Best High Schools in Custer, SD

Summary:

The city of Custer, South Dakota is home to two high schools: Custer High School - 01 and A.C.E. High Academy - 06. Custer High School - 01 is the standout performer, consistently ranking among the top high schools in the state and demonstrating strong academic achievement. In contrast, A.C.E. High Academy - 06 is a much smaller and lower-performing school, ranking near the bottom of the state's high schools.

Custer High School - 01 is ranked 24th out of 166 high schools in South Dakota for the 2024-2025 school year, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has consistently high performance, ranking 26th and 47th in the previous two school years, with 4-star and 3-star ratings, respectively. Its academic performance is significantly higher than the district and state averages, with 78.72% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 46.8% in Mathematics, and 57.45% in Science.

In comparison, A.C.E. High Academy - 06 is ranked 165th out of 166 high schools in South Dakota for the 2024-2025 school year, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's academic performance is significantly lower than Custer High School - 01 and the district and state averages, with only 20% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 0% in Mathematics and Science.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Custer High School - 01	Public	9-12	1645 Wildcat Ln	Custer	57730	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 673-4473	272	20	13.7	27.2%	230 (84.6%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)	77.7	24^th of 166 public high schools	85.5%		77.5	26^th of 141 public high schools	81.6%	2	78.7	46.8	57.5	$15,649	$693	$14,956
A.C.E. High Academy - 06	Public, Virtual	9-12	527 Montgomery St	Custer	57730	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(605) 673-4473	16	1	16.0	25.0%	13 (81.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (12.5%)	3.5	165^th of 166 public high schools	0.6%					(n/a)	20.0	0.0	0.0

Cities Near Custer

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hill City	11.22 mi	3	43^rd
Hermosa	20.6 mi	3	171^st
Dewey	21.41 mi	2	36^th
Hot Springs	23.87 mi	3	110^th
Rapid City	24.56 mi	25	144^th

See the top SD South Dakota cities

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