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

Thunder Ridge Middle School

Q: Is Thunder Ridge Middle School a good school?

Thunder Ridge Middle School ranks 186 th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Thunder Ridge Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,106 students attended Thunder Ridge Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Thunder Ridge Middle School?

Students at Thunder Ridge Middle School are 48% White, 25% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 10% African American, 7% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Thunder Ridge Middle School attend?

Students who attend Thunder Ridge Middle School usually go on to attend Eaglecrest High School

Public Grades 6-8

186^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 476 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 61% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

Thunder Ridge Middle School is a large grades 6-8 school in Aurora, Colorado, serving 1,106 students within the Cherry Creek School District No. 5, a high-performing district that ranks in the 77th percentile statewide. Thunder Ridge itself currently ranks 185th out of 469 Colorado middle schools (61st percentile, 3 stars), a meaningful rebound from a low point two years ago, though it still trails several nearby Cherry Creek options like Fox Ridge Middle School and Liberty Middle School, while outperforming Laredo Middle School and Horizon Middle School.

The school's standout academic strength is 8th-grade science, where proficiency sits at 44.7%, above both the district (43.2%) and state (35.4%) — a consistent pattern over three straight years. Math and English language arts are bigger challenges: math proficiency is 36.6% (below the district's 44.2%) and ELA is 41.3% (below the district's 49.5%). The good news is that math has improved dramatically from just 25.4% two years ago, nearly closing the gap with the state average. Chronic absenteeism is a bright spot at 23.8%, beating the district (25.3%) and state (28.4%) averages. Interestingly, Thunder Ridge serves its Hispanic and African American students comparatively well, though performance for students already expected to achieve at high levels and those receiving special education services is lower — suggesting room to grow for all learners.

The bottom line: Thunder Ridge is a solid, recovering school in a strong district, but families should weigh its excellent science program and improving attendance against its still-weak math and ELA outcomes. Compared to a similarly disadvantaged neighbor like Liberty — which posts far higher proficiency in every subject — Thunder Ridge has clear potential to improve further. With continued momentum in math and a focus on raising ELA achievement, it could rejoin the top tier of Cherry Creek middle schools it once occupied back in 2015.

1,106

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,737

Per pupil spending ?

37%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5250 South Picadilly Street
Aurora, CO 80015-3300

(720) 886-1500

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Students who attend Thunder Ridge Middle School usually attend:

High:

Eaglecrest High School

Feeder schools for Thunder Ridge Middle School:

Elementary:	Antelope Ridge Elementary School
	Canyon Creek Elementary School
	Peakview Elementary School
	Timberline Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.0%

Hispanic:

24.5%

Two or more races:

10.2%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Thunder Ridge Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 51st percentile in 2024 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 61st (2026) from a 51st-percentile low (2024)

✓Above the Colorado median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg47%

Colorado avg41%

186^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 39%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 11Middle Schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5

26^th of 114Cherry Creek School District No. 5 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	52.5	186 of 476	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.7	197 of 469	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.5	237 of 485	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.6	228 of 480	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.0	155 of 448	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.4	129 of 369	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.3	171 of 458	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	140 of 418	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.8	133 of 424	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.5	87 of 400	78.3%	★★★★☆
2015	67.0	107 of 436	75.5%	★★★★☆
2014	65.9	149 of 461	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.7	130 of 454	71.4%	★★★★☆
2012	66.3	144 of 425	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.0	154 of 422	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.6	144 of 409	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.4	136 of 377	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.4	135 of 362	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.7	144 of 360	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.4	121 of 346	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	61.6	135 of 340	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	60.9	131 of 336	61.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	47.7	16 of 35	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.8	9 of 29	69.0%	★★★★☆
2024	57.6	8 of 25	68.0%	★★★★☆
2023	48.7	14 of 25	44.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.9	9 of 33	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	62.2	7 of 22	68.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	32.1	20 of 27	25.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.4	24 of 26	7.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.5	19 of 21	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.6	22 of 25	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.6	16 of 16	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	27.1	18 of 22	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.5	15 of 18	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	48.6	164 of 368	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.9	147 of 347	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.3	181 of 350	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.1	177 of 363	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.7	136 of 326	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.2	120 of 254	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.5	145 of 352	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.0	119 of 315	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	32.5	122 of 154	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.9	106 of 132	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.3	93 of 126	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	102 of 125	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	61.6	43 of 93	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.1	62 of 134	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.9	53 of 121	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	52.3	82 of 208	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	108 of 218	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.8	114 of 199	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	94 of 198	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.1	33 of 169	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	65.0	22 of 83	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	50.3	95 of 220	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.1	46 of 165	72.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	150 of 231	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.0	106 of 241	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.7	171 of 244	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.6	111 of 241	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	42 of 197	78.7%	★★★★☆
2021	85.2	6 of 114	94.7%	★★★★★
2019	52.9	98 of 240	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.4	84 of 222	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	173 of 372	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.5	191 of 352	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.0	212 of 357	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	196 of 356	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.8	131 of 328	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.8	98 of 249	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.7	136 of 343	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.1	125 of 317	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	27 of 30	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2022	40.8	6 of 6	0.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.1	2 of 2	0.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	177 of 278	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	170 of 275	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	175 of 273	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	196 of 286	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.7	146 of 265	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	109 of 203	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.9	148 of 283	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.2	102 of 199	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)61st percentile~ school

Female (2026)55th percentile-5 vs school

African American (2026)54th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2026)53rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)36th percentile-25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)35th percentile-26 vs school

Asian (2026)26th percentile-35 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)21st percentile-40 vs school

Disabled (2026)18th percentile-43 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)10th percentile-51 vs school

Special Education (2022)<1st percentile-65 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Science45%+9 vs state

