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Palmer High School

Q: Is Palmer High School a good school?

Palmer High School ranks 32 nd of 60 Alaska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

32^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 60 Alaska High Schools

Better than 47% of Alaska high schools

Summary

Palmer High School is a public high school in Palmer, Alaska, serving 649 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which is ranked 10th out of 24 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Palmer High School has seen fluctuations in its academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (35.15%) and Mathematics (23.35%) for all grades lower than the district (40.81% and 40.92%) and state (32.69% and 32.18%) averages in the 2024-2025 school year. However, the school's proficiency rate in Science (35.96%) is higher than the state average (37.87%) but lower than the district average (47.48%). The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with stronger rankings for Hispanic and Low Socioeconomic Status students, but lower rankings for Migrant and Military Connected students.

Compared to nearby schools, Joe Redington Senior Junior/Senior High School, Burchell High School, and Wasilla High School have lower statewide rankings and academic performance, while Mat-Su Career & Technical Educational High School and Colony High School have stronger academic performance. Palmer High School has seen a decrease in its student-teacher ratio, from 18.2 in 2021-2022 to 15.1 in 2023-2024, which is lower than some of the nearby schools.

616

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,102

Per pupil spending ?

34.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1170 W Bogard Rd
Palmer, AK 99645

(907) 746-8400

District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Feeder schools for Palmer High School:

Elementary:	Butte Elementary
	Sherrod Elementary
	Sutton Elementary
	Swanson Elementary
Middle:	Palmer Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.0%

Two or more races:

11.9%

Hispanic:

10.2%

See top rated Alaska high schools

Compare Palmer High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 92nd percentile in 2014 → 47th in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 45 percentile points since 2014

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg42%

Alaska avg33%

32^nd of 60

Alaska public high schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From top 24% (2015) to bottom 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alaska High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8High Schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

10^th of 24Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District among Alaska 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	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	32 of 60	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.0	44 of 63	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	32 of 62	48.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	28 of 62	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.5	36 of 61	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.8	43 of 77	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.4	35 of 74	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.0	40 of 83	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	71.2	33 of 135	75.6%	★★★★☆
2014	85.0	11 of 139	92.1%	★★★★★
2013	71.0	41 of 148	72.3%	★★★★☆
2012	86.3	8 of 136	94.1%	★★★★★
2011	80.4	21 of 142	85.2%	★★★★☆
2010	74.8	26 of 140	81.4%	★★★★☆
2009	77.2	29 of 151	80.8%	★★★★☆
2008	85.3	10 of 151	93.4%	★★★★★
2007	82.4	17 of 139	87.8%	★★★★☆
2006	79.4	22 of 135	83.7%	★★★★☆
2005	62.6	54 of 116	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	41.1	26 of 45	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	34 of 45	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.2	33 of 54	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.5	20 of 43	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.8	28 of 37	24.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.2	32 of 54	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	65.1	5 of 16	68.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	49.5	15 of 39	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.4	19 of 41	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	20 of 42	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.4	19 of 34	44.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.5	24 of 37	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	31 of 55	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	24 of 45	46.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.4	33 of 48	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.1	27 of 47	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.3	23 of 46	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.4	27 of 42	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	36 of 58	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	29.7	14 of 18	22.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	6 of 11	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	85.6	1 of 16	93.8%	★★★★★
2022	47.5	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2024	36.8	11 of 14	21.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.9	8 of 12	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	73.3	3 of 14	78.6%	★★★★☆
2019	45.1	10 of 16	37.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	30.3	16 of 21	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.2	12 of 24	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.2	12 of 23	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.7	12 of 21	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2023	58.0	7 of 20	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.3	21 of 31	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	28 of 43	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.9	40 of 46	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.7	34 of 47	27.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	26 of 47	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.1	32 of 43	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.4	38 of 56	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)69th percentile+22 vs school

Native American (2023)65th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile+15 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile~ school

Female (2025)42nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)35th percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)24th percentile-23 vs school

Migrant (2025)22nd percentile-24 vs school

Military Connected (2024)21st percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Alaska (2024-2025) ?

