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Ruston High School

Q: Is Ruston High School a good school?

Ruston High School ranks 106 th of 325 Louisiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

106^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 325 Louisiana High Schools

Better than 67% of Louisiana high schools

Summary

Ruston High School is a mid-to-large high school in Ruston, LA, serving 1,212 students in grades 9-12 within the highly rated Lincoln Parish district, which ranks in the top 25% of Louisiana districts. The school stands out for its excellent graduation rate of 93.9% (well above the state average of 85.0%) and an exceptionally low dropout rate of just 0.3%, compared to 3.1% statewide. This strong student retention is a key strength, especially when compared to nearby schools like West Ouachita High School (92.7% graduation, 1.0% dropout) and Arcadia High School (94.9% graduation, 2.2% dropout). Ruston also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 15.9%, significantly better than the state average of 22.5% and its peers, though slightly higher than its district average.

Academically, Ruston High School is a solidly above-average performer, ranking in the 67th percentile statewide. It consistently outperforms the state average in English II (74% vs. 67%), U.S. History (65% vs. 55%), and Biology (68% vs. 60%), but its Algebra I proficiency (65%) is exactly at the state average and notably below the district average of 74%. The school has seen a slight dip in its overall state ranking from a recent peak of 70th in 2022-2023 to 106th currently, suggesting it may be facing new challenges or that other schools are improving faster. Interestingly, its district-mate, Choudrant High School (just 7.7 miles away), is an elite performer ranked 11th in the state (97th percentile), highlighting that the district can support high performance, though the two schools may serve different student populations or have different academic programs.

A notable asset is Ruston’s low student-teacher ratio of 12.5:1, which is lower than nearby peers like Choudrant (14.2:1) and West Ouachita (14.9:1), and has improved from 16.1:1 just two years ago. This could be a key lever for addressing performance gaps, as the school is exceptionally effective for its White students (90th percentile) but less so for its economically disadvantaged students (48th percentile) and African American students (57th percentile), with these gaps widening in recent years. Overall, Ruston High School offers a strong, supportive environment with excellent retention and a focus on improvement, making it a solid choice for families in the area.

1,212

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,305

Per pupil spending ?

44.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

900 Bearcat Drive
Ruston, LA 71270

(318) 255-0807

District: Lincoln Parish

Feeder schools for Ruston High School:

Elementary:	Cypress Springs Elementary School
	Dubach School
	Glen View Elementary School
	Hillcrest Elementary School
	More...
	Ruston Elementary School
Middle:	I.A. Lewis School
	Ruston Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.0%

African American:

43.2%

Hispanic:

8.7%

See top rated Louisiana high schools

Compare Ruston High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 78th percentile in 2023 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Louisiana average (68% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Louisiana average (85%)

✓Above the Louisiana median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 78th-percentile peak (2023) to 67th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school68%

District avg70%

Louisiana avg62%

106^th of 325

Louisiana public high schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 40% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Louisiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Lincoln Parish

22^nd of 116Lincoln Parish among Louisiana 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	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	106 of 325	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.8	94 of 329	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	85 of 333	74.5%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	70 of 321	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	66.5	102 of 326	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.2	89 of 322	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	57.9	131 of 313	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	104 of 302	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.1	96 of 297	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	62.1	118 of 297	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.2	125 of 312	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	44.4	218 of 309	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	57.9	154 of 312	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.7	140 of 310	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.6	82 of 300	72.7%	★★★★☆
2010	67.3	86 of 297	71.0%	★★★★☆
2009	66.8	82 of 301	72.8%	★★★★☆
2008	69.0	77 of 291	73.5%	★★★★☆
2007	69.2	89 of 290	69.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	54.1	111 of 260	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.9	83 of 256	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.3	55 of 260	78.8%	★★★★☆
2023	66.4	58 of 252	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	56.1	94 of 256	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	65 of 243	73.3%	★★★★☆
2019	46.8	118 of 233	49.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2022	63.8	11 of 40	72.5%	★★★★☆
2021	26.2	29 of 38	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	126 of 313	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.4	90 of 308	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	79 of 308	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.1	72 of 308	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	60.9	124 of 311	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.4	99 of 288	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.4	134 of 292	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	63 of 125	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	66 of 120	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.1	56 of 113	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.6	46 of 107	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	43 of 103	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.4	62 of 92	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	53 of 78	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	47.5	167 of 321	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	156 of 323	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.2	126 of 328	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.7	141 of 321	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.4	166 of 322	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.8	141 of 285	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.3	210 of 301	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	85 of 311	72.7%	★★★★☆
2025	67.4	87 of 313	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	70.1	82 of 315	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	63 of 306	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	70.3	79 of 301	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	66.7	82 of 292	71.9%	★★★★☆
2019	58.6	118 of 291	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2025	59.7	22 of 66	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	42.0	84 of 168	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.1	105 of 170	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.5	112 of 165	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.4	39 of 138	71.7%	★★★★☆
2022	56.6	48 of 139	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.0	35 of 135	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	22.3	95 of 122	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Louisiana percentile	Rating
2026	84.5	24 of 244	90.2%	★★★★★
2025	83.4	24 of 245	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	80.9	32 of 248	87.1%	★★★★☆
2023	83.9	21 of 249	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	84.0	19 of 250	92.4%	★★★★★
2021	82.9	19 of 245	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	77.9	33 of 249	86.7%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)90th percentile+23 vs school

