert	85296	Maricopa County	Higley Unified School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 279-8300	795	52	15.3		418 (52.6%)	61 (7.7%)	210 (26.4%)	34 (4.3%)	5 (0.6%)	8 (1.0%)	59 (7.4%)	58.1	190^th of 552 public middle schools	65.6%		52.9	222^nd of 550 public middle schools	59.6%	32			47.0	52.0			38.0	41.0		36.0	$6,360	$203	$85	$491	$5,417	$654	$6,071
Franklin Junior High School	Public	7-9	4949 E Southern Ave	Mesa	85206	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-8990	288	16	18.4		179 (62.2%)	3 (1.0%)	82 (28.5%)	5 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	15 (5.2%)	97.9	14^th of 552 public middle schools	97.5%		97.8	16^th of 550 public middle schools	97.1%	2			91.0	89.0			71.0	70.0		77.0	$6,931	$20	$09	$49	$6,045	$857	$6,902
Greenfield Junior High School	Public	6-8	101 S Greenfield Rd	Gilbert	85296	Maricopa County	Gilbert Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 813-1770	1,160	56	20.7		756 (65.2%)	25 (2.2%)	270 (23.3%)	23 (2.0%)	8 (0.7%)	4 (0.3%)	74 (6.4%)	78.7	89^th of 552 public middle schools	83.9%		75.5	113^th of 550 public middle schools	79.5%	24			61.0	55.0			48.0	54.0		54.0	$5,512	$01	$335	$338	$5,275		$5,176
ASU Preparatory Academy-Polytechnic Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	6950 E Williams Field Rd	Mesa	85212	Maricopa County	ASU Preparatory Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 727-5700	328	33	9.9		144 (43.9%)	12 (3.7%)	122 (37.2%)	12 (3.7%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	32 (9.8%)	71.7	123^rd of 552 public middle schools	77.7%		63.6	158^th of 550 public middle schools	71.3%	35	59.0	74.0	59.0		47.0	45.0	35.0		55.0			$00			$00
Imagine East Mesa Middle	Public, Charter	7-8	9701 E Southern Ave	Mesa	85209	Maricopa County	Imagine Middle at East Mesa Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 355-6830	140	11	12.7		57 (40.7%)	11 (7.9%)	65 (46.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.6%)	58.4	188^th of 552 public middle schools	65.9%		54.2	212^th of 550 public middle schools	61.5%	24			47.0	59.0			32.0	52.0		28.0		$00			$00
Desert Ridge Junior High	Public	7-8	10211 E Madero Ave	Mesa	85209	Maricopa County	Gilbert Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 635-2025	925	48	19.4		530 (57.3%)	34 (3.7%)	277 (29.9%)	18 (1.9%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	58 (6.3%)	60.5	178^th of 552 public middle schools	67.8%		59	194^th of 550 public middle schools	64.7%	16			58.0	50.0			46.0	34.0		33.0	$6,110	$02	$530	$533	$5,910		$5,578
Fremont Junior High School	Public	7-8	1001 N Power Rd	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-8300	822	46	17.9		397 (48.3%)	37 (4.5%)	309 (37.6%)	11 (1.3%)	23 (2.8%)	8 (1.0%)	37 (4.5%)	42	259^th of 552 public middle schools	53.1%		42.6	267^th of 550 public middle schools	51.5%	8			37.0	43.0			30.0	34.0		30.0	$6,870	$437	$21	$895	$6,024	$387	$6,412
Taylor Junior High School	Public	7-9	705 S 32nd St	Mesa	85204	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-1500	908	46	19.6		229 (25.2%)	39 (4.3%)	565 (62.2%)	10 (1.1%)	20 (2.2%)	10 (1.1%)	35 (3.9%)	19.1	435^th of 552 public middle schools	21.2%		20.7	416^th of 550 public middle schools	24.4%	19			35.0	26.0			17.0	8.0		19.0	$7,417	$458	$84	$1,000	$6,512	$363	$6,875
Shepherd Junior High School	Public	4-8	1407 N Alta Mesa Dr	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-1800	581	28	20.6		361 (62.1%)	16 (2.8%)	162 (27.9%)	4 (0.7%)	9 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	26 (4.5%)	45.9	244^th of 552 public middle schools	55.8%		40.2	275^th of 550 public middle schools	50.0%	31			48.0	46.0			29.0	26.0		34.0	$8,537	$420	$61	$900	$7,489	$568	$8,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Junior High School

Is Highland Junior High School a good school?

Highland Junior High School ranks 69^th of 552 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highland Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 961 students attended Highland Junior High School.

What district is Highland Junior High School in?

Gilbert Unified District

What high school do graduates of Highland Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Highland Junior High School usually go on to attend Highland High School

What is the racial makeup of Highland Junior High School?

Students at Highland Junior High School are 63% White, 24% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% African American, 1% American Indian.

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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.