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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Arizona do not yet include the AzSCI Science tests, which have not yet been released by the Arizona Department of Education

Central High School

Public Grades 9-12

234^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 256 Arizona High Schools

Better than 9% of Arizona high schools

Summary

Central High School is a public high school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving grades 9–12 with 1,733 students. Its latest reported results show low proficiency across English Language Arts, math, and science: in 2025–26, 12% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 11% in math, compared with 41% and 33% statewide. The most important finding for families is that Central’s academic results are well below state averages in every reported subject, with the widest gap in English Language Arts.

Science is Central’s strongest subject relative to the district and state, while English Language Arts is its weakest; however, Central trails nearby schools with reported scores in all three subjects. In 2024–25, 9% were proficient in 11th-grade science, equal to the Phoenix Union High School District rate but 10 points below the state’s 19%. Nearby schools averaged 26% in science. For 2025–26, Central’s English Language Arts result of 12% was 22 points below the nearby average of 34%, and its math result of 11% was 20 points below the nearby average of 31%. Central is closer to North High School than to some other nearby schools: North reported 15% in English Language Arts, 9% in math, and 8% in science. Phoenix Coding Academy and Madison Highland Prep had substantially higher reported results in these subjects.

Some measures have improved, though challenges remain. Central’s science proficiency fell from 13% in 2022–23 to 9% in 2024–25, while its graduation rate rose 7 points over five years to 73% in 2024–25—still 5 points below the district and 7 below the state. SchoolDigger’s 2025–26 ranking placed Central 234th of 256 Arizona high schools, at the ninth percentile with 0 stars, up from the fifth percentile in 2023–24. Its student-teacher ratio was 17.1, near the middle of nearby schools; its reported free/reduced-lunch rate was 92% in 2022–23. SchoolDigger’s group-specific effectiveness rankings also varied notably: English Language Learner students ranked at the 91st percentile in 2020–21, versus Central’s overall 44th percentile, while African American students ranked at the fourth percentile in 2022–23, versus 30th overall.

1,733

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,180

Per pupil spending ?

50.8%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

4525 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85012-1816

(602) 764-7500

District: Phoenix Union High School District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

67.3%

African American:

15.1%

White:

6.8%

See top rated Arizona high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 39th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (11% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Arizona average (73% vs 80%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school11%

District avg16%

Arizona avg37%

234^th of 256

Arizona public high schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 30 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 14High Schools in the Phoenix Union High School District

229^th of 267Phoenix Union High School District among Arizona 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	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	9.2	234 of 256	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.6	253 of 271	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	256 of 270	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	328 of 469	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.9	318 of 464	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.5	283 of 509	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	11.9	270 of 285	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	252 of 420	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	26.9	269 of 416	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	28.8	248 of 406	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	17.1	241 of 261	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	39.0	250 of 394	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.8	281 of 491	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.5	267 of 471	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.3	250 of 397	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	48.9	215 of 403	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.6	211 of 395	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	13.4	192 of 201	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.0	207 of 301	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.3	182 of 306	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.0	27 of 33	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	107 of 122	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	9.8	134 of 146	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.6	215 of 238	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.7	169 of 231	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	1.9	82 of 83	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	41.7	53 of 258	79.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.6	29 of 312	90.7%	★★★★★
2018	65.3	7 of 45	84.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	8.1	180 of 198	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.1	204 of 207	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	192 of 200	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.6	317 of 406	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.6	325 of 456	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	316 of 492	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	10.2	240 of 247	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	248 of 354	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	28.8	19 of 25	24.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.6	116 of 116	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	34.6	38 of 130	70.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	9.6	154 of 170	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.2	156 of 176	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	160 of 170	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	278 of 379	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.0	276 of 441	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	231 of 479	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	14.8	175 of 183	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	33.8	182 of 311	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	48.8	28 of 60	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.0	72 of 150	52.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.3	34 of 168	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	40.7	17 of 26	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	168 of 176	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	163 of 180	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	157 of 172	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.2	233 of 347	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.3	123 of 168	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.4	151 of 253	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	6.6	193 of 215	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	203 of 223	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.5	212 of 219	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.2	305 of 429	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.1	318 of 455	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.0	242 of 492	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	12.2	227 of 238	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	265 of 370	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	16.4	179 of 199	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.1	168 of 282	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.3	242 of 374	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.7	55 of 76	27.6%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	22.5	92 of 128	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.3	129 of 255	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.3	115 of 256	55.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	54.5	23 of 68	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	32.4	192 of 380	49.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.9	167 of 422	60.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	52.2	164 of 371	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.3	213 of 409	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.6	235 of 448	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.3	211 of 217	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	197 of 291	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)79th percentile+48 vs school

White (2023)56th percentile+26 vs school

Homeless (2023)53rd percentile+23 vs school

Special Education (2022)49th percentile+18 vs school

Native American (2023)28th percentile~ school

Foster Care (2023)24th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2023)10th percentile-20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)9th percentile~ school

