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Palisade High School

Q: Is Palisade High School a good school?

Palisade High School ranks 192 nd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 44% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Palisade High School serves 1,073 students in grades 9–12 in Palisade, Colorado, and is part of Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. The school's statewide ranking has slipped over the past several years, from 134th in 2022–23 to 191st out of 338 Colorado high schools in 2025–26 — a 43rd-percentile, 2-star rating.

Palisade's greatest strengths are its graduation outcomes and gifted program. The graduation rate reached 90.2% in 2024–25, comfortably above the district's 81.5% and the state's 85.6%, while the dropout rate of 1.5% is among the area's lowest. The school's Gifted and Talented program earned a #1 ranking in Colorado (99th percentile, 5 stars) in 2025–26, an exceptional statewide achievement. Compared with nearby Central High School, Palisade posts a higher state ranking, a much higher graduation rate (90.2% vs. 79.8%), and stronger reading and math scores.

However, Palisade faces real challenges. Chronic absenteeism spiked to 48.8% in 2024–25, up from 38.3% the prior year and far above the state average of 28.4% — meaning nearly half of students miss significant school time. Academic proficiency is below state averages in many areas, and 11th-grade science scores collapsed from 35.6% to 20.8% in a single year. Subgroup outcomes are uneven, with the school's ranking for White students at the 20th percentile and for disabled students at the 12th percentile. Meanwhile, Fruita Monument High School stands as the area's top performer, leading in graduation rate (96%), test scores, and attendance — though it also serves a more affluent population (30.1% free/reduced lunch vs. Palisade's 50.9%).

1,073

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,462

Per pupil spending ?

50.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3679 G Road
Palisade, CO 81526-8616

(970) 254-4800

District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

Feeder schools for Palisade High School:

Elementary:	Rocky Mountain Elementary School
	Taylor Elementary School
Middle:	Mount Garfield Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.1%

Hispanic:

28.1%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Colorado high schools

Compare Palisade High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 44th in 2026

Strengths

✓90% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (49% vs 28% Colorado)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg48%

Colorado avg48%

192^nd of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5High Schools in the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

38^th of 114Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 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	40.8	192 of 340	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.3	158 of 328	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.9	142 of 349	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.4	134 of 349	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.4	143 of 221	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.4	143 of 210	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	178 of 411	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.8	178 of 388	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.9	112 of 256	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	46.8	96 of 255	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.9	87 of 292	70.2%	★★★★☆
2014	65.5	117 of 369	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.7	125 of 349	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.1	105 of 334	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.6	98 of 337	70.9%	★★★★☆
2010	61.2	142 of 327	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	54.2	153 of 310	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.9	143 of 301	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.5	148 of 298	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	45.2	170 of 286	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.6	181 of 280	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	35.3	191 of 279	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	21.5	52 of 59	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.7	61 of 84	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.6	45 of 74	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	138 of 246	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.7	118 of 247	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	111 of 257	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	96 of 254	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.5	118 of 257	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.1	127 of 239	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	1 of 143	99.3%	★★★★★
2025	70.6	35 of 136	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	83.5	2 of 140	98.6%	★★★★★
2023	70.1	31 of 135	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	58.2	51 of 108	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.8	22 of 118	81.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	113 of 198	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	107 of 187	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.6	80 of 199	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.0	76 of 198	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.6	92 of 205	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.6	112 of 181	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	141 of 209	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.2	111 of 194	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.7	116 of 211	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.9	72 of 200	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.5	109 of 203	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.9	125 of 188	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	148 of 244	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.5	136 of 246	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.4	125 of 256	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.3	143 of 252	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.6	144 of 253	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.3	127 of 240	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	19.8	177 of 221	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.3	152 of 209	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.9	156 of 229	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	146 of 234	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.3	153 of 228	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	146 of 225	35.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)99th percentile+56 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)39th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)33rd percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile-24 vs school

Disabled (2025)12th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing57%-8 vs state

Mathematics37%-4 vs state

Science21%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palisade 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
Palisade High School	Public	9-12	3679 G Road	Palisade	81526	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-4800	1,073	59	18.3	50.9%	709 (66.1%)	9 (0.8%)	301 (28.1%)	7 (0.7%)	6 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	37 (3.4%)	40.8	192^nd of 340 public high schools	43.5%		48.3	158^th of 328 public high schools	51.8%	34	61.8	32.7	57.4	36.8	56.5	28.9										20.8	$16,462
Central High School	Public	9-12	3130 E1/2 Road	Grand Junction	81504	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6200	1,352	80	16.9	58.3%	772 (57.1%)	6 (0.4%)	500 (37.0%)	11 (0.8%)	6 (0.4%)	5 (0.4%)	52 (3.8%)	30.8	234^th of 340 public high schools	31.2%		43.8	177^th of 328 public high schools	46.0%	57	61.5	33.3	52.2	21.1	51.9	20.8										17.2	$16,100
Grand Mesa Academy	Public	5-12	360 28 Rd	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Division of Youth Services	No	No	No	No	(970) 242-1521																			(n/a)																	$00
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center	Public	5-12	360 28 Road	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 242-8445	18	2	10.2		12 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$00
R-5 High School	Public	9-12	455 N. 22nd St.Ste. B	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 254-6880	207	17	12.4	66.2%	107 (51.7%)	2 (1.0%)	84 (40.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.3%)								(n/a)					413.0	370.0										706.0	$20,172
Grand Junction High School	Public	9-12	1400 N 5th St	Grand Junction	81501	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6900	1,832	91	20.0	43.1%	1,268 (69.2%)	19 (1.0%)	427 (23.3%)	24 (1.3%)	11 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (4.5%)	56.9	138^th of 340 public high schools	59.4%		50.9	148^th of 328 public high schools	54.9%	10	67.3	38.2	73.8	47.2	65.2	24.2										34.5	$15,015
Mesa Valley Community School	Public, Charter	6-12	609 25 Road	Grand Junction	81505	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 254-7202	178	12	14.8	29.8%	138 (77.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (11.8%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	14 (7.9%)	83.2	51^st of 340 public high schools	85.0%		95.4	8^th of 328 public high schools	97.6%	43	81.0	497.0	84.0	56.0	80.0	519.0	733.0	735.0	65.0	42.1	713.0	727.0	50.0	22.8	55.0		$10,427
Fruita Monument High School	Public	9-12	1102 Wildcat Ave	Fruita	81521	Mesa County	Mesa County Valley School District No. 51	No	No	No	No	(970) 254-6600	1,427	74	19.3	30.1%	1,161 (81.4%)	3 (0.2%)	182 (12.8%)	19 (1.3%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (3.9%)	69.7	98^th of 340 public high schools	71.2%		67.1	111^th of 328 public high schools	66.2%	13	75.4	51.6	72.0	50.0	68.5	36.7										47.8	$15,637

Frequently Asked Questions about Palisade High School

What is the racial makeup of Palisade High School?

Students at Palisade High School are 66% White, 28% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Palisade High School in?

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

What schools feed into Palisade High School?

Palisade High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Rocky Mountain Elementary School
Elementary : Taylor Elementary School
Middle : Mount Garfield Middle School

How many students attend Palisade High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,073 students attended Palisade High School.

Is Palisade High School a good school?

Palisade High School ranks 192^nd of 340 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Palisade High School!

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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.