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

Riverdale Ridge High School

Q: Is Riverdale Ridge High School a good school?

Riverdale Ridge High School ranks 242 nd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

242^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 29% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Riverdale Ridge High School is a large comprehensive high school in Thornton, CO, serving 1,784 students in grades 9–12 within School District 27J. The school's most notable strength is keeping students on track to graduate: its 2024–25 graduation rate of 94.2% outpaces both the district (87.0%) and state (85.6%), and its dropout rate of just 1.0% is well below average. Academic proficiency, however, is more complicated—the school generally outperforms its district but trails state averages in nearly every subject, with mathematics as the biggest concern. Only 18% of 11th graders score proficient on SAT math versus 32% statewide, and similar gaps appear at 9th and 10th grade.

Chronic absenteeism is a growing issue, rising from 28.4% to 33.9% in a single year, meaning roughly one in three students misses significant school. The school's ranking has also slipped from the 42nd percentile in 2022–23 to the 29th percentile today. In the local landscape, Brighton High School and Prairie View High School trail Riverdale Ridge in academics and graduation rates, but Horizon High School, just 2.3 miles away, posts far stronger results—including 42% SAT math proficiency versus Riverdale Ridge's 18%. Within the same district, Eagle Ridge Academy serves a similar poverty rate while achieving notably higher proficiency and half the chronic absenteeism.

There are bright spots to build on: science proficiency has improved dramatically, from 11.9% to 21.3% in three years, and SAT Reading/Writing has crept upward to 53%. Subgroup performance is below state averages across the board, pointing to a schoolwide academic challenge rather than one affecting only certain groups. At the same time, poverty has risen sharply—free/reduced-price lunch eligibility jumped from 27.8% to 39.2% in two years. The school's strong graduation culture and improving test trends suggest a foundation for progress, but raising math achievement and tackling chronic absenteeism will be essential to reversing the recent decline.

1,784

Students ?

21.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,730

Per pupil spending ?

39.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13380 Yosemite Street
Thornton, CO 80602-8326

(303) 655-6800

District: School District 27J

Feeder schools for Riverdale Ridge High School:

Elementary:	Brantner Elementary School
	John W Thimmig Elementary School
	Southeast Elementary School
	West Ridge Elementary
Middle:	Prairie View Middle School
	Rodger Quist Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.5%

White:

42.4%

Asian:

5.9%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Riverdale Ridge High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 42nd percentile in 2023 → 29th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (37% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 42nd-percentile peak (2023) to 29th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg33%

Colorado avg48%

242^nd of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 9 pts since 2021

From bottom 20% (2021) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5High Schools in the School District 27J

79^th of 114School District 27J 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	28.1	242 of 340	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.5	234 of 328	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.4	222 of 349	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.8	204 of 349	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.0	170 of 221	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.9	168 of 210	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	15.0	35 of 43	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.8	36 of 43	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	32 of 43	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	33 of 43	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.3	38 of 45	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	4.9	38 of 41	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	19.6	70 of 84	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	183 of 246	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.9	175 of 247	29.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	165 of 257	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.0	159 of 254	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	175 of 257	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.6	165 of 239	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	40.6	105 of 143	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.7	106 of 136	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.7	96 of 140	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.9	122 of 135	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	53.2	62 of 108	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.0	97 of 118	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	147 of 198	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.6	143 of 187	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	134 of 199	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	127 of 198	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.1	122 of 205	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.1	133 of 181	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	166 of 209	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.5	148 of 194	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.1	141 of 211	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.1	111 of 200	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.8	137 of 203	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.1	132 of 188	29.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	179 of 244	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.9	180 of 246	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.5	164 of 256	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	160 of 252	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.4	156 of 253	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.2	153 of 240	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	57.5	32 of 61	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.4	39 of 62	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	14.6	200 of 221	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.1	177 of 209	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.0	188 of 229	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	186 of 234	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	182 of 228	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	177 of 225	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2024)48th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)27th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)27th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)26th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)26th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)21st percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2026)19th percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2024)17th percentile-20 vs school

White (2026)10th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing53%-7 vs state

Science21%-4 vs state

Mathematics18%-14 vs state

3.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Riverdale Ridge 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

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, June 16, 2023

We had our kids at this school prior to COVID and throughout those years. We had an issue with a teacher who was telling the girls in class how they needed to stay away from boys and form female relationships instead. These and other inappropriate behavior/comments from this teacher made the girls very uncomfortable. When I wanted to speak to the principal it was a huge ordeal as he was filtered by two to three assistant principals who covered for him. We never were able to meet with him as they tried to downplay the issue and cover for the teacher. There was no corrective action or accountability for the teacher. It was apparent that the principal and his assistants were very inexperienced and how the school was ran was a glaring example. I would not recommend this school to anyone if they are looking for a well rounded, learning environment. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, April 13, 2023

