Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Palmer High School

Q: Is Palmer High School a good school?

Palmer High School ranks 27 th of 62 Alaska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Palmer High School?

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

Q: 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.

Q: 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

Public Grades 9-12

27^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 62 Alaska High Schools

Better than 56% of Alaska high schools

Summary

Palmer High School serves 616 students in grades 9–12 in Palmer, Alaska, and sits within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. The school currently ranks 27th of 62 Alaska high schools for 2025–26, a 3-star result, and has rebounded from a difficult 2023–24 year in which its ranking fell as low as 44th.

Palmer's biggest academic asset is English/language arts. Its 9th-grade ELA proficiency rate of 42.45% runs about 11 points above the Alaska state average, suggesting strong literacy instruction. Science and graduation rates are also bright spots: 10th-grade science proficiency sits at 42.76% versus a 33.03% state average, and the school posts a healthy 92.0% graduation rate. Subgroup results paint a mixed picture: Hispanic students ranked 3rd statewide and low-income students ranked 7th in the latest year, but female students outperform male students by a wide margin, and the multiracial subgroup's state ranking fell to the 0th percentile. Math is the biggest challenge, with only 22.3% of 9th graders proficient — far below the school's own ELA and science levels.

Nearby comparisons give parents context. Colony High School, just 2.5 miles away, ranks slightly higher at 23rd and posts better math and science scores, yet Palmer outperforms Colony in ELA and graduates students at nearly the same rate. Wasilla High School is demographically similar but trails Palmer on most measures, while Mat-Su Career & Technical Educational High School achieves a 97% graduation rate through a specialized career-tech model. Colony gets its results while serving more students at lower per-student spending, so Palmer's clearest opportunity is raising math performance while holding onto its literacy edge.

616

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,102

Per pupil spending ?

34.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

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: Rebounding — 30th percentile in 2024 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓92% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 56th (2026) from a 30th-percentile low (2024)

✓Above the Alaska median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg43%

Alaska avg33%

27^th of 62

Alaska public high schools ?

Top 44%▲ up 5 pts since 2017

From top 48% (2017) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alaska High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 7High Schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

6^th of 23Matanuska-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
2026	57.4	27 of 62	56.5%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	68.1	13 of 46	71.7%	★★★★☆
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
2026	76.8	3 of 16	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	65.1	5 of 16	68.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alaska percentile	Rating
2026	49.0	7 of 19	63.2%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	38.7	29 of 48	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	49.0	7 of 19	63.2%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	6.5	25 of 25	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	48.2	20 of 44	54.5%	★★★☆☆
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 (2026)81st percentile+25 vs school

Female (2026)72nd percentile+15 vs school

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)63rd percentile+7 vs school

Migrant (2026)63rd percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile~ school

Male (2026)40th percentile-17 vs school

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

Multi-racial (2026)<1st percentile-56 vs school

By subject vs Alaska (2025-2026) ?

Science43%+5 vs state

English Language Arts42%+10 vs state

Mathematics22%-10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Palmer High School and help other families decide.

Rate Palmer High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Palmer High School

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				STAR English Language Arts (2026)					STAR Mathematics (2026)					ASA Science (2026)			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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	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%)	57.4	27^th of 62 public high schools	56.5%		44.6	32^nd of 60 public high schools	46.7%	5				42.5	42.5				22.3	22.3		42.8	42.8	$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%)	60.1	23^rd of 62 public high schools	62.9%		50.2	30^th of 60 public high schools	50.0%	7				39.1	39.1				24.0	24.0		47.9	47.9	$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)												≥ 80%	≥ 80%	$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%)	53.5	31^st of 62 public high schools	50.0%		65	23^rd of 60 public high schools	61.7%	8				33.9	33.9				27.0	27.0		40.1	40.1	$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%)	36.3	39^th of 62 public high schools	37.1%		39.5	38^th of 60 public high schools	36.7%	1				30.1	30.1				21.5	21.5		32.4	32.4	$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%)								(n/a)				14.8	14.8				< 10%	< 10%		< 20%	< 20%	$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%)	34.7	41^st of 62 public high schools	33.9%		24.7	49^th of 60 public high schools	18.3%	8	28.2	25.0	28.0	35.0	28.6	24.3	25.0	20.3	11.7	20.9	37.7	39.0	38.1	$15,358	$1,294	$14,063

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmer High School

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 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.

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 27^th of 62 Alaska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Palmer High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AKAlaska High School Rankings

AKAlaska District Rankings

Schools in Palmer, AK

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Palmer High School!

Latest Alaska data All new data »

2025–26 ASA & STAR test scoresSep 3, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 12, 2025

2018–19 through 2023–24 graduation ratesSep 19, 2025

2024–25 ASA & STAR test scoresSep 5, 2025

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.