Female (2026)9th percentile~ school

Asian (2023)8th percentile-22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2023)4th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts12%-29 vs state

Mathematics11%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central 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)				AASA English Language Arts (2026)		AASA Mathematics (2026)				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	Directly certified (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	AASA English Language Arts 11th Grade	AASA English Language Arts All Grades	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 11th Grade	AASA Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Central High School	Public	9-12	4525 N Central Ave	Phoenix	85012	Maricopa County	Phoenix Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 764-7500	1,733	101	17.1	50.8%	117 (6.8%)	262 (15.1%)	1,167 (67.3%)	40 (2.3%)	96 (5.5%)	4 (0.2%)	47 (2.7%)	9.2	234^th of 256 public high schools	8.6%		13.6	253^rd of 271 public high schools	6.6%	19	12.0	12.0			11.0	11.0	$16,180	$1,498	$799	$2,297	$10,953	$2,929	$13,882
Phoenix Educator Preparatory	Public	9-12	4525 N Central Ave	Phoenix	85012	Maricopa County	Phoenix Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(602) 764-1051	0	3	1.6	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
PXU City	Public	9-12	4502 N Central Ave	Phoenix	85012	Maricopa County	Phoenix Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 764-1100	85	2	42.5	—	3 (3.5%)	13 (15.3%)	61 (71.8%)	3 (3.5%)	1 (1.2%)	1 (1.2%)	3 (3.5%)								(n/a)							$14,027	$1,007	$687	$1,695	$10,673	$1,660	$12,333
Phoenix Coding Academy	Public	9-12	4445 N Central Ave	Phoenix	85012	Maricopa County	Phoenix Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 764-5700	224	16	13.8	34.8%	44 (19.6%)	23 (10.3%)	140 (62.5%)	5 (2.2%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.5%)	56.5	100^th of 256 public high schools	60.9%		35.8	159^th of 271 public high schools	41.3%	59	46.0	46.0			38.0	38.0	$18,706	$1,807	$807	$2,614	$13,561	$2,532	$16,092
CPLC College and Career High School	Public, Charter	9-12	715 W. Mariposa St.	Phoenix	85013	Maricopa County	CPLC Community Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 288-4518	48	3	16.0	—	6 (12.5%)	4 (8.3%)	37 (77.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Learning Institute The	Public, Charter	7-12	5310 N 12th St # 100	Phoenix	85014	Maricopa County	Phoenix School of Academic Excellence The	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 241-7876	95	6	15.8	—	7 (7.4%)	4 (4.2%)	75 (78.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Madison Highland Prep	Public, Charter	9-12	1431 E. Campbell Ave	Phoenix	85014	Maricopa County	Madison Highland Prep	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 745-3800	510	22	23.1	—	164 (32.2%)	23 (4.5%)	275 (53.9%)	16 (3.1%)	11 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.9%)	73.2	66^th of 256 public high schools	74.2%		62.3	85^th of 271 public high schools	68.6%	19	50.0	50.0			53.0	53.0
Phoenix College Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	3310 N 10th Ave	Phoenix	85013	Maricopa County	MCCCD on behalf of Phoenix College Preparatory Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 285-7998	261	13	19.5	55.9%	12 (4.6%)	10 (3.8%)	228 (87.4%)	5 (1.9%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	25.3	169^th of 256 public high schools	34.0%		60.2	92^nd of 271 public high schools	66.1%	77	25.0	25.0			25.0	25.0	$10,659	$655	$724	$1,379	$8,122	$1,158	$9,280
Arizona Autism Charter - Online High School	Public, Virtual, Charter	9-12	4125 N 14th St	Phoenix	85014	Maricopa County	Arizona Autism Charter Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	No	(602) 882-5544	92	9	10.2	—	39 (42.4%)	6 (6.5%)	39 (42.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.4%)	1 (1.1%)	2 (2.2%)								(n/a)							$10,765	$00	$77	$77	$8,008	$2,680	$10,688
North High School	Public	9-12	1101 E Thomas Rd	Phoenix	85014	Maricopa County	Phoenix Union High School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 764-6500	1,837	98	18.8	53.0%	82 (4.5%)	160 (8.7%)	1,502 (81.8%)	40 (2.2%)	35 (1.9%)	2 (0.1%)	16 (0.9%)	9.4	232^nd of 256 public high schools	9.4%		11.3	262^nd of 271 public high schools	3.3%	30	15.0	15.0			9.0	9.0	$15,565	$1,360	$731	$2,091	$10,850	$2,624	$13,475

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

What district is Central High School in?

Phoenix Union High School District

Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of Arizona high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 67% Hispanic, 15% African American, 7% White, 6% American Indian, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,733 students attended Central High School.

What schools feed into Central High School?

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Latest Arizona data All new data »

2022–23 through 2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 2, 2026

2018–19 through 2021–22 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2015–16 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 AASA test scoresOct 13, 2026

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