Brighton High School

Brighton High School is a large public high school in Brighton, Colorado, serving 1,733 students in grades 9–12 as part of School District 27J. The school serves a student body facing growing economic need — the free/reduced lunch rate has jumped from 37.7% to 55.7% in just two years — and its state ranking has declined to the 12th percentile statewide, earning a one-star rating for the 2025–2026 school year.

One clear strength stands out: graduation and dropout rates. Brighton's graduation rate is 93.1%, well above the state average of 85.6% and the district average of 87.0%. It also beats nearby schools like Prairie View High School (84.9%), Mountain Range High School (84.2%), and Fort Lupton High School (78.1%). The dropout rate is just 0.7%, far better than the state rate of 1.6%. For parents, this means Brighton is successfully keeping students enrolled and getting them to graduation day.

However, academic proficiency tells a very different story. SAT Reading/Writing proficiency is 42%, SAT Math is just 13%, and CMAS Science is 11.9% — all well below state averages. Math is particularly concerning, with fewer than 1 in 5 students scoring proficient on most math assessments. Chronic absenteeism is also a growing challenge at 37.7%, meaning many students are missing significant class time even as they progress toward graduation. Nearby schools show what's possible: Eagle Ridge Academy, just 1.6 miles away, has 61% SAT Reading/Writing proficiency and 17.1% chronic absenteeism, while Horizon High School posts 66% SAT Reading/Writing and 42% SAT Math proficiency. This "graduation vs. readiness" gap — graduating students without fully preparing them for college-level work — is the central challenge facing Brighton as it works to reverse its declining ranking.