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University Prep - Arapahoe St.

Public, Charter Grades K-5

782^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

University Prep - Arapahoe St. is a K-5 elementary school in Denver’s School District No. 1, serving 313 students in central Denver. The school currently holds a 1-star rating on SchoolDigger, ranking 779th out of 943 Colorado elementary schools (17th percentile). It serves a predominantly low-income population, with 89.8% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch—the highest rate among neighboring schools like Trevista at Horace Mann (60%) and Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (34.2%). Over half of its students (52.8%) are chronically absent, nearly double the state rate of 28.4%.

Academically, proficiency rates are far below district and state averages. In 2025-2026, only 18.1% were proficient in ELA (vs. 44.7% state) and 26.8% in math (vs. 37.3% state). While these numbers are low, they are not the lowest in the area—Whittier Ece-8 School (21.3% ELA, 10.2% math) and Cole Arts and Science Academy (7.6% ELA, 6.8% math) score even lower. In stark contrast, Polaris Elementary School, located just 0.47 miles away, has been ranked #1 in Colorado for three consecutive years, with 94-95% proficiency. One notable positive is that math is a relative strength compared to reading; the gap to the district is only 8.2 points in math versus 24.4 points in ELA. Specifically, 4th-grade math proficiency (33.9%) nearly matches the district average (34.9%).

The school's state ranking has declined steeply over the past decade, falling from the 71st percentile in 2015-2016 to the 17th percentile today. This decline is not inevitable—Trevista at Horace Mann jumped from the 10th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 61st percentile just two years later. Encouragingly, University Prep has the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.7) among nearby schools, allowing for more potential individual attention. For parents, the key takeaway is that while the school is currently performing very low, its relative strength in math and favorable staffing levels suggest that addressing chronic absenteeism and the high concentration of poverty are the most effective levers for future improvement.

313

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,826

Per pupil spending ?

89.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2409 Arapahoe Street
Denver, CO 80205-2614

(303) 292-0463

District: School District No. 1

Students who attend University Prep - Arapahoe St. usually attend:

Middle:	DSST: Cole Middle School
	Manual Middle School
High:	East High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

49.5%

Hispanic:

39.6%

White:

4.8%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare University Prep - Arapahoe St. to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (22% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (53% vs 28% Colorado)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school22%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

782^nd of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 54 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

64^th of 99Elementary 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	17.5	782 of 946	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.8	822 of 950	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.4	862 of 943	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	792 of 933	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	806 of 921	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.2	575 of 965	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.7	402 of 917	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.0	410 of 929	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.4	261 of 914	71.4%	★★★★☆
2015	49.0	434 of 938	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	45.3	550 of 962	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	16 of 24	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	19.8	559 of 695	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.9	653 of 694	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	456 of 758	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.7	346 of 690	49.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	85.6	18 of 270	93.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	637 of 697	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.3	610 of 700	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	464 of 764	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.7	353 of 693	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2019)93rd percentile+53 vs school

African American (2026)33rd percentile+16 vs school

Female (2026)20th percentile~ school

Male (2026)9th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Math27%-10 vs state

English Language Arts18%-27 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, January 28, 2015

It took me a while to come around, but now I'm a huge fan of University Prep. U Prep on the surface seems to be mostly about discipline and rigorous academic work. There's that, but what I've found it's really about, at least in my son (8) and daughter's (5) case, is having pride in yourself and what you can accomplish, believing that you can achieve great things with hard work and perseverance, and feeling like you're a part of a team and community. "Scholars" wear uniforms and are expected to be disciplined in their behavior which is monitored throughout the day. There are LOTS of tests and assessments. My son, however, loves getting the chance to "show what he knows" -- U prep phrase to give scholars encouragement. U Prep teachers are amazing. They work incredibly hard. They are devoted to the kids and are singularly obsessed with making our children the best they can be. The staff is awesome and David Singer, the Founder and Head of School, is a rock star - full of charisma and passion for what U Prep is trying to accomplish. Anyway, both my kids loves school, love their teachers and are doing great academically. To me, that's all that matters. Close Quote

Schools Near University Prep - Arapahoe St.

