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Riverdale Ridge High School

Q: Is Riverdale Ridge High School a good school?

Riverdale Ridge High School ranks 234 th of 328 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

234^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 328 Colorado High Schools

Better than 29% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Riverdale Ridge High School is a public high school located in Thornton, Colorado, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,636 students. The school is part of the School District 27J, which is ranked 85 out of 115 districts in Colorado and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Riverdale Ridge High School consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages on standardized tests, such as CMAS, SAT, and PSAT. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 16.2% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in CMAS/Science, compared to the state average of 25% and the district average of 18.2%. The school also has a lower 4-year graduation rate, ranging from 83.1% to 96.2% over the past few years, and a higher dropout rate, ranging from 0.7% to 2.1%, than the state and district averages. Additionally, Riverdale Ridge High School has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 26.8% to 28.4% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When comparing Riverdale Ridge High School to nearby schools within the same district, such as Brighton High School and Prairie View High School, the academic performance and other key metrics are generally lower at Riverdale Ridge. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/Reading and Writing was 52% at Riverdale Ridge, compared to 49% at Brighton High School and 44% at Prairie View High School. Additionally, the public charter high school Eagle Ridge Academy within the same district consistently outperforms Riverdale Ridge High School on various academic measures.

1,784

Students ?

21.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,403

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: Improving — 20th percentile in 2021 → 29th in 2025

Strengths

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

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2021

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (37% vs 47% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 13 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school37%

District avg34%

Colorado avg47%

234^th of 328

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 9 pts since 2021

From bottom 20% (2021) to bottom 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4High Schools in the School District 27J

85^th of 115School 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Female (2025)29th percentile~ school

Male (2025)27th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)24th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)22nd percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2024)17th percentile-20 vs school

Asian (2025)16th percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)15th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Reading and Writing52%-10 vs state

Mathematics19%-13 vs state

Science16%-9 vs state

3.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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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

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 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 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%)	29.5	234^th of 328 public high schools	28.7%		34.4	222^nd of 349 public high schools	36.4%	12	62.0	24.0	55.0	20.0	52.0	19.0	16.2	$12,403
Horizon High School	Public	9-12	5321 East 136th Avenue	Brighton	80602	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%)	69.6	102^nd of 328 public high schools	68.9%		67.4	103^rd of 349 public high schools	70.5%	1	70.0	45.0	75.0	50.0	70.0	44.0	31.3	$14,150
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%)	20.2	268^th of 328 public high schools	18.3%		23.8	260^th of 349 public high schools	25.5%	8	51.0	15.0	54.0	21.0	44.0	12.0	13.8	$12,784
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%)	21.8	260^th of 328 public high schools	20.7%		24.2	259^th of 349 public high schools	25.8%	1	49.0	18.0	48.0	22.0	49.0	17.0	16.0	$13,250
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)					41.0			$12,693
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)	44.0							$14,533
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)								$14,003
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%)	42	185^th of 328 public high schools	43.6%		51.4	161^st of 349 public high schools	53.9%	24	58.0	24.0	60.0	22.0	79.0	29.0	31.6	$10,919
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%)	27.9	239^th of 328 public high schools	27.1%		35.8	218^th of 349 public high schools	37.5%	21	54.0	20.0	55.0	24.0	51.0	19.0	22.6	$14,155
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%)								(n/a)	64.0		61.0	24.0	52.0		31.6

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverdale Ridge High School

Is Riverdale Ridge High School a good school?

Riverdale Ridge High School ranks 234^th of 328 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

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

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.

How many students attend Riverdale Ridge High School?

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

What district is Riverdale Ridge High School in?

School District 27J

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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.