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William Smith High School

Public Grades 9-12

272^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 328 Colorado High Schools

Better than 17% of Colorado high schools

Summary

William Smith High School is a public high school located in Aurora, Colorado, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 386 students. The school is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28, which is ranked 103 out of 115 school districts in Colorado and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past several years, William Smith High School has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Colorado high schools, ranging from 152nd out of 256 schools in 2016-2017 to 272nd out of 328 schools in the most recent 2024-2025 school year. The school's performance on various student subgroups is also concerning, ranking in the bottom quartile for female, male, Hispanic, low socioeconomic status, and gifted and talented students compared to other Colorado high schools. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 73.4% and 96.7% over the past few years, with the most recent rate at 84.2%, which is below the state average.

Academically, William Smith High School has consistently lower proficiency rates on state assessments compared to the district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 11th-grade proficiency rates in SAT Reading and Writing (42%) and SAT Mathematics (21%) were significantly below the state averages of 62% and 38%, respectively. While some nearby schools, such as Overland High School and DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School, perform better academically, others, like Vista Academy and Gateway High School, struggle with similar challenges as William Smith High School.

410

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,341

Per pupil spending ?

81.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Airport Blvd
Aurora, CO 80011-9380

(303) 364-8715

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

77.6%

White:

10.2%

African American:

6.1%

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Compare William Smith High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 26th percentile in 2013 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (84%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (34% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg29%

Colorado avg53%

272^nd of 328

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 36% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6High Schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28

103^rd of 115Aurora Joint District No. 28 among Colorado 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	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	18.9	272 of 328	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	299 of 349	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	276 of 349	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.5	304 of 411	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	304 of 388	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	32.0	152 of 256	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.5	138 of 255	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.7	188 of 292	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.3	238 of 369	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	25.4	259 of 349	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	40.2	213 of 334	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	37.3	228 of 337	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	28.9	240 of 327	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	36.3	212 of 310	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	20.9	243 of 301	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	6.8	274 of 298	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	5.6	270 of 286	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	6.5	261 of 280	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	4.9	265 of 279	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	22.5	189 of 247	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	212 of 257	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	205 of 254	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.1	236 of 257	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.2	196 of 239	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	127 of 136	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	125 of 140	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	119 of 135	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	25.9	133 of 187	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.1	169 of 199	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.1	135 of 198	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.7	176 of 205	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.9	115 of 181	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	32.2	130 of 194	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.2	173 of 211	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.6	120 of 200	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.7	173 of 203	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.7	100 of 188	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	14.0	212 of 246	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	200 of 256	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.2	201 of 252	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	211 of 253	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.2	181 of 240	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)33rd percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2025)29th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)14th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)7th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Reading and Writing42%-20 vs state

Mathematics21%-17 vs state

Science10%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near William Smith High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2025)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2025)	SAT Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	CMAS English Language Arts (2025)				CMAS Math (2025)		CMAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
William Smith High School	Public	9-12	400 Airport Blvd	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 364-8715	410	24	17.0	81.5%	42 (10.2%)	25 (6.1%)	318 (77.6%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.9%)	18.9	272^nd of 328 public high schools	17.1%		14.4	299^th of 349 public high schools	14.3%	27	47.0		50.0	21.0	42.0									10.3	$18,341
Hinkley High School	Public	9-12	1250 Chambers Road	Aurora	80011	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 340-1500	1,527	70	21.8	87.8%	68 (4.5%)	176 (11.5%)	1,155 (75.6%)	53 (3.5%)	17 (1.1%)	24 (1.6%)	34 (2.2%)	9.8	304^th of 328 public high schools	7.3%		7.1	329^th of 349 public high schools	5.7%	25	29.0	26.0	24.0	9.0	25.0	11.0								7.5	$17,603
Gateway High School	Public	9-12	1300 South Sable Blvd	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 755-7160	1,748	83	20.9	83.1%	141 (8.1%)	322 (18.4%)	1,111 (63.6%)	73 (4.2%)	18 (1.0%)	17 (1.0%)	66 (3.8%)	6.2	319^th of 328 public high schools	2.7%		7.1	326^th of 349 public high schools	6.6%	7	28.0	8.0	31.0	12.0	21.0	8.0								5.2	$17,095
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora	Public, Charter	9-12	1400 S Abilene St.	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 572-5040	567	23	24.1	77.1%	69 (12.2%)	73 (12.9%)	375 (66.1%)	16 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	28 (4.9%)	10.9	301^st of 328 public high schools	8.2%		13.4	302^nd of 349 public high schools	13.5%	1	37.0	9.0	44.0	16.0	38.0	5.0								7.8	$12,521
Rangeview High School	Public	9-12	17599 East Iliff Ave	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 695-6848	2,078	102	20.2	69.6%	345 (16.6%)	426 (20.5%)	1,021 (49.1%)	95 (4.6%)	9 (0.4%)	18 (0.9%)	164 (7.9%)	32.1	224^th of 328 public high schools	31.7%		32.4	231^st of 349 public high schools	33.8%	7	47.0	29.0	58.0	27.0	45.0	24.0								36.7	$16,372
Montbello Career and Technical High School	Public	9-12	4501 Airport Way	Denver	80239	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-7200	158	9	17.4	74.1%	7 (4.4%)	27 (17.1%)	107 (67.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.3%)	5 (3.2%)								(n/a)															$21,932
Overland High School	Public	9-12	12400 East Jewell Avenue	Aurora	80012	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 747-3700	2,228	124	17.9	64.8%	371 (16.7%)	538 (24.1%)	1,005 (45.1%)	120 (5.4%)	9 (0.4%)	8 (0.4%)	174 (7.8%)	20.6	266^th of 328 public high schools	18.9%		26.4	251^st of 349 public high schools	28.1%	15	47.0	21.0	47.0	21.0	43.0	20.0								8.3	$16,034
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Early College	Public	6-12	19535 East 46th Avenue	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0420	1,027	65	15.8	79.0%	45 (4.4%)	215 (20.9%)	605 (58.9%)	76 (7.4%)	4 (0.4%)	43 (4.2%)	38 (3.7%)	6.3	318^th of 328 public high schools	3.0%		10.8	313^th of 349 public high schools	10.3%	5	22.0	9.0	24.0	7.0	30.0	11.0	20.6	14.0	29.7	22.3	10.0	6.9	14.2	6.2	$18,609
DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4800 Telluride Street #2	Denver	80249	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 524-6300	562	48	11.7	73.8%	18 (3.2%)	143 (25.4%)	314 (55.9%)	59 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	18 (3.2%)	54	139^th of 328 public high schools	57.6%		54.1	146^th of 349 public high schools	58.2%	7	61.0	48.0	70.0	48.0	58.0	39.0								13.3	$17,774
Aurora West College Preparatory Academy	Public	6-12	10100 East 13th Ave	Aurora	80010	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 366-2671	927	46	20.1	94.1%	26 (2.8%)	124 (13.4%)	685 (73.9%)	59 (6.4%)	10 (1.1%)	8 (0.9%)	15 (1.6%)	6.9	312^th of 328 public high schools	4.9%		6.3	331^st of 349 public high schools	5.2%	19	33.0		39.0	9.0	19.0		6.5	5.0	5.1	5.5		0.8		8.4	$18,520

Frequently Asked Questions about William Smith High School

Is William Smith High School a good school?

William Smith High School ranks in the bottom 17.1% of Colorado high schools.

What district is William Smith High School in?

Aurora Joint District No. 28

How many students attend William Smith High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 410 students attended William Smith High School.

What is the racial makeup of William Smith High School?

Students at William Smith High School are 78% Hispanic, 10% White, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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