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Centaurus High School

Q: Is Centaurus High School a good school?

Centaurus High School ranks 43 rd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

43^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 87% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Centaurus High School is a public high school in Lafayette, Colorado, serving 1,557 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Boulder Valley School District, one of Colorado's highest-ranked districts. Over the past decade, the school has undergone a remarkable turnaround, climbing from the bottom half of Colorado high schools in 2016–2017 to a consistent 4-star rating and ranking 43rd of 338 schools (87th percentile) in 2025–2026. This upward trajectory makes Centaurus one of the most improved high schools in the region.

Centaurus's most distinctive strength is science. In 2025–2026, 62.5% of 11th graders were proficient on the CMAS science assessment, far exceeding the state average of 24.8% and matching top performers like Monarch High School (65.9%) and Fairview High School (64.1%). The school also posts a 95.7% graduation rate—above the district average of 93.3% and the state average of 85.6%—and its students with disabilities ranked in the 98th percentile of Colorado high schools in 2023–2024. The school's lower student–teacher ratio (19.9) compared to nearby comprehensive high schools suggests students may benefit from more personalized attention than at larger peer schools.

These achievements come while serving a more economically diverse student population than neighboring schools: 30.8% of Centaurus students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 14.5% at Fairview, 16.2% at Monarch, and 13.1% at Erie High School. However, challenges remain. Chronic absenteeism (22.7%) exceeds the district average of 17.5%, and math proficiency (56% on the SAT) lags well behind reading/writing (81%) and science (62.5%). Achievement gaps for Hispanic and low-income students also persist. Centaurus is a strong, improving school with standout science programs and high graduation rates, but closing equity gaps and boosting math outcomes remain priorities.

1,557

Students ?

19.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,570

Per pupil spending ?

30.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

10300 South Boulder Road
Lafayette, CO 80026-1402

(720) 561-7500

District: Boulder Valley School District No. Re2

Feeder schools for Centaurus High School:

Elementary:	Alicia Sanchez International School
	Lafayette Elementary School
	Meadowlark School
	Ryan Elementary School
Middle:	Angevine Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.2%

Hispanic:

26.7%

Two or more races:

5.0%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Centaurus High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 35th percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (69% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Colorado high schools

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg72%

Colorado avg48%

43^rd of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 52 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7High Schools in the Boulder Valley School District No. Re2

5^th of 114Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 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
2026	84.8	43 of 340	87.4%	★★★★☆
2025	87.8	35 of 328	89.3%	★★★★☆
2024	89.3	29 of 349	91.7%	★★★★★
2023	86.3	40 of 349	88.5%	★★★★☆
2022	71.1	62 of 221	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	72.7	52 of 210	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	55 of 411	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	58 of 388	85.1%	★★★★☆
2017	23.5	185 of 256	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.6	165 of 255	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	19.6	238 of 292	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	62.3	132 of 369	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.3	150 of 349	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.7	163 of 334	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.3	170 of 337	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.3	153 of 327	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	47.2	176 of 310	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.2	148 of 301	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.9	152 of 298	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.4	148 of 286	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	46.4	156 of 280	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2004	50.5	148 of 279	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	28.2	31 of 43	27.9%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	14 of 56	75.0%	★★★★☆
2025	67.1	13 of 59	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	93.4	2 of 84	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	74.4	14 of 74	81.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	75.6	60 of 246	75.6%	★★★★☆
2025	80.3	40 of 247	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	64 of 257	75.1%	★★★★☆
2023	76.9	59 of 254	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	73.4	67 of 257	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	73.5	63 of 239	73.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	38 of 143	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	69.0	43 of 136	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.2	58 of 140	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.1	32 of 135	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	48.7	66 of 108	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	97 of 198	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.5	64 of 187	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.1	64 of 199	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.9	69 of 198	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.6	82 of 205	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.7	76 of 181	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	119 of 209	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	66.1	57 of 194	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	59.7	73 of 211	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.3	51 of 200	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	58.3	74 of 203	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.1	126 of 188	33.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	85.9	34 of 244	86.1%	★★★★☆
2025	88.4	25 of 246	89.8%	★★★★★
2024	93.9	13 of 256	94.9%	★★★★★
2023	87.9	30 of 252	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	83.5	39 of 253	84.6%	★★★★☆
2021	84.5	36 of 240	85.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	76.0	11 of 61	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	71.8	15 of 58	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	11 of 61	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	74.9	11 of 62	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	80.0	8 of 56	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	87.0	5 of 48	89.6%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2022	50.1	38 of 77	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.4	9 of 60	85.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	86.6	18 of 221	91.9%	★★★★★
2025	87.9	17 of 209	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	90.7	10 of 229	95.6%	★★★★★
2023	86.6	19 of 234	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	83.1	34 of 228	85.1%	★★★★☆
2021	86.0	22 of 225	90.2%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)92nd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)86th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)82nd percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)76th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2026)75th percentile-12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)73rd percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)51st percentile-36 vs school

Special Education (2022)51st percentile-21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-44 vs school

Asian (2026)28th percentile-59 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing82%+16 vs state

