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South Salem High School

Q: Is South Salem High School a good school?

South Salem High School ranks in the bottom 24.4% of Oregon high schools.

Q: How many students attend South Salem High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,195 students attended South Salem High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of South Salem High School?

Students at South Salem High School are 45% White, 38% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 1% Not Specified.

Q: What schools feed into South Salem High School?

South Salem High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bush Elementary School Elementary : Candalaria Elementary School Elementary : Hoover Elementary School Elementary : Lee Elementary School Elementary : McKinley Elementary School Elementary : Morningside Elementary School Elementary : Pringle Elementary School Elementary : Richmond Elementary School Middle : Judson Middle School Middle : Leslie Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

204^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 270 Oregon High Schools

Better than 24% of Oregon high schools

Summary

South Salem High School is a public high school in Salem, Oregon, serving 2,310 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Salem-Keizer School District 24J, which is ranked 110 out of 140 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Salem High School's performance has been declining in recent years, with its statewide ranking fluctuating from 47th out of 266 Oregon high schools in 2018-2019 to 204th out of 270 in 2024-2025. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are consistently lower than the state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 35.5% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 44.4% and the district average of 32.2%. The school's four-year graduation rate of 81.3% in 2022-2023, while above the state average, is still lower than the district average and some nearby high schools, such as Early College High School.

South Salem High School faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 38.1% to 53.2% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's relatively high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 66.84% to 95.66% in recent years, may be a contributing factor to its academic struggles. While the school's per-student spending is similar to nearby high schools, its performance does not seem to be commensurate with its funding levels, as some higher-spending schools, such as Roberts High School, outperform South Salem High School.

2,195

Students ?

23.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,934

Per pupil spending ?

89.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1910 Church St SE
Salem, OR 97302-3018

(503) 399-3252

District: Salem-Keizer School District 24J

Feeder schools for South Salem High School:

Elementary:	Bush Elementary School
	Candalaria Elementary School
	Hoover Elementary School
	Lee Elementary School
	More...
	McKinley Elementary School
	Morningside Elementary School
	Pringle Elementary School
	Richmond Elementary School
Middle:	Judson Middle School
	Leslie Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.9%

Hispanic:

38.4%

Two or more races:

7.5%

See top rated Oregon high schools

Compare South Salem High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2014 → 24th in 2025

Strengths

✓87% graduate in 4 years — above the Oregon average (83%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Oregon average (23% vs 33% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (51% vs 34% Oregon)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg21%

Oregon avg33%

204^th of 270

Oregon public high schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 58 pts since 2015

From top 17% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Oregon High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7High Schools in the Salem-Keizer School District 24J

110^th of 140Salem-Keizer School District 24J among Oregon 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	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	204 of 270	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	187 of 268	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	118 of 258	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.7	160 of 241	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.2	47 of 266	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	58.6	117 of 283	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.1	92 of 283	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	74.1	52 of 292	82.2%	★★★★☆
2015	75.3	50 of 292	82.9%	★★★★☆
2014	66.2	103 of 301	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.6	105 of 303	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	45.4	200 of 308	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	56.4	162 of 299	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	67.7	92 of 285	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.8	144 of 263	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.0	113 of 249	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.1	81 of 244	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	37.1	164 of 235	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.7	169 of 231	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	35.1	163 of 225	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	7 of 15	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.4	8 of 31	74.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2024	13.6	35 of 35	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	25 of 37	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.0	17 of 20	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	92.2	2 of 34	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	37.5	30 of 43	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	24.9	164 of 211	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.8	150 of 213	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.9	96 of 200	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	24.7	152 of 194	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	71.2	50 of 199	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.1	88 of 251	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	19.8	66 of 74	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.2	43 of 69	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	43 of 75	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	80.1	6 of 46	87.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	17 of 43	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	83 of 138	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.9	106 of 132	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	87 of 134	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.6	108 of 123	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	76.5	18 of 144	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	42.3	95 of 156	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	16.5	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	22.1	143 of 166	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	127 of 170	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.2	65 of 224	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	34.9	159 of 241	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.3	55 of 229	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	44.5	139 of 254	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	178 of 237	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.8	151 of 216	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.4	107 of 214	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.5	108 of 200	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	81.1	32 of 206	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	50.1	123 of 250	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2023	30.7	15 of 20	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	44 of 69	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.1	40 of 68	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	32 of 69	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.4	38 of 47	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	47 of 66	28.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.6	55 of 98	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2018	71.0	4 of 14	71.4%	★★★★☆

Non-Binary

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2023	53.3	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2023	55.7	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆
2018	18.4	10 of 12	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	24.2	75 of 94	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	56 of 69	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.4	34 of 80	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.1	18 of 53	66.0%	★★★★☆
2019	66.3	18 of 98	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	61.6	33 of 132	75.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	33.1	171 of 250	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	131 of 244	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.3	64 of 237	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	46.3	123 of 228	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	78.6	38 of 245	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	91 of 266	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)

Native American (2018)71st percentile+13 vs school

African American (2025)53rd percentile+29 vs school

Pacific Islander (2023)50th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)40th percentile+15 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)36th percentile+12 vs school