English Language Arts41%-3 vs state

Math37%~ state avg

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Thunder Ridge Middle 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
Thursday, January 24, 2019

This is my son's 2nd year at this school. We are very happy with this school. In my experience, the staff is very responsive to the kid's needs and make learning fun as well as hold the students accountable. I am very pleased with this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Thunder Ridge Middle 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)				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	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	Total
Thunder Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	5250 South Picadilly Street	Aurora	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-1500	1,106	71	15.6	37.0%	531 (48.0%)	109 (9.9%)	271 (24.5%)	74 (6.7%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.5%)	113 (10.2%)	52.5	186^th of 476 public middle schools	60.9%		50.7	197^th of 469 public middle schools	58.0%	11	37.5	45.4	41.0	41.3	33.2	36.3	41.3	36.6	44.7	$17,737
Sky Vista Middle School	Public	6-8	4500 S Himalaya Street	Aurora	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-4711	969	54	17.8	33.5%	433 (44.7%)	139 (14.3%)	206 (21.3%)	87 (9.0%)	5 (0.5%)	4 (0.4%)	95 (9.8%)	63.9	148^th of 476 public middle schools	68.9%		55.9	177^th of 469 public middle schools	62.3%	29	45.7	61.0	56.0	54.0	35.4	37.8	42.9	38.2	43.7	$17,385
Falcon Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	6100 South Genoa Street	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-7600	701	49	14.3	36.1%	384 (54.8%)	53 (7.6%)	161 (23.0%)	40 (5.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (8.6%)	59.3	164^th of 476 public middle schools	65.5%		60.2	157^th of 469 public middle schools	66.5%	7	49.3	51.6	42.3	47.7	37.1	40.5	43.1	40.1	38.3	$21,278
Infinity Middle School	Public	6-8	25100 E Belleview Avenue	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-6000	1,020	60	16.8	22.9%	516 (50.6%)	99 (9.7%)	183 (17.9%)	94 (9.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	127 (12.5%)	65.8	142^nd of 476 public middle schools	70.2%		69.2	133^rd of 469 public middle schools	71.6%	9	38.8	48.3	55.6	47.4	33.1	45.2	56.9	44.8	54.5	$15,910
Horizon Community Middle School	Public	6-8	3981 South Reservoir Road	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-6100	714	49	14.5	59.4%	202 (28.3%)	118 (16.5%)	290 (40.6%)	24 (3.4%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	70 (9.8%)	19.8	372^nd of 476 public middle schools	21.8%		20.9	355^th of 469 public middle schools	24.3%	17	17.7	30.7	26.2	24.3	714.0	725.0	23.4	15.8	18.8	$20,842
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	21500 East Dry Creek Road	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-2400	868	52	16.5	37.8%	418 (48.2%)	85 (9.8%)	176 (20.3%)	95 (10.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (10.6%)	79.9	83^rd of 476 public middle schools	82.6%		66.5	138^th of 469 public middle schools	70.6%	55	50.3	59.7	54.0	54.5	52.4	54.2	66.7	57.1	55.9	$17,693
Laredo Middle School	Public	6-8	5000 South Laredo Street	Aurora	80015	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-5000	846	53	15.9	50.4%	334 (39.5%)	124 (14.7%)	246 (29.1%)	54 (6.4%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	80 (9.5%)	31.9	299^th of 476 public middle schools	37.2%		37.9	260^th of 469 public middle schools	44.6%	39	24.4	35.7	39.4	32.8	15.8	26.0	30.8	23.8	31.0	$18,614
Columbia Middle School	Public	6-8	17600 East Columbia Ave	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 690-6570	636	36	17.6	75.6%	144 (22.6%)	106 (16.7%)	305 (48.0%)	28 (4.4%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	45 (7.1%)	21.1	365^th of 476 public middle schools	23.3%		18.5	382^nd of 469 public middle schools	18.6%	17	23.3	26.4	24.9	24.9	16.8	18.1	29.4	21.3	16.8	$20,098
Fox Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	26301 East Arapahoe Road	Aurora	80016	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 886-4700	966	56	17.3	17.9%	545 (56.4%)	80 (8.3%)	166 (17.2%)	87 (9.0%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (8.7%)	75.5	109^th of 476 public middle schools	77.1%		67.2	136^th of 469 public middle schools	71.0%	27	58.3	57.8	63.6	59.5	44.0	44.6	55.4	47.2	45.5	$18,289
Mrachek Middle School	Public	6-8	1955 South Telluride St	Aurora	80013	Arapahoe County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	No	No	No	No	(303) 750-2836	811	40	20.2	82.7%	114 (14.1%)	141 (17.4%)	426 (52.5%)	47 (5.8%)	3 (0.4%)	13 (1.6%)	67 (8.3%)	12.5	438^th of 476 public middle schools	8.0%		10	443^rd of 469 public middle schools	5.5%	5	13.8	17.1	19.7	16.8	9.3	9.1	24.2	14.0	11.8	$18,296

Frequently Asked Questions about Thunder Ridge Middle School

What high school do graduates of Thunder Ridge Middle School attend?

Students who attend Thunder Ridge Middle School usually go on to attend Eaglecrest High School

How many students attend Thunder Ridge Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,106 students attended Thunder Ridge Middle School.

Is Thunder Ridge Middle School a good school?

Thunder Ridge Middle School ranks 186^th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Thunder Ridge Middle School?

Students at Thunder Ridge Middle School are 48% White, 25% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 10% African American, 7% Asian.

What district is Thunder Ridge Middle School in?

Cherry Creek School District No. 5

Rate Thunder Ridge Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Middle School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Aurora, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Thunder Ridge Middle School!

Latest Colorado data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

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.