Male (2026)73rd percentile+5 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)72nd percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)67th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)60th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2026)57th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2026)50th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)50th percentile-18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Louisiana (2025-2026) ?

English II74%+7 vs state

Biology68%+8 vs state

Geometry67%+10 vs state

English I67%~ state avg

Algebra I65%~ state avg

U.S. History65%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ruston High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				LEAP Mathematics (2026)				LEAP English Language Arts (2026)				LEAP Social Studies (2026)				LEAP Algebra I (2026)	LEAP Geometry (2026)	LEAP English II (2026)	LEAP U.S. History (2026)	LEAP English I (2026)	LEAP Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	LEAP Mathematics 6th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 7th Grade	LEAP Mathematics 8th Grade	LEAP Mathematics All Grades	LEAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	LEAP English Language Arts All Grades	LEAP Social Studies 6th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 7th Grade	LEAP Social Studies 8th Grade	LEAP Social Studies All Grades	LEAP Algebra I End of Course	LEAP Geometry End of Course	LEAP English II End of Course	LEAP U.S. History End of Course	LEAP English I End of Course	LEAP Biology End of Course	Total
Ruston High School	Public	9-12	900 Bearcat Drive	Ruston	71270	Lincoln Parish	Lincoln Parish	No	No	No	No	(318) 255-0807	1,212	97	12.5	44.8%	546 (45.0%)	524 (43.2%)	105 (8.7%)	16 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (1.7%)	66.4	106^th of 325 public high schools	67.4%		67.8	94^th of 329 public high schools	71.4%	12													65.0	67.0	74.0	65.0	67.0	68.0	$16,305
Choudrant High School	Public	6-12	2555 Hwy. 80	Choudrant	71227	Lincoln Parish	Lincoln Parish	No	No	No	No	(318) 768-2541	421	30	14.2	44.7%	361 (85.7%)	24 (5.7%)	31 (7.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	91.4	11^th of 325 public high schools	96.6%		84	34^th of 329 public high schools	89.7%	23	94.0	83.0	94.0	90.0	94.0	88.0	94.0	92.0	76.0	82.0	86.0	81.0		78.0	86.0	84.0	92.0	86.0	$16,823
Arcadia High School	Public	6-12	967 Daniel Street	Arcadia	71001	Bienville Parish	Bienville Parish	No	No	No	Yes	(318) 263-2264	248	32	7.8	87.9%	12 (4.8%)	221 (89.1%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.4%)	40.9	200^th of 325 public high schools	38.5%		51	170^th of 329 public high schools	48.3%	30	73.0		54.0	65.0	75.0	75.0	66.0	72.0	54.0	42.0	41.0	45.0	65.0	48.0	59.0	15.0	71.0	59.0	$28,496
West Ouachita High School	Public	8-12	4061 Caples Road	West Monroe	71292	Ouachita Parish	Ouachita Parish	No	No	No	No	(318) 249-2117	968	65	14.9	46.1%	874 (90.3%)	54 (5.6%)	16 (1.7%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.0%)	62.3	131^st of 325 public high schools	59.7%		69.5	82^nd of 329 public high schools	75.1%	49													73.0	61.0	69.0	53.0	69.0	68.0	$14,660

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruston High School

Is Ruston High School a good school?

Ruston High School ranks 106^th of 325 Louisiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Ruston High School in?

Lincoln Parish

How many students attend Ruston High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,212 students attended Ruston High School.

What schools feed into Ruston High School?

Ruston High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cypress Springs Elementary School
Elementary : Dubach School
Elementary : Glen View Elementary School
Elementary : Hillcrest Elementary School
Elementary : Ruston Elementary School
Middle : I.A. Lewis School
Middle : Ruston Junior High School

What is the racial makeup of Ruston High School?

Students at Ruston High School are 45% White, 43% African American, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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Schools in Ruston, LA

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