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Academy High School

Public Grades 9-12

280^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Colorado High Schools

Better than 18% of Colorado high schools

Summary

Academy High School is a public high school in Thornton, Colorado, serving 399 students in grades 9–12 as part of Mapleton School District No. 1. Despite its district's low overall ranking, Academy High School stands out as a consistent bright spot with an 87.5% graduation rate for 2024–2025 — above the state average of 85.6% and well above its district's 78.9% rate. The school's dropout rate of just 0.6% is the lowest among nearby peers, compared to 2.7% at Thornton High School, 1.0% at Northglenn High School, and 3.3% at Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts. Academy also has lower chronic absenteeism (33.8%) than most neighboring schools, including Mapleton Early Career Preparation (47.7%) and Northglenn High School (50.0%).

Academically, Academy's strongest subject is reading and writing, with 49% of 11th graders scoring proficient on the SAT Reading/Writing section — far ahead of Northglenn (33%) and Thornton (18%). Science proficiency (21.3%) is also the highest among nearby schools and sits close to the state average. Math remains the school's biggest challenge, with only 26% of students proficient on SAT math, but this is a regional issue: Academy actually outperforms Northglenn (11%) and Thornton (6%) on this measure, and its math scores are competitive with other schools in the same campus cluster.

Perhaps most notably, Academy earns strong marks for how well it serves its students. Roughly 74% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school's low-income students rank in the 54th percentile statewide — a 3-star rating that has improved steadily over the past three years. Hispanic students also perform well relative to statewide comparisons, ranking above the school's overall percentile. While female students and gifted/talented students show less relative growth, Academy's overall trajectory is positive. The school holds a 1-star state rating, but its strong graduation outcomes, near-zero dropout rate, and subgroup performance suggest it is a more effective school than that rating alone would indicate.

399

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,209

Per pupil spending ?

74.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

8970 York St
Thornton, CO 80229-4666

(303) 853-1900

District: Mapleton School District No. 1

Feeder schools for Academy High School:

Elementary:	Achieve Academy
	Adventure Elementary
	Clayton Partnership School
	Explore Pk-8
	More...
	Meadow Community School
	Monterey Community School
	Welby Community School of the Arts

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.0%

White:

8.5%

Asian:

2.3%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 17th percentile in 2014 → 18th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (29% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Reading and Writing scores 28 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg28%

Colorado avg48%

280^th of 340

Colorado public high schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5High Schools in the Mapleton School District No. 1

104^th of 114Mapleton School 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	18.9	280 of 340	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	253 of 328	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	286 of 349	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	284 of 349	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	331 of 411	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	317 of 388	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.9	223 of 256	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.5	198 of 255	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	13.4	264 of 292	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	16.3	305 of 369	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	10.6	305 of 349	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	15.7	275 of 334	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.3	280 of 337	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.5	265 of 327	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	16.1	264 of 310	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	8.3	271 of 301	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	9.3	270 of 298	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	16.8	205 of 246	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.2	208 of 247	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	222 of 257	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	221 of 254	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.2	229 of 257	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	213 of 239	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	118 of 143	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.7	108 of 136	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	0.4	137 of 140	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	123 of 135	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	109 of 198	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	97 of 187	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.3	124 of 199	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.1	153 of 198	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.3	161 of 205	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	155 of 181	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	95 of 209	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.5	115 of 194	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.4	145 of 211	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.6	164 of 200	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	158 of 203	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	165 of 188	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	27.7	170 of 244	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.1	164 of 246	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.7	191 of 256	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	198 of 252	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.1	214 of 253	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	205 of 240	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+37 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile+27 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile+13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)17th percentile~ school

Female (2026)17th percentile~ school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Reading and Writing37%-28 vs state