Science62%+38 vs state

Mathematics62%+22 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 16, 2017

We have found this school meets our daughter's needs very well. Close Quote

Schools Near Centaurus 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)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2026)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2026)	SAT Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	CMAS English Language Arts (2026)				CMAS Math (2026)				CMAS Science (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	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	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 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Centaurus High School	Public	9-12	10300 South Boulder Road	Lafayette	80026	Boulder County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	No	No	No	No	(720) 561-7500	1,557	78	19.9	30.8%	1,000 (64.2%)	14 (0.9%)	415 (26.7%)	42 (2.7%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (5.0%)	84.8	43^rd of 340 public high schools	87.4%		87.8	35^th of 328 public high schools	89.3%	8	80.2	55.1	81.7	62.4	80.8	56.4										62.5	$19,570
Justice High Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	805 Excalibur	Lafayette	80026	Boulder County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 935-1337	108	5	19.8	89.8%	31 (28.7%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (59.3%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.4%)								(n/a)																	$15,288
Monarch High School	Public	9-12	329 Campus Drive	Louisville	80027	Boulder County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	No	No	No	No	(720) 561-4200	1,431	64	22.2	16.2%	1,098 (76.7%)	8 (0.6%)	162 (11.3%)	71 (5.0%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	82 (5.7%)	91.5	21^st of 340 public high schools	93.8%		92.3	18^th of 328 public high schools	94.5%	3	88.3	62.8	90.3	67.8	87.4	60.7										740.0	$19,281
Broomfield High School	Public	9-12	1 Eagle Way	Broomfield	80020	Broomfield County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	No	No	No	No	(720) 561-8100	1,693	78	21.7	24.7%	1,119 (66.1%)	31 (1.8%)	401 (23.7%)	58 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.3%)	78 (4.6%)	73.2	90^th of 340 public high schools	73.5%		76.3	78^th of 328 public high schools	76.2%	12	77.2	50.0	82.3	52.9	69.2	41.6										30.5	$18,503
Arapahoe Ridge High School	Public	9-12	6600 Arapahoe Avenue	Boulder	80303	Boulder County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 561-5220	184	12	15.6	72.8%	66 (35.9%)	6 (3.3%)	97 (52.7%)	2 (1.1%)	5 (2.7%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.8%)								(n/a)					453.0	393.0											$33,443
Legacy High School	Public	9-12	2701 West 136th Street	Broomfield	80020	Broomfield County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-6700	2,052	97	21.1	23.9%	1,248 (60.8%)	26 (1.3%)	517 (25.2%)	118 (5.8%)	7 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	134 (6.5%)	81.9	61^st of 340 public high schools	82.1%		86.2	39^th of 328 public high schools	88.1%	22	80.7	63.3	74.3	60.0	78.0	56.7										31.4	$14,531
Jefferson Academy Secondary	Public, Charter	7-12	11251 Reed Way	Broomfield	80020	Broomfield County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 887-1992	696	38	18.1	13.2%	508 (73.0%)	7 (1.0%)	88 (12.6%)	37 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.0%)	92.2	18^th of 340 public high schools	94.7%		94.3	14^th of 328 public high schools	95.7%	4	90.1	69.3	93.5	74.8	85.3	55.9		64.2	58.3	61.5		52.3	46.5	49.5	57.9	50.6	$11,689
Erie High School	Public	9-12	3180 County Road 5	Erie	80516	Boulder County	St. Vrain Valley School District No. Re1J	No	No	No	No	(303) 828-4213	1,727	74	23.3	13.1%	1,337 (77.4%)	13 (0.8%)	250 (14.5%)	79 (4.6%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (2.6%)	81.9	60^th of 340 public high schools	82.4%		77.8	73^rd of 328 public high schools	77.7%	13	83.0	60.8	83.9	58.0	77.8	44.4										32.4	$15,637
Standley Lake High School	Public	9-12	9300 West 104th Avenue	Westminster	80021	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-3311	1,123	58	19.4	32.7%	665 (59.2%)	12 (1.1%)	307 (27.3%)	60 (5.3%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	72 (6.4%)	59.8	128^th of 340 public high schools	62.4%		55.5	136^th of 328 public high schools	58.5%	8	72.1	37.1	70.7	42.6	75.0	31.9										35.1	$16,780
Fairview High School	Public	9-12	1515 Greenbriar Boulevard	Boulder	80305	Boulder County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	No	No	No	No	(720) 561-3100	1,863	81	23.0	14.5%	1,268 (68.1%)	23 (1.2%)	225 (12.1%)	189 (10.1%)	7 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	145 (7.8%)	95.7	6^th of 340 public high schools	98.2%		95.8	6^th of 328 public high schools	98.2%		94.2	74.3	93.2	77.0	89.5	71.0										64.1	$18,502

Frequently Asked Questions about Centaurus High School

How many students attend Centaurus High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,557 students attended Centaurus High School.

What district is Centaurus High School in?

Boulder Valley School District No. Re2

What schools feed into Centaurus High School?

Centaurus High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alicia Sanchez International School
Elementary : Lafayette Elementary School
Elementary : Meadowlark School
Elementary : Ryan Elementary School
Middle : Angevine Middle School

Is Centaurus High School a good school?

Centaurus High School ranks 43^rd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Centaurus High School?

Students at Centaurus High School are 64% White, 27% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Rate Centaurus High School!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

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.