Telluride High School

Telluride High School is a 9–12 public high school in Telluride, Colorado, serving 298 students and standing as the largest high school in its immediate mountain region. It is a strong performer statewide, ranking 32nd out of 338 Colorado high schools in 2025–2026 with a 5-star rating, placing it in the 91st percentile for academic proficiency. The school is the sole high school in Telluride School District No. R-1, which itself ranks 11th among 115 districts, though the high school's individual performance outshines even that district ranking.

Academically, Telluride vastly outperforms state averages: 11th grade science proficiency is 59.7% compared to the state's 24.8%, SAT reading/writing is 86% versus 60%, and SAT math is 64% versus 32%. It also beats nearby Ridgway High School in 11th grade science, SAT reading/writing, and SAT math, despite Ridgway's district ranking higher overall. Graduation rates are outstanding at 97.9% in 2024–2025, against the state's 85.6%, and dropout rates have consistently stayed below 1% except for one small uptick. One of the most striking improvements is in science, which jumped from 24.3% proficiency in 2022–2023 to about 60% in just two years. Telluride's larger enrollment (298 students) gives it more stable data than neighboring Silverton High School (22 students), Ouray Senior High School (46), or Ridgway (97), where results swing dramatically year to year.

The biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism, hovering around 33% — above the state's 28.4% and affecting about one in three students, yet the school still produces top-tier outcomes. Equity gaps exist, with lower socioeconomic students and Hispanic students performing below the school's overall percentile, and the free/reduced lunch rate has risen to 30.9%. The student–teacher ratio of 15.4 is higher than all nearby schools, meaning Telluride achieves its results with larger class sizes. Overall, Telluride High School is a resilient, high-achieving school with excellent academics and graduation rates, but its main opportunities for growth lie in reducing absenteeism and ensuring all subgroups share in its success.