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Ralston Valley Senior High School

Public Grades 9-12
19th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 338 Colorado High Schools
Better than 94% of Colorado high schools
Summary

Ralston Valley Senior High School, located in Arvada, Colorado, is a large comprehensive high school serving 1,875 students in grades 9–12 as part of Jefferson County School District No. R-1. The school ranks 19th out of 338 Colorado high schools for the 2025–2026 school year, placing it in the 94th percentile with a 5-star rating — a level of excellence it has sustained for nearly a decade.

Test scores are remarkably strong across every subject. On the 11th grade SAT, 89% of students are proficient in reading/writing (versus 60% statewide) and 64% are proficient in math (versus 32% statewide). Science proficiency on the CMAS is 50.1%, double the state's 24.8%. The school also posts a 96.8% graduation rate, a dropout rate of just 0.3%, and chronic absenteeism of 15.9% — far below the district's 26.6%. Its closest academic peer is Jefferson Academy Secondary, which ranks one spot higher, but Ralston Valley serves nearly three times as many students. The contrast with nearby Arvada West High School is just as telling: despite similar enrollment and being only 2.57 miles away, Arvada West ranks 93rd with 70% reading/writing proficiency and 37% math proficiency.

The school also earns strong marks for how well it serves students who often face achievement gaps: low-income students rank 11th statewide (95th percentile) and Hispanic students rank 10th statewide (95th percentile), showing that success is not limited to the most advantaged students. The main areas for improvement are special education (disabled students rank at the 44th percentile) and gifted programs (66th percentile). Still, with a student-teacher ratio of 21.3:1 and only 8.96% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, Ralston Valley has built a durable culture of high achievement that stands as an academic anchor in the area.

1,875
Students ?
21.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,646
Per pupil spending ?
9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 13355 West 80th Avenue
       Arvada, CO  80005-2935

(303) 982-5600

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1


Feeder schools for Ralston Valley Senior High School:

Elementary:    Jefferson Academy Coal Creek Canyon
    Meiklejohn Elementary
    Sierra Elementary School
    Three Creeks K-8
    More...
Middle:    Oberon Middle School
Racial breakdown:

White:
81.5%
Hispanic:
11.8%
Two or more races:
3.5%
more
 See top rated Colorado high schools