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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)				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 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th 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 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
University Prep - Arapahoe St.	Public, Charter	K-5	2409 Arapahoe Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-0463	313	27	11.7	89.8%	15 (4.8%)	155 (49.5%)	124 (39.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	12 (3.8%)	17.5	782^nd of 946 public elementary schools	17.3%		13.8	822^nd of 950 public elementary schools	13.5%	40	19.0	18.6	16.2				18.1	23.8	33.9	18.9				26.8	696.0		$18,826
Polaris Elementary School	Public	1-5	410 Park Avenue West	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-7860	350	18	19.6	17.4%	198 (56.6%)	15 (4.3%)	49 (14.0%)	34 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (15.4%)	99.4	1^st of 946 public elementary schools	99.9%		99.3	1^st of 950 public elementary schools	99.9%		92.4	92.5	100.0				94.9	89.9	88.8	96.1				91.5	100.0		$16,759
Downtown Denver Expeditionary School	Public, Charter	K-5	1860 Lincoln St	Denver	80203	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 424-2350	263	17	15.2	34.2%	134 (51.0%)	19 (7.2%)	78 (29.7%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	26 (9.9%)	34.6	577^th of 946 public elementary schools	39.0%		48.6	451^st of 950 public elementary schools	52.5%	126	15.4	40.6	46.8				34.7	20.5	25.0	42.6				30.5	34.0		$16,918
Whittier Ece-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	2480 Downing Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3040	242	17	14.2	88.4%	13 (5.4%)	122 (50.4%)	72 (29.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	3 (1.2%)	29 (12.0%)	9.9	889^th of 946 public elementary schools	6.0%		8.3	915^th of 950 public elementary schools	3.7%	26	19.2	13.0	19.0	13.0	38.9	31.3	21.3	710.0	714.0	19.0	708.0	15.8	710.0	10.2	710.0	722.0	$21,737
Cole Arts and Science Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 E 33rd Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9120	275	21	13.0	83.6%	29 (10.5%)	41 (14.9%)	189 (68.7%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.3%)								(n/a)	695.0	696.0	715.0				7.6	12.9	705.0	707.0				6.8	694.0		$23,197
Wyatt Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	3620 Franklin Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-5515	240	18	13.6	81.3%	22 (9.2%)	43 (17.9%)	166 (69.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.9%)	20.1	741^st of 946 public elementary schools	21.7%		21.8	714^th of 950 public elementary schools	24.8%	27	12.1	30.6	31.1				25.4	27.3	11.1	33.3				24.6	714.0		$15,338
French American School of Denver	Public, Charter	K-5	2350 N. Gaylord Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 506-4589	230	18	12.7	20.0%	163 (70.9%)	19 (8.3%)	22 (9.6%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.6%)	70.1	265^th of 946 public elementary schools	72.0%		81.4	159^th of 950 public elementary schools	83.3%	106	25.0	71.8	83.3				57.3	35.3	59.0	78.9				54.3	78.9		$11,986
Bryant Webster Dual Language Ece-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	3635 Quivas St	Denver	80211	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-9170	454	31	14.7	71.8%	47 (10.4%)	2 (0.4%)	390 (85.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.1%)	44.1	479^th of 946 public elementary schools	49.4%		31.9	599^th of 950 public elementary schools	36.9%	120	55.6	69.6	63.3	30.8	45.2	24.3	45.0	29.3	42.1	23.5	20.0	15.9	12.8	23.7	32.4	17.5	$19,027
Garden Place Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	4425 Lincoln Street	Denver	80216	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-7220	385	28	13.9	86.0%	41 (10.6%)	27 (7.0%)	295 (76.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	11.1	874^th of 946 public elementary schools	7.6%		11.2	867^th of 950 public elementary schools	8.7%	7	26.9	27.0	16.7				22.9	15.4	10.9	15.0				13.6	10.3		$21,757
Trevista at Horace Mann	Public	PK, KG-5	4130 Navajo Street	Denver	80211	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9800	482	31	15.4	60.0%	127 (26.3%)	53 (11.0%)	264 (54.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	32 (6.6%)	58.4	370^th of 946 public elementary schools	60.9%		28.8	624^th of 950 public elementary schools	34.3%	254	60.7	57.4	45.2				55.3	45.3	47.4	33.3				42.9	30.0		$18,477

Frequently Asked Questions about University Prep - Arapahoe St.

Is University Prep - Arapahoe St. a good school?

University Prep - Arapahoe St. ranks in the bottom 17.3% of Colorado elementary schools.

How many students attend University Prep - Arapahoe St.?

In the 2024-25 school year, 313 students attended University Prep - Arapahoe St..

What is the racial makeup of University Prep - Arapahoe St.?

Students at University Prep - Arapahoe St. are 50% African American, 40% Hispanic, 5% White, 4% Two or more races.

What district is University Prep - Arapahoe St. in?

School District No. 1

What schools do graduates of University Prep - Arapahoe St. attend?

Students who attend University Prep - Arapahoe St. usually go on to attend:

Middle : DSST: Cole Middle School
Middle : Manual Middle School
High : East High School

Rate University Prep - Arapahoe St.!

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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.