Science36%~ state avg

English Language Arts35%~ state avg

Mathematics23%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palmer High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				STAR English Language Arts (2025)					STAR Mathematics (2025)					ASA 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	STAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	STAR English Language Arts 9th Grade	STAR English Language Arts All Grades	STAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAR Mathematics 9th Grade	STAR Mathematics All Grades	ASA Science 8th Grade	ASA Science 10th Grade	ASA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palmer High School	Public	9-12	1170 W Bogard Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 746-8400	616	37	16.6	34.9%	413 (67.0%)	5 (0.8%)	63 (10.2%)	5 (0.8%)	52 (8.4%)	5 (0.8%)	73 (11.9%)	44.6	32^nd of 60 public high schools	46.7%		33	44^th of 63 public high schools	30.2%	12				35.2	35.2				23.4	23.4		36.0	36.0	$16,102	$824	$15,278
Mat-Su Secondary School	Public	6-12	581 S Outer Springer Lp	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 761-7238	10	1	10.0		5 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (10.0%)								(n/a)														$35,056	$3,389	$31,667
Colony High School	Public	9-12	9550 E Bogard Rd	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 861-5500	1,046	51	20.4	31.3%	697 (66.6%)	5 (0.5%)	87 (8.3%)	15 (1.4%)	68 (6.5%)	4 (0.4%)	170 (16.3%)	50.2	30^th of 60 public high schools	50.0%		64.7	18^th of 63 public high schools	71.4%	12				39.0	39.0				22.0	22.0		41.3	41.3	$12,195	$658	$11,537
Mat-Su Middle College School	Public	8-12	8295 East College Drive	Palmer	99645	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 746-8485	222	2	111.0	20.3%	170 (76.6%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (5.9%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (13.5%)								(n/a)														$12,676	$94	$12,582
Mat-Su Career & Technical Educational High School	Public	9-12	2472 N Seward Meridian Pkwy	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(907) 352-0400	705	42	16.6	25.0%	523 (74.2%)	5 (0.7%)	53 (7.5%)	6 (0.9%)	38 (5.4%)	3 (0.4%)	77 (10.9%)	65	23^rd of 60 public high schools	61.7%		74.8	12^th of 63 public high schools	81.0%	11				40.0	40.0				26.1	26.1		51.2	51.2	$12,208	$273	$11,935
Wasilla High School	Public	9-12	701 E Bogard Rd	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 352-8200	816	45	18.0	33.3%	525 (64.3%)	9 (1.1%)	80 (9.8%)	11 (1.3%)	63 (7.7%)	8 (1.0%)	120 (14.7%)	39.5	38^th of 60 public high schools	36.7%		44.3	38^th of 63 public high schools	39.7%					29.0	29.0				16.8	16.8		45.2	45.2	$14,988	$1,108	$13,880
Burchell High School	Public	9-12	1775 W Parks Hwy	Wasilla	99654	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-2600	200	12	16.6	70.0%	106 (53.0%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (4.0%)	2 (1.0%)	37 (18.5%)	2 (1.0%)	44 (22.0%)	15.7	54^th of 60 public high schools	10.0%		11.2	58^th of 63 public high schools	7.9%	4				28.6	28.6							18.2	18.2	$23,979	$5,024	$18,955
Joe Redington Senior Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	10015 W Redington School Rd	Wasilla	99623	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(907) 864-5400	497	31	16.0	45.5%	276 (55.5%)	5 (1.0%)	46 (9.3%)	6 (1.2%)	68 (13.7%)	5 (1.0%)	91 (18.3%)	24.7	49^th of 60 public high schools	18.3%		14.6	55^th of 63 public high schools	12.7%	6	26.7	22.4	23.8	31.4	25.7	18.3	29.3	33.9	16.7	24.3	34.3	24.5	30.0	$15,358	$1,294	$14,063

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmer High School

What is the racial makeup of Palmer High School?

Students at Palmer High School are 67% White, 12% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 8% American Indian.

How many students attend Palmer High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 616 students attended Palmer High School.

What district is Palmer High School in?

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

What schools feed into Palmer High School?

Palmer High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Butte Elementary
Elementary : Sherrod Elementary
Elementary : Sutton Elementary
Elementary : Swanson Elementary
Middle : Palmer Middle School

Is Palmer High School a good school?

Palmer High School ranks 32^nd of 60 Alaska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Palmer High 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 Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

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.