 Compare Ralston Valley Senior High School to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2016 → 94th in 2026
Strengths
Test scores above the Colorado average (75% vs 48% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 6% of Colorado high schools
97% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (84%)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school75%
District avg58%
Colorado avg48%
19th of 338
Colorado public high schools ?
Top 6%▬ steady since 2016
See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
4th of 22High Schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1
24th of 115Jefferson County School District No. R-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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202691.919 of 33894.4%★★★★★
202590.723 of 32893.0%★★★★★
202489.428 of 34992.0%★★★★★
202389.528 of 34992.0%★★★★★
202287.022 of 22190.0%★★★★★
202183.229 of 21086.2%★★★★☆
201993.023 of 41194.4%★★★★★
201891.920 of 38894.8%★★★★★
201768.535 of 25686.3%★★★★☆
201679.514 of 25594.5%★★★★★
201589.912 of 29295.9%★★★★★
201493.013 of 36996.5%★★★★★
201391.413 of 34996.3%★★★★★
201292.311 of 33496.7%★★★★★
201191.415 of 33795.5%★★★★★
201091.515 of 32795.4%★★★★★
200992.012 of 31096.1%★★★★★
200891.711 of 30196.3%★★★★★
200790.217 of 29894.3%★★★★★
200689.119 of 28693.4%★★★★★
200587.326 of 28090.7%★★★★★
200486.234 of 27987.8%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202644.131 of 5543.6%★★☆☆☆
202445.737 of 8456.0%★★★☆☆
202361.521 of 7471.6%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202692.214 of 24594.3%★★★★★
202591.214 of 24794.3%★★★★★
202489.622 of 25791.4%★★★★★
202389.122 of 25491.3%★★★★★
202290.119 of 25792.6%★★★★★
202186.228 of 23988.3%★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202667.448 of 14366.4%★★★☆☆
202570.934 of 13675.0%★★★★☆
202469.637 of 14073.6%★★★★☆
202358.865 of 13551.9%★★★☆☆
202256.255 of 10849.1%★★★☆☆
202164.037 of 11868.6%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202696.810 of 19794.9%★★★★★
202597.45 of 18797.3%★★★★★
202496.59 of 19995.5%★★★★★
202396.39 of 19895.5%★★★★★
202295.410 of 20595.1%★★★★★
202193.19 of 18195.0%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202694.311 of 20894.7%★★★★★
202592.012 of 19493.8%★★★★★
202484.024 of 21188.6%★★★★☆
202387.816 of 20092.0%★★★★★
202287.818 of 20391.1%★★★★★
202197.05 of 18897.3%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202689.720 of 24391.8%★★★★★
202587.029 of 24688.2%★★★★☆
202486.229 of 25688.7%★★★★☆
202387.031 of 25287.7%★★★★☆
202290.722 of 25391.3%★★★★★
202188.524 of 24090.0%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202664.420 of 6167.2%★★★☆☆
202561.723 of 5860.3%★★★☆☆
202474.212 of 6180.3%★★★★☆
202370.114 of 6277.4%★★★★☆
202276.911 of 5680.4%★★★★☆
202156.919 of 4860.4%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202275.09 of 7788.3%★★★★☆
202160.219 of 6068.3%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankColorado percentileRating
202683.331 of 22186.0%★★★★☆
202579.039 of 20981.3%★★★★☆
202477.639 of 22983.0%★★★★☆
202378.145 of 23480.8%★★★★☆
202283.632 of 22886.0%★★★★☆
202179.139 of 22582.7%★★★★☆
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)95th percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile~ school
Female (2026)94th percentile~ school
Male (2026)92nd percentile-3 vs school
Special Education (2022)88th percentile~ school
White (2026)86th percentile-8 vs school
Multi-racial (2026)67th percentile-27 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2026)66th percentile-28 vs school
Disabled (2026)44th percentile-51 vs school
By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?
Reading and Writing89%+23 vs state
Mathematics73%+33 vs state
Science50%+25 vs state

5.0
3 ratings · 2 written reviews
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What people are saying
by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, October 13, 2014

Open Quote My daughter is a freshman at RVHS and has only been attending for about 2 months, but so far,I ADORE this school!!! There is a reason why they have such high test scores! It's not just because their student body happens to come from more well off means (although that certainly helps). It's because they refuse to allow these kids to fail! There are so many different things in place to keep these kids on track and make sure that even if they fall behind, they'll be able to catch up no matter what. The teachers are extremely engaged and available to the students, and they stay in contact with the parents to make sure everyone is working as a team to help each individual child succeed. I'm super impressed! My daughter's high school experience so far has been a zillion times better than her last 2 years of middle school was! Close Quote


by a student
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Open Quote ralston valley is amazing, I loved going there and I learned so much. They not only prepare you for adult hood from an early age, but they also make it fun!The curriculmn is challeging but they have great teachers who are willing to give up their free time to help you. Ralston valley is very technogically advanced in their classrooms alsowhich helps students prepare for the future. Ralston valley has outstanding standards and meets almost every reqirement of a great high school which is evident in their state testing scores and their ranking in the state of colorado which is 7th! High school life at Raslton is so fun! The administartion treats the kids with respect. you are allowed to go off campus as freshmen and the dress code is great , it's not to strict yet not too free neely.School spirit is amazing , we have a 5a program. Homecomings, Proms and any other school events are so fun and very well thought out by student council.I recomend sending your child there and that is coming from a former student. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Ralston Valley Senior High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,875 students attended Ralston Valley Senior High School.

Ralston Valley Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Jefferson Academy Coal Creek Canyon
Elementary : Meiklejohn Elementary
Elementary : Sierra Elementary School
Elementary : Three Creeks K-8
Elementary : Van Arsdale Elementary School
Elementary : West Woods Elementary School
Middle : Oberon Middle School

Yes. Ralston Valley Senior High School ranks in the top 5.6% of Colorado high schools.

Students at Ralston Valley Senior High School are 81% White, 12% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest Colorado data All new data »
2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresNewAug 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.

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