White (2025)32nd percentile+7 vs school

Migrant (2023)25th percentile-29 vs school

Male (2025)25th percentile~ school

Female (2025)22nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)20th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)11th percentile-14 vs school

Homeless (2025)7th percentile-18 vs school

Non-Binary (2023)<1st percentile-54 vs school

Asian (2024)<1st percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Oregon (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-9 vs state

Science27%-6 vs state

Mathematics6%-14 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near South Salem High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				OSAS English Language Arts (2025)			OSAS Mathematics (2025)		OSAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	OSAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 11th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 7th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 11th Grade	OSAS Science 8th Grade	OSAS Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Salem High School	Public	9-12	1910 Church St SE	Salem	97302	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3252	2,195	93	23.5	89.5%	985 (44.9%)	37 (1.7%)	843 (38.4%)	69 (3.1%)	13 (0.6%)	56 (2.6%)	165 (7.5%)	26.9	204^th of 270 public high schools	24.4%		30.4	187^th of 268 public high schools	30.2%	17			35.5		6.3		26.9	$18,934	$1,385	$17,549
North Salem High School	Public	9-12	765 14th St NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 399-3241	2,107	105	20.1	89.3%	421 (20.0%)	67 (3.2%)	1,357 (64.4%)	42 (2.0%)	15 (0.7%)	85 (4.0%)	109 (5.2%)	15.6	237^th of 270 public high schools	12.2%		18.9	230^th of 268 public high schools	14.2%	7			25.7		8.0		15.6	$19,210	$1,412	$17,799
Roberts High School	Public	7-12	3620 State St SE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 391-4075	515	42	12.3	120.8%	193 (37.5%)	8 (1.6%)	248 (48.2%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.2%)	6 (1.2%)	44 (8.5%)								(n/a)	19.4	10.5		9.4		5.7		$33,612	$1,270	$32,342
Sprague High School	Public	9-12	2373 Kuebler Blvd S	Salem	97302	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3261	1,712	70	24.4	88.8%	1,056 (61.7%)	36 (2.1%)	333 (19.5%)	56 (3.3%)	14 (0.8%)	34 (2.0%)	165 (9.6%)	29.7	193^rd of 270 public high schools	28.5%		28.1	196^th of 268 public high schools	26.9%	3			35.4		10.7		26.4	$19,702	$1,390	$18,313
Willamette Career Academy	Public	11-12	1200 Lancaster Dr NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Willamette Education Service District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 588-5330	0	7	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Salem High School	Public	9-12	1776 Titan Way	Salem	97304	Polk County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-5533	1,606	64	25.0	89.5%	903 (56.2%)	39 (2.4%)	426 (26.5%)	40 (2.5%)	14 (0.9%)	22 (1.4%)	148 (9.2%)	37.7	162^nd of 270 public high schools	40.0%		24.9	210^th of 268 public high schools	21.6%	48			41.6		13.7		27.5	$19,265	$1,366	$17,899
McKay High School	Public	9-12	2440 Lancaster Dr NE	Salem	97305	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 399-3080	2,380	96	24.6	90.2%	352 (14.8%)	23 (1.0%)	1,751 (73.6%)	69 (2.9%)	11 (0.5%)	108 (4.5%)	61 (2.6%)	6.1	266^th of 270 public high schools	1.5%		11.8	250^th of 268 public high schools	6.7%	16			12.3				10.5	$18,907	$1,418	$17,488
Early College High School	Public	9-12	4071 Winema Pl Bldg 50	Salem	97305	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 365-4800	193	10	18.6		66 (34.2%)	4 (2.1%)	85 (44.0%)	9 (4.7%)	2 (1.0%)	5 (2.6%)	18 (9.3%)	99.7	2^nd of 270 public high schools	99.3%		99.6	2^nd of 268 public high schools	99.3%				91.3		69.6		73.9	$32,893	$2,674	$30,219
McNary High School	Public	9-12	595 Chemawa Rd N	Keizer	97303	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3233	1,995	82	24.2	89.9%	890 (44.6%)	20 (1.0%)	850 (42.6%)	26 (1.3%)	8 (0.4%)	44 (2.2%)	136 (6.8%)	37.1	166^th of 270 public high schools	38.5%		21.5	219^th of 268 public high schools	18.3%	53			45.7		16.1		20.4	$18,921	$1,387	$17,535
Chemawa Indian School	Public	9-12	3700 Chemawa Rd NE	Salem	97305	Marion County	Chemawa Indian School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(503) 399-5721	198	16	12.3	98.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	198 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about South Salem High School

How many students attend South Salem High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,195 students attended South Salem High School.

What is the racial makeup of South Salem High School?

Students at South Salem High School are 45% White, 38% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 1% Not Specified.

What district is South Salem High School in?

Salem-Keizer School District 24J

Is South Salem High School a good school?

South Salem High School ranks in the bottom 24.4% of Oregon high schools.

What schools feed into South Salem High School?

South Salem High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bush Elementary School
Elementary : Candalaria Elementary School
Elementary : Hoover Elementary School
Elementary : Lee Elementary School
Elementary : McKinley Elementary School
Elementary : Morningside Elementary School
Elementary : Pringle Elementary School
Elementary : Richmond Elementary School
Middle : Judson Middle School
Middle : Leslie 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 Oregon 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.