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Desert Vista High School

Q: Is Desert Vista High School a good school?

Desert Vista High School ranks 32 nd of 271 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

32^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 271 Arizona High Schools

Better than 88% of Arizona high schools

Summary

Desert Vista High School is a public high school located in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 2,802 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Tempe Union High School District, which is ranked 134 out of 289 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Vista High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Arizona, with a statewide ranking between 28-46 over the past several years and a 4-5 star rating from SchoolDigger. The school significantly outperforms the Tempe Union High School District and the state of Arizona in standardized test scores, with 71% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 57% for the district and 40% for the state. In Mathematics, 62% of 11th-graders were proficient or better, compared to 42% for the district and 30% for the state. Desert Vista High School also maintains high graduation rates, ranging from 77.5% to 93.6% over the past few years, while keeping dropout rates relatively low, between 2.3% to 6.1%.

When compared to other high schools in the Tempe Union High School District, such as Corona Del Sol High School and Mountain Pointe High School, Desert Vista High School outperforms its peers in academic metrics like test scores and graduation rates. Additionally, the school's performance is competitive with nearby high-performing charter schools, such as Horizon Honors Secondary School, which ranks 37th out of 271 Arizona high schools.

2,761

Students ?

22.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,366

Per pupil spending ?

10%

Free/discounted lunch ?

16440 S 32nd St
Phoenix, AZ 85048-7807

(480) 706-7900

District: Tempe Union High School District

Feeder schools for Desert Vista High School:

Elementary:	Kyrene de la Sierra School
	Kyrene de los Cerritos School
	Kyrene De Los Lagos School
	Kyrene del Milenio
	More...
	Kyrene Monte Vista School
Middle:	Kyrene Akimel A-Al Middle School
	Kyrene Centennial Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.4%

Hispanic:

28.0%

Two or more races:

8.2%

See top rated Arizona high schools

Compare Desert Vista High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2015 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (60% vs 30% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Arizona high schools

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Arizona average (80%)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg43%

Arizona avg30%

32^nd of 271

Arizona public high schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From top 20% (2015) to top 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7High Schools in the Tempe Union High School District

134^th of 289Tempe Union High School 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	87.3	32 of 271	88.2%	★★★★☆
2024	83.6	39 of 270	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	94.1	28 of 469	94.0%	★★★★★
2022	86.9	46 of 464	90.1%	★★★★★
2021	90.9	41 of 509	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	71.4	47 of 285	83.5%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	39 of 420	90.7%	★★★★★
2017	81.3	46 of 416	88.9%	★★★★☆
2016	88.4	33 of 406	91.9%	★★★★★
2015	68.0	51 of 261	80.5%	★★★★☆
2014	92.2	19 of 394	95.2%	★★★★★
2013	91.5	24 of 491	95.1%	★★★★★
2012	92.6	18 of 471	96.2%	★★★★★
2011	95.0	17 of 397	95.7%	★★★★★
2010	94.6	17 of 403	95.8%	★★★★★
2009	94.8	12 of 395	97.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	60.9	4 of 12	66.7%	★★★★☆
2023	84.1	32 of 201	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	48.1	121 of 301	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.6	101 of 306	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.0	9 of 33	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	68.9	22 of 122	82.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	64.4	11 of 35	68.6%	★★★★☆
2024	35.7	22 of 30	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	90.6	7 of 146	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	78.6	46 of 238	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	74.8	60 of 231	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	57.2	15 of 44	65.9%	★★★★☆
2018	71.0	20 of 83	75.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	78.3	7 of 258	97.3%	★★★★★
2021	44.6	29 of 312	90.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	87.0	19 of 207	90.8%	★★★★★
2024	82.1	33 of 200	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	94.2	17 of 406	95.8%	★★★★★
2022	86.5	43 of 456	90.6%	★★★★★
2021	92.5	38 of 492	92.3%	★★★★★
2019	74.0	46 of 247	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	80.9	39 of 354	89.0%	★★★★☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	30.5	48 of 116	58.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	34.6	38 of 130	70.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	91.9	14 of 176	92.0%	★★★★★
2024	79.9	30 of 170	82.4%	★★★★☆
2023	93.3	16 of 379	95.8%	★★★★★
2022	88.3	40 of 441	90.9%	★★★★★
2021	87.7	38 of 479	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	70.8	30 of 183	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	77.2	34 of 311	89.1%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	82.5	10 of 150	93.3%	★★★★★
2021	92.0	13 of 168	92.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	79.4	32 of 180	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	36 of 172	79.1%	★★★★☆
2023	83.9	26 of 347	92.5%	★★★★★
2022	57.9	49 of 168	70.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	84.1	33 of 223	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	40 of 219	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	93.2	27 of 429	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	82.8	60 of 455	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	86.1	52 of 492	89.4%	★★★★☆
2019	68.2	57 of 238	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	73.6	65 of 370	82.4%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	50.4	56 of 125	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	19.8	64 of 102	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	55.5	15 of 32	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.6	18 of 37	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	91.4	9 of 199	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	59.6	93 of 282	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.8	96 of 374	74.3%	★★★★☆
2019	20.3	22 of 25	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	81.0	6 of 76	92.1%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	94.1	6 of 128	95.3%	★★★★★
2022	44.9	93 of 255	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.6	31 of 256	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	57.4	21 of 68	69.1%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	18.6	38 of 41	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	57.1	36 of 129	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	63.0	19 of 94	79.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	39.6	77 of 172	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.5	167 of 380	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.7	64 of 422	84.8%	★★★★☆
2018	55.7	44 of 155	71.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	87.8	16 of 178	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	85.7	24 of 184	87.0%	★★★★☆
2023	90.5	27 of 371	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	81.5	46 of 409	88.8%	★★★★☆
2021	85.1	49 of 448	89.1%	★★★★☆
2019	67.3	45 of 217	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	55 of 291	81.1%	★★★★☆