Science21%-4 vs state

Mathematics13%-26 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Academy 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Academy High School	Public	9-12	8970 York St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 853-1900	399	23	17.7	74.4%	34 (8.5%)	6 (1.5%)	343 (86.0%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	18.9	280^th of 340 public high schools	17.6%		23.5	253^rd of 328 public high schools	22.9%	27	37.2	12.8	42.0	11.1	48.8	26.2										21.3	$15,209
Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts	Public	9-12	8980 York St	Thornton	80299	Denver County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 853-1270	393	23	16.9	69.2%	51 (13.0%)	8 (2.0%)	314 (79.9%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	11 (2.8%)	13.4	306^th of 340 public high schools	10.0%		13.1	293^rd of 328 public high schools	10.7%	13	46.2	12.3	40.8	14.1	41.0	12.0											$17,041
Mapleton Early Career Preparation	Public	9-12	8980 York St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 853-1960	306	16	19.3	72.2%	19 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	271 (88.6%)	10 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	18.9	279^th of 340 public high schools	17.9%		13.7	289^th of 328 public high schools	11.9%	10	46.9	395.0	55.2	19.4	31.7	425.0										723.0	$30,275
North Valley School for Young Adults	Public	9-12	8990 York St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 853-1790	102	5	22.1	65.7%	11 (10.8%)	2 (2.0%)	87 (85.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)								(n/a)																	$16,423
New America School - Thornton	Public, Charter	9-12	8978 Washington St	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 991-0130	190	7	27.1	84.7%	11 (5.8%)	2 (1.1%)	175 (92.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)					312.0	319.0										697.0	$13,619
Thornton High School	Public	9-12	9351 Washington Street	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-4800	1,439	88	16.3	78.7%	218 (15.1%)	22 (1.5%)	1,026 (71.3%)	139 (9.7%)	6 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (1.6%)	5.2	332^nd of 340 public high schools	2.4%		6.7	314^th of 328 public high schools	4.3%	18	31.3	12.7	25.9	10.2	18.2	5.9										708.0	$16,564
Global Leadership Academy	Public	9-12	7480 Conifer Road	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 853-1930	400	17	23.9	75.8%	13 (3.3%)	3 (0.8%)	379 (94.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	7	323^rd of 340 public high schools	5.0%		6.6	316^th of 328 public high schools	3.7%	7	36.7	8.2	32.0	349.0	28.4	395.0										11.1	$15,066
Performing Arts School on Broadway	Public	7-12	7350 North Broadway Suite 200	Denver	80221	Adams County	Mapleton School District No. 1	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(303) 853-1000	169	10	16.5	63.3%	57 (33.7%)	6 (3.6%)	98 (58.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	27	248^th of 340 public high schools	27.1%					(n/a)	59.5	18.6	413.0	384.0	486.0	429.0		38.2	24.2	31.3		8.8	14.3	11.6	11.8		$16,851
Northglenn High School	Public	9-12	601 West 100th Place	Northglenn	80221	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-4600	1,844	96	19.2	71.7%	321 (17.4%)	27 (1.5%)	1,383 (75.0%)	40 (2.2%)	13 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	57 (3.1%)	16	293^rd of 340 public high schools	13.8%		23.1	256^th of 328 public high schools	22.0%	37	50.6	23.2	43.0	20.3	32.8	10.8										14.6	$15,258
Vantage Point	Public	6-12	10900 Huron Street	Northglenn	80234	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5800	331	32	10.3	74.0%	68 (20.5%)	8 (2.4%)	240 (72.5%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)								(n/a)	19.4	323.0			407.0	371.0								694.0			$28,334

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy High School

How many students attend Academy High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 399 students attended Academy High School.

What is the racial makeup of Academy High School?

Students at Academy High School are 86% Hispanic, 9% White, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is Academy High School a good school?

Academy High School ranks in the bottom 17.6% of Colorado high schools.

What schools feed into Academy High School?

Academy High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Achieve Academy
Elementary : Adventure Elementary
Elementary : Clayton Partnership School
Elementary : Explore Pk-8
Elementary : Meadow Community School
Elementary : Monterey Community School
Elementary : Welby Community School of the Arts

What district is Academy High School in?

Mapleton School District No. 1

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

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

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.