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Lincoln High School

Public Grades 9-12

322^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 5% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Lincoln High School is a public high school located in Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,441 students. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Lincoln High School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Iowa high schools over the past decade, with a current statewide rank of 322 out of 340 schools.

Lincoln High School faces several challenges compared to nearby schools like Hoover High School, North High School, and East High School. The school has lower graduation rates, ranging from 71.4% to 88.3% in recent years, and higher chronic absenteeism, ranging from 21.6% to 49.1%. Additionally, Lincoln High School's proficiency rates on standardized tests are consistently lower than the state averages and the scores of nearby schools. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 10th-grade proficiency rates were 47.9% in English Language Arts, 42.1% in Math, and 38.9% in Science, compared to the state averages of 74.7%, 68%, and 66.8%, respectively.

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Lincoln High School, ranging from 66.28% to 76.04% in recent years, suggests that the school serves a lower-income population, which may contribute to the challenges the school faces. While the school's performance is concerning, the proximity to other high-performing schools within the same district presents opportunities for collaboration, resource-sharing, and the implementation of best practices that could help improve Lincoln High School's outcomes.

2,364

Students ?

25.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,888

Per pupil spending ?

74.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2600 SW 9th St
Des Moines, IA 50315

(515) 242-7500

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Feeder schools for Lincoln High School:

Elementary:	Howe Elementary
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Lovejoy Elementary School
	McKinley Elementary School
	More...
	Morris Elementary School
	Park Ave Elementary School
	South Union Elementary School
	Studebaker Elementary School
	Wright Elementary School
Middle:	Brody Middle School
	McCombs Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.2%

White:

30.3%

African American:

17.0%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Lincoln High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 7th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (44% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Iowa average (74% vs 88%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg47%

Iowa avg69%

322^nd of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5High Schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District

306^th of 313Des Moines Independent Community School District among Iowa 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	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	4.1	322 of 340	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.7	324 of 338	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.5	324 of 336	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.8	321 of 332	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.7	308 of 327	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.8	312 of 327	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.1	306 of 320	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.0	303 of 325	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.7	308 of 320	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.8	302 of 324	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.3	301 of 322	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	12.9	326 of 351	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	10.1	330 of 351	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts49%-25 vs state

Mathematics40%-26 vs state

Science39%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lincoln High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)			ISASP Mathematics (2025)			ISASP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	2600 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7500	2,364	94	25.1	74.9%	717 (30.3%)	402 (17.0%)	903 (38.2%)	195 (8.2%)	10 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	130 (5.5%)	4.1	322^nd of 340 public high schools	5.3%		2.7	324^th of 338 public high schools	4.1%	2	54.5	47.9	43.5	40.5	42.1	37.9	38.9	$14,888	$697	$14,190
Virtual Campus	Public, Virtual	9-12	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(515) 242-8502	380	16	23.9	69.5%	178 (46.8%)	51 (13.4%)	103 (27.1%)	11 (2.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.9%)	2.8	327^th of 340 public high schools	3.8%		8.9	314^th of 338 public high schools	7.1%	13	51.4	53.9	45.7	21.6	27.0	28.4	37.9
East High School	Public	9-12	815 E 13th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7788	1,952	89	21.8	78.4%	484 (24.8%)	334 (17.1%)	890 (45.6%)	130 (6.7%)	12 (0.6%)	5 (0.3%)	94 (4.8%)	2.6	328^th of 340 public high schools	3.5%		2.1	326^th of 338 public high schools	3.6%	2	45.1	48.6	42.5	36.0	41.2	29.7	37.6	$14,908	$672	$14,236
Roosevelt High School	Public	9-12	4419 Center St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7272	2,051	66	31.2	55.2%	850 (41.4%)	562 (27.4%)	364 (17.7%)	64 (3.1%)	9 (0.4%)	7 (0.3%)	178 (8.7%)	31.5	269^th of 340 public high schools	20.9%		22.5	290^th of 338 public high schools	14.2%	21	71.0	67.5	61.6	58.8	65.4	54.1	60.7	$14,829	$690	$14,140
North High School	Public	9-12	501 Holcomb Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7200	1,428	66	21.4	84.0%	278 (19.5%)	342 (23.9%)	553 (38.7%)	155 (10.9%)	12 (0.8%)	4 (0.3%)	84 (5.9%)	2.8	326^th of 340 public high schools	4.1%		2.2	325^th of 338 public high schools	3.8%	1	48.0	48.8	38.5	33.5	39.2	34.8	42.1	$15,636	$747	$14,889
Great Oaks High School and Career Center	Public, Charter	9-12	100 East Euclid	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Charter Organization: Oakmont Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(319) 321-9976	72	3	24.1	4.2%	23 (31.9%)	27 (37.5%)	21 (29.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			25.0			14.3
Walnut Creek Campus	Public	9-12	1020 8th Street	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6480	152	14	10.8	76.3%	76 (50.0%)	30 (19.7%)	28 (18.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (11.2%)	0.6	334^th of 340 public high schools	1.8%		1.2	328^th of 338 public high schools	3.0%	6	23.1	34.8	41.2	7.7	26.1	23.5	26.1	$18,513	$197	$18,315
Hoover High School	Public	9-12	4800 Aurora Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7300	898	44	20.5	80.0%	150 (16.7%)	329 (36.6%)	229 (25.5%)	134 (14.9%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.3%)	5.7	319^th of 340 public high schools	6.2%		4.8	321^st of 338 public high schools	5.0%	2	51.8	51.2	49.7	43.0	45.1	39.5	39.9	$17,790	$689	$17,101
Norwalk Senior High School	Public	9-12	1201 North Ave	Norwalk	50211	Warren County	Norwalk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 981-4201	1,035	62	16.6	15.1%	907 (87.6%)	18 (1.7%)	64 (6.2%)	10 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.2%)	71.4	79^th of 340 public high schools	76.8%		59.5	152^nd of 338 public high schools	55.0%	73	86.6	82.8	72.2	79.8	80.1	78.7	72.3	$17,567	$242	$17,325
Valley High School	Public	10-12	3650 Woodland Ave	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4000	2,178	119	18.3	68.0%	1,195 (54.9%)	258 (11.8%)	442 (20.3%)	132 (6.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	147 (6.7%)	37.9	254^th of 340 public high schools	25.3%		46.7	212^th of 338 public high schools	37.3%	42		73.2	61.0		64.9	62.7	61.1	$15,551	$791	$14,760

Frequently Asked Questions about Lincoln High School

Is Lincoln High School a good school?

Lincoln High School ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Iowa high schools.

How many students attend Lincoln High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,364 students attended Lincoln High School.

What district is Lincoln High School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools feed into Lincoln High School?

Lincoln High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Howe Elementary
Elementary : Jefferson Elementary School
Elementary : Lovejoy Elementary School
Elementary : McKinley Elementary School
Elementary : Morris Elementary School
Elementary : Park Ave Elementary School
Elementary : South Union Elementary School
Elementary : Studebaker Elementary School
Elementary : Wright Elementary School
Middle : Brody Middle School
Middle : McCombs Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Lincoln High School?

Students at Lincoln High School are 38% Hispanic, 30% White, 17% African American, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa 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.