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 (2022)97th percentile+7 vs school

Native American (2023)95th percentile~ school

Homeless (2022)93rd percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)92nd percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)91st percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)91st percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)85th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)82nd percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2025)69th percentile-20 vs school

African American (2024)67th percentile-19 vs school

Foster Care (2022)59th percentile-31 vs school

Special Education (2023)55th percentile-39 vs school

Military Connected (2022)55th percentile-35 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)53rd percentile-35 vs school

Pacific Islander (2023)7th percentile-87 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts71%+31 vs state

Mathematics62%+32 vs state

Science46%+27 vs state

2.0

7 ratings · 5 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★5

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Administrations talk of "supportive culture, caring, concern for the student' which is not reflected in the reality of what happens at the school. Very poor communication with parents. Phone calls and emails are ignored. Highly overrated, students excel largely due to socioeconomics of the area. Heavy drug use (vaping IN class) Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 25, 2016

I cannot stand this school, it gives me a bad feeling right from the very beginning when you drive up to the school with the very rude security guards that are stationed at the driveway entrance, they won't let you drive in the parking lot to park to go into the office. Once security lets you go to the office you walk into the office to find the office staff just as rude and disrespectful as security. The teachers are not helpful with the students at all, the counseling staff are rude to the students, I just recently found out there is an extreme amount of drugs going around the school, there is no dress code for the students so numerous amounts of kids are walking around wearing very inappropriate clothing, the rating for this school should not be an 8 it should be a 5 or lower. I am and for any parent researching schools I would tell you to look at other schools besides this one because if your child don't do drugs when coming into this school they will do drugs when attending with all of the drugs in this school. Just be aware before attending Desert Vista. Close Quote

by a student
Friday, July 26, 2013

Desert Vista,
For a person focused on academics and for someone who is college bound and ready to succeed and have a foot through the door this would be an excellent opportunity. Maybe one in every 20 there is there a bad teacher, which is far better than any other school. They offer advanced technology and curriculums to prepare you for your future. Not only are these classes offered to make their school look better but enhance it as well. The teachers are well trained and know what there doing. Not all of them are going to be the childrens' favorite but they'll get the job done. As far as a person that is focused on being social and being popular this is probably not the right atmosphere for you. Dr.Battle along with the other staff go out of their way to make sure to establish a staff environment. For anyone looking for a great school i'd definitely recommend Desert Vista. Close Quote

by a student
Monday, August 20, 2012

Terrible school. Administration could care less about the students. They were able to buy several flat screen televisions for the "hard working" office people and a personal TV for Dr. Battle, but couldn't afford paper or enough textbooks for the students. Close Quote

by a student
Tuesday, December 28, 2010

As a student, I can say Desert Vista is overrated. The administration is by far the worst aspect of it. It really has no idea what it is doing. They fund football and numerous other athletics generously while leaving little for academics. They once wasted $3,000 to spend for glow sticks at a prep assembly. In addition, talking with the student activities coordinators is like talking to rocks. They don't respond to emails and aren't even in their offices most of the time. They also take 5 hour "lunch breaks," which apparently makes them "way too busy" to even sit in their offices.