This school is highly diverse, has great STEAM programs, many after school activities offered, higher than district testing results, and wonderfully supportive teachers and administration! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 20, 2020

The school is newer and is well on to a good start the teachers are carrying and the office staff is very efficient. School sports are a little bit disorganized but I believe that they will get this manage with some time under their belts Close Quote

Schools Near Riverdale Ridge 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)				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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Riverdale Ridge High School	Public	9-12	13380 Yosemite Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-6800	1,784	82	21.7	39.2%	757 (42.4%)	35 (2.0%)	794 (44.5%)	105 (5.9%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (4.9%)	28.1	242^nd of 340 public high schools	28.8%		29.5	234^th of 328 public high schools	28.7%	8	50.4	26.0	54.4	29.1	52.6	17.7										21.3	$13,730
Horizon High School	Public	9-12	5321 East 136th Avenue	Brighton	80601	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-4400	1,966	98	20.1	33.1%	1,041 (53.0%)	25 (1.3%)	691 (35.1%)	97 (4.9%)	6 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	102 (5.2%)	70.7	95^th of 340 public high schools	72.1%		69.6	102^nd of 328 public high schools	68.9%	7	73.9	51.2	75.8	52.1	65.5	42.2										36.1	$14,740
Prairie View High School	Public	9-12	12909 E 120th Ave	Henderson	80640	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-8800	1,809	87	20.7	54.1%	505 (27.9%)	93 (5.1%)	1,045 (57.8%)	91 (5.0%)	2 (0.1%)	7 (0.4%)	66 (3.6%)	17.4	284^th of 340 public high schools	16.5%		20.2	268^th of 328 public high schools	18.3%	16	54.3	22.7	47.0	17.1	38.0	10.2										12.6	$14,448
Brighton High School	Public	9-12	270 South 8th Avenue	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-4200	1,733	90	19.2	55.7%	627 (36.2%)	20 (1.2%)	1,021 (58.9%)	15 (0.9%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (2.5%)	15.3	297^th of 340 public high schools	12.6%		21.8	260^th of 328 public high schools	20.7%	37	44.4	18.6	45.2	17.3	41.6	13.3										11.9	$15,161
27J Online Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	89 N. 6th Avenue	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 655-2527	336	21	16.0		85 (25.3%)	8 (2.4%)	219 (65.2%)	12 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.0%)								(n/a)	41.7	380.0			432.0	381.0			711.0	724.0			713.0	723.0	720.0		$14,637
Innovations & Options	Public	6-12	830 Bridge Street	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-2850	235	17	13.7		56 (23.8%)	5 (2.1%)	167 (71.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)								(n/a)																715.0	$16,300
Pathways Future Center	Public, Virtual	6-12	550 E. 124th Avenue	Thornton	80241	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(720) 972-4723	386	20	19.4	72.5%	90 (23.3%)	14 (3.6%)	270 (69.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)								(n/a)																	$16,115
Eagle Ridge Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	3551 Southern Street	Brighton	80601	Adams County	School District 27J	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 345-4380	593	24	25.2	40.6%	260 (43.8%)	15 (2.5%)	293 (49.4%)	9 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	41.8	189^th of 340 public high schools	44.4%		42	185^th of 328 public high schools	43.6%	4	54.2	25.4	70.1	38.4	61.0	22.7										25.6	$10,563
Mountain Range High School	Public	9-12	12500 Huron Street	Westminster	80234	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-6300	1,788	86	20.7	53.5%	635 (35.5%)	30 (1.7%)	916 (51.2%)	103 (5.8%)	11 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	90 (5.0%)	27.7	244^th of 340 public high schools	28.2%		27.9	239^th of 328 public high schools	27.1%	5	56.4	28.3	53.5	27.0	48.6	18.7										14.3	$14,606
The STEAD School	Public, Charter	9-12	18251 Homestead Trail	Commerce City	80022	Adams County	School District 27J	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 288-5536	421	20	20.6	23.3%	194 (46.1%)	13 (3.1%)	182 (43.2%)	11 (2.6%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	35.3	221^st of 340 public high schools	35.0%					(n/a)	69.0	21.4	46.9	387.0	55.3	450.0										27.3	$13,832

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverdale Ridge High School

What district is Riverdale Ridge High School in?

School District 27J

What schools feed into Riverdale Ridge High School?

Riverdale Ridge High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brantner Elementary School
Elementary : John W Thimmig Elementary School
Elementary : Southeast Elementary School
Elementary : West Ridge Elementary
Middle : Prairie View Middle School
Middle : Rodger Quist Middle School

Is Riverdale Ridge High School a good school?

Riverdale Ridge High School ranks 242^nd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Riverdale Ridge High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,784 students attended Riverdale Ridge High School.

What is the racial makeup of Riverdale Ridge High School?

Students at Riverdale Ridge High School are 45% Hispanic, 42% White, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Rate Riverdale Ridge High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado High School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Thornton, CO

Sign up for updates!

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

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.