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Manual High School

Q: Is Manual High School a good school?

Manual High School ranks in the bottom 5.6% of Colorado high schools.

Q: How many students attend Manual High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 348 students attended Manual High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Manual High School?

Students at Manual High School are 53% Hispanic, 35% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% White.

Q: What schools feed into Manual High School?

Manual High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Columbine Elementary School Elementary : Garden Place Academy Middle : DSST: Cole Middle School Middle : Manual Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

321^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 6% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Manual High School is a small-to-mid-sized high school in Denver's historic northeast central area, serving 348 students in grades 9–12. The school is part of School District No. 1, and its academic performance is among the lowest in the state. In 2025–2026, only 22% of 11th graders scored proficient on the SAT reading and writing section, versus 52% districtwide and 60% statewide, while just 6% scored proficient in math — a staggering gap when compared with the district's 33% and the state's 32%. Ninth and tenth grade PSAT results show a similar pattern, with math proficiency at just 10% and 13%, respectively.

Manual's 2024–2025 graduation rate was 78.3%, below the district's 81.9% and the state's 85.6%, and its 4.0% dropout rate is more than double the state average of 1.6%. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, affecting 43.3% of students, which is higher than the district rate of 38.1%. However, this is notably better than several nearby alternatives, including Prep Academy (80.7%), Emily Griffith High School (94.2%), and RiseUp Community School (72.5%), which suggests Manual serves a more traditional high school population than these credit-recovery programs.

The contrast with nearby schools shows what is possible. East High School, just 1.2 miles away, posts SAT reading proficiency of 77% and math proficiency of 49%, along with a 93.9% graduation rate. Even more striking, DSST: Cole High School, less than half a mile away, serves a similarly low-income student body yet achieves 50% reading and 29% math proficiency. These neighboring examples demonstrate that higher outcomes are achievable in the same community. Manual's most urgent opportunities for improvement lie in mathematics instruction, reducing chronic absenteeism, and raising proficiency across all student subgroups.

348

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,274

Per pupil spending ?

78.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1700 East 28th Avenue
Denver, CO 80205-4502

(720) 423-6300

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.9%

African American:

34.8%

Two or more races:

5.7%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Manual High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 4th percentile in 2013 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (22% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Colorado average (78% vs 86%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school22%

District avg43%

Colorado avg48%

321^st of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 6%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

27^th of 32High Schools in the School District No. 1

69^th of 114School District No. 1 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	7.1	321 of 340	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.6	315 of 328	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	317 of 349	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	323 of 349	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	350 of 411	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.2	339 of 388	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.0	245 of 255	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.0	284 of 292	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	5.8	341 of 369	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	3.9	334 of 349	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.2	315 of 334	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	14.6	286 of 337	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	11.5	286 of 327	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	7.1	38 of 38	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	34 of 36	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.9	33 of 34	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	5.3	238 of 246	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.2	242 of 247	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	232 of 257	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.8	231 of 254	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	232 of 257	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	177 of 198	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	8.0	181 of 187	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.6	168 of 199	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.2	183 of 198	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	165 of 205	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	194 of 209	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.2	184 of 194	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	195 of 211	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	187 of 200	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	184 of 203	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	9.1	222 of 244	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.7	232 of 246	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.4	232 of 256	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.8	246 of 252	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.9	245 of 253	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)11th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)9th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)7th percentile~ school

Female (2026)3rd percentile~ school

African American (2024)<1st percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing37%-29 vs state

Mathematics10%-31 vs state

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Schools Near Manual 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/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
Manual High School	Public	9-12	1700 East 28th Avenue	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-6300	348	23	15.3	78.2%	18 (5.2%)	121 (34.8%)	184 (52.9%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (5.7%)	7.1	321^st of 340 public high schools	5.6%		6.6	315^th of 328 public high schools	4.0%	6	38.7	12.9	37.0	9.9	22.2	5.6										711.0	$24,274
Gilliam Youth Services Center	Public	5-12	2844 Downing	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 294-8930	21	10	2.0	61.9%	2 (9.5%)	5 (23.8%)	13 (61.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)								(n/a)																	$00
DSST: Cole High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3240 Humboldt Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 524-6354	287	29	9.9	82.2%	11 (3.8%)	41 (14.3%)	227 (79.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	30.9	232^nd of 340 public high schools	31.8%		27.5	241^st of 328 public high schools	26.5%	9	56.3	35.4	44.6	31.1	50.0	28.6										18.2	$15,538
Prep Academy	Public	6-12	2727 Columbine Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-8451	44	12	3.7	93.2%	0 (0.0%)	23 (52.3%)	18 (40.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	2 (4.5%)								(n/a)																	$62,810
Denver Center for 21st-Century Learning at Wyman	Public	6-12	1690 Williams Street	Denver	80218	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-2980	150	15	10.1	86.7%	12 (8.0%)	40 (26.7%)	85 (56.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.7%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.3%)								(n/a)																	$30,631
RiseUp Community School	Public, Charter	9-12	2342 Broadway St	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-1018	100	11	9.0	77.0%	15 (15.0%)	30 (30.0%)	46 (46.0%)	1 (1.0%)	3 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)								(n/a)																	$28,948
East High School	Public	9-12	1600 City Park Esplanade	Denver	80206	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 423-8300	2,476	117	21.2	32.5%	1,282 (51.8%)	336 (13.6%)	568 (22.9%)	70 (2.8%)	10 (0.4%)	7 (0.3%)	184 (7.4%)	81	66^th of 340 public high schools	80.6%		78.9	68^th of 328 public high schools	79.3%	2	82.5	59.2	78.6	54.9	77.1	48.7										42.8	$16,018
Emily Griffith High School	Public	9-12	1860 Lincoln St.	Denver	80203	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-4901	311	17	18.7	80.1%	33 (10.6%)	68 (21.9%)	177 (56.9%)	9 (2.9%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.8%)								(n/a)																	$20,794
Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy	Public	9-12	2900 Richard Allen Ct	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-7260	89	16	5.7	68.5%	1 (1.1%)	62 (69.7%)	12 (13.5%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (13.5%)	66.9	111^th of 340 public high schools	67.4%					(n/a)	472.0	457.0	76.5	44.1													$44,314
Bruce Randolph School	Public	6-12	3955 Steele Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-1080	663	45	14.5	88.5%	10 (1.5%)	42 (6.3%)	583 (87.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.5%)	14 (2.1%)	4.9	334^th of 340 public high schools	1.8%		4.8	324^th of 328 public high schools	1.2%	10	32.4	12.7	23.1	5.6	24.7	5.5	10.8	19.0	8.7	12.6	7.1	3.8	4.3	5.1	7.6	717.0	$20,235

Frequently Asked Questions about Manual High School

How many students attend Manual High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 348 students attended Manual High School.

What schools feed into Manual High School?

Manual High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Columbine Elementary School
Elementary : Garden Place Academy
Middle : DSST: Cole Middle School
Middle : Manual Middle School

Is Manual High School a good school?

Manual High School ranks in the bottom 5.6% of Colorado high schools.

What district is Manual High School in?

School District No. 1

What is the racial makeup of Manual High School?

Students at Manual High School are 53% Hispanic, 35% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% White.

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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.