As far as academics, things aren't looking much better. Most of the textbooks used in classes are outdated, and in many cases several editions outdated. The teaching quality is horrible, as the vast majority of teachers don't know what they are talking about. Only a handful of teachers are dedicated, and those teach rigorous courses. The good scores and success that comes out of the school is purely based on the students' personal drive and motivation with the exception of very few passionate educators.

The school is also filled with a lot of rich, snobby kids who don't take school seriously at all. The only thing they do is cuss and talk about sex. There are also tons of cliques, segregated groups, etc. Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Vista 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 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 11th 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
Desert Vista High School	Public	9-12	16440 S 32nd St	Phoenix	85048	Maricopa County	Tempe Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 706-7900	2,761	123	22.4		1,365 (49.4%)	169 (6.1%)	772 (28.0%)	168 (6.1%)	56 (2.0%)	4 (0.1%)	227 (8.2%)	87.3	32^nd of 271 public high schools	88.2%		83.6	39^th of 270 public high schools	85.6%	7			71.0			62.0		46.0	$6,366	$163	$374	$700	$5,423	$406	$5,829
EVIT - Desert Vista High School	Public	9-12	16440 S 32nd St	Phoenix	85048	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
Horizon Honors Secondary School	Public, Charter	7-12	16233 S 48th St	Phoenix	85048	Maricopa County	Horizon Community Learning Center Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 659-3000	678	43	15.7		393 (58.0%)	26 (3.8%)	147 (21.7%)	49 (7.2%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (7.8%)	86.6	37^th of 271 public high schools	86.3%		88.8	26^th of 270 public high schools	90.4%	11	61.0	51.0	77.0	42.0	38.0	67.0	43.0	39.0		$00			$00
Mountain Pointe High School	Public	9-12	4201 E Knox Rd	Phoenix	85044	Maricopa County	Tempe Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 759-8449	1,570	78	20.1		246 (15.7%)	474 (30.2%)	614 (39.1%)	25 (1.6%)	88 (5.6%)	7 (0.4%)	116 (7.4%)	43.6	132^nd of 271 public high schools	51.3%		39.7	145^th of 270 public high schools	46.3%	13			42.0			33.0		23.0	$8,024	$264	$374	$902	$6,881	$506	$7,386
EVIT - Mountain Pointe High School	Public	9-12	4201 E Knox Rd	Phoenix	85044	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
Corona Del Sol High School	Public	9-12	1001 E Knox Rd	Tempe	85284	Maricopa County	Tempe Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 752-8888	2,600	111	23.4		1,196 (46.0%)	145 (5.6%)	836 (32.2%)	163 (6.3%)	72 (2.8%)	9 (0.3%)	179 (6.9%)	82.1	42^nd of 271 public high schools	84.5%		81.9	43^rd of 270 public high schools	84.1%	1			67.0			59.0		40.0	$6,614	$184	$335	$704	$5,594	$501	$6,095
EVIT - Corona Del Sol High School	Public	9-12	1001 E Knox Rd	Tempe	85284	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
Skyline Prep High School	Public, Charter	9-12	7500 N 40th Street	Phoenix	85042	Maricopa County	Skyline Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 343-4980	167	13	12.8		10 (6.0%)	66 (39.5%)	75 (44.9%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.2%)								(n/a)									$20,398	$1,932	$6,890	$10,754	$3,360	$8,216	$11,576
AAEC - SMCC Campus	Public, Charter	9-12	2002 E Baseline Rd	Phoenix	85042	Maricopa County	Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 323-9890	426	20	21.3		16 (3.8%)	22 (5.2%)	379 (89.0%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	48.4	119^th of 271 public high schools	56.1%		30.6	177^th of 270 public high schools	34.4%	58			63.0			23.0		21.0		$00			$00
Paideia Liberal Arts Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	1535 E Baseline Rd	Phoenix	85042	Maricopa County	The Paideia Academies Inc	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 343-3043	266	21	12.6		29 (10.9%)	41 (15.4%)	183 (68.8%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)								(n/a)	39.0	35.0					21.0			$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Vista High School

Is Desert Vista High School a good school?

Desert Vista High School ranks 32^nd of 271 Arizona high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Vista High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,761 students attended Desert Vista High School.

What district is Desert Vista High School in?

Tempe Union High School District

What is the racial makeup of Desert Vista High School?

Students at Desert Vista High School are 49% White, 28% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% African American, 6% Asian, 2% American Indian.

What schools feed into Desert Vista High School?

Desert Vista High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kyrene de la Sierra School
Elementary : Kyrene de los Cerritos School
Elementary : Kyrene De Los Lagos School
Elementary : Kyrene del Milenio
Elementary : Kyrene Monte Vista School
Middle : Kyrene Akimel A-Al Middle School
Middle : Kyrene Centennial Middle School

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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.