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Rocky Top Middle School

Q: Is Rocky Top Middle School a good school?

Rocky Top Middle School ranks 127 th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

127^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 476 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 73% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

Rocky Top Middle School is a large public school in Thornton, CO, serving 1,052 students in grades 6–8 and part of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district. This school has consistently earned 4-star ratings and placed in the top quartile of Colorado middle schools for over a decade, with its most recent state ranking at the 73rd percentile (126th of 469 middle schools). While that reflects a slight step back from the prior year, Rocky Top remains a strong academic choice, clearly outperforming most neighboring schools in the same district.

Academically, Rocky Top beats its district and state averages by wide margins. In 2025–2026, 53.4% of students were proficient in English language arts, 46.3% in math, and 44.4% in science, compared to state averages of 44.7%, 37.3%, and 35.4%. Chronic absenteeism is also notably low at 24.4%, far better than nearby schools like Thornton Middle School (62.3%) and Northglenn Middle School (52.1%). With a free/reduced-price lunch rate of 27.6%, Rocky Top serves a lower-poverty population than many of its neighbors, making it a distinct option within Adams 12. Only Westlake Middle School is a truly comparable high-performing peer, with the two schools trading places in recent rankings.

Rocky Top shows real strengths with certain student groups: Hispanic students and low-income students rank in the 72nd and 76th percentiles statewide, respectively. However, its Gifted and Talented students rank only in the 22nd percentile, and Asian students in the 15th percentile, suggesting those groups may need more support or advanced opportunities. The school has seen a modest downward trend in proficiency, especially in 8th grade ELA, which dropped to 41.8% (below the state average). Despite its large enrollment, Rocky Top maintains strong attendance and results, making it one of the best-performing middle schools in the area—though there are clear pockets of underperformance worth watching.

1,052

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,203

Per pupil spending ?

27.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14150 York Street
Thornton, CO 80602-7730

(720) 972-2200

District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Feeder schools for Rocky Top Middle School:

Elementary:	Eagleview Elementary School
	Meridian Elementary School
	Prairie Hills Elementary School
	Silver Creek Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.5%

Hispanic:

27.9%

Asian:

7.7%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Rocky Top Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (49% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the Colorado median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

127^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 7Middle Schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools

49^th of 114Adams 12 Five Star Schools 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	69.9	127 of 476	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	100 of 469	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	92 of 485	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	120 of 480	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	66.0	127 of 448	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	77.9	63 of 369	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	76.6	82 of 458	82.1%	★★★★☆
2018	82.1	52 of 418	87.6%	★★★★☆
2017	76.8	72 of 424	83.0%	★★★★☆
2016	75.4	64 of 400	84.0%	★★★★☆
2015	73.3	77 of 436	82.3%	★★★★☆
2014	72.0	121 of 461	73.8%	★★★★☆
2013	72.6	115 of 454	74.7%	★★★★☆
2012	75.8	87 of 425	79.5%	★★★★☆
2011	77.0	85 of 422	79.9%	★★★★☆
2010	71.3	114 of 409	72.1%	★★★★☆
2009	73.2	86 of 377	77.2%	★★★★☆
2008	69.8	96 of 362	73.5%	★★★★☆
2007	65.2	121 of 360	66.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	27.4	23 of 27	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.9	23 of 26	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.2	14 of 16	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	107 of 368	70.9%	★★★★☆
2025	73.1	79 of 347	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	71 of 350	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	101 of 363	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	102 of 326	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	80.8	32 of 254	87.4%	★★★★☆
2019	76.0	71 of 352	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	77.8	48 of 315	84.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	120 of 154	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.3	101 of 132	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.6	78 of 126	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.3	105 of 125	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.7	66 of 93	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.8	39 of 134	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	76.9	13 of 121	89.3%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	63.6	57 of 208	72.6%	★★★★☆
2025	69.7	39 of 218	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	33 of 199	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	56.7	73 of 198	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	45 of 169	73.4%	★★★★☆
2021	91.7	8 of 83	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	78.1	30 of 220	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	82.3	18 of 165	89.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	55 of 231	76.2%	★★★★☆
2025	79.7	28 of 241	88.4%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	49 of 244	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	55.7	60 of 197	69.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	22 of 240	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	66.9	46 of 222	79.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	63.1	121 of 372	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.9	100 of 352	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.2	95 of 357	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	60.8	115 of 356	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.9	118 of 328	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.0	78 of 249	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.2	89 of 343	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	43 of 317	86.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	9 of 30	70.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	27.9	12 of 14	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	54.6	124 of 278	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.3	94 of 275	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	84 of 273	69.2%	★★★★☆
2023	53.6	121 of 286	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.4	119 of 265	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.7	66 of 203	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.3	91 of 283	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.7	48 of 199	75.9%	★★★★☆

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)76th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)71st percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)70th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)67th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)55th percentile-18 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)22nd percentile-51 vs school

Asian (2026)15th percentile-59 vs school

Special Education (2019)14th percentile-68 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts53%+9 vs state

Math46%+9 vs state

Science44%+9 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

I am a student at Rocky Top Middle School and I love the school there are not much strict rules the teachers are all kind and the school is so clean and tidy. In my opinion any boy or girl would love this school and beg to go there. Close Quote

Schools Near Rocky Top Middle 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)				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 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	Total
Rocky Top Middle School	Public	6-8	14150 York Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-2200	1,052	57	18.4	27.6%	584 (55.5%)	17 (1.6%)	293 (27.9%)	81 (7.7%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	72 (6.8%)	69.9	127^th of 476 public middle schools	73.3%		75.5	100^th of 469 public middle schools	78.7%	27	58.1	59.4	41.8	53.4	47.5	45.8	45.6	46.3	44.4	$15,203
Century Middle School	Public	6-8	13000 Lafayette Street	Thornton	80241	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5240	717	39	18.5	49.5%	309 (43.1%)	10 (1.4%)	307 (42.8%)	43 (6.0%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.7%)	28.1	316^th of 476 public middle schools	33.6%		34.5	279^th of 469 public middle schools	40.5%	37	32.7	41.7	21.0	31.7	25.2	25.0	17.6	22.7	19.8	$16,969
Shadow Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	12551 Holly Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5040	632	39	16.3	57.4%	218 (34.5%)	11 (1.7%)	353 (55.9%)	21 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.4%)	11.5	443^rd of 476 public middle schools	6.9%		12.9	424^th of 469 public middle schools	9.6%	19	9.9	20.2	20.2	17.0	6.7	10.4	15.5	10.9	14.8	$16,872
Silver Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	12400 Huron Street	Northglenn	80234	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5000	965	54	17.9	68.8%	224 (23.2%)	20 (2.1%)	636 (65.9%)	42 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (4.4%)	22.9	345^th of 476 public middle schools	27.5%		20.1	365^th of 469 public middle schools	22.2%	20	27.9	34.1	22.6	28.3	12.0	20.2	23.5	18.9	21.8	$15,977
Westlake Middle School	Public	6-8	2800 West 135th Avenue	Broomfield	80020	Broomfield County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	No	(720) 972-5200	853	46	18.6	32.7%	503 (59.0%)	7 (0.8%)	252 (29.5%)	29 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.0%)	76.9	102^nd of 476 public middle schools	78.6%		70.1	123^rd of 469 public middle schools	73.8%	21	59.6	61.7	56.6	59.5	49.6	44.9	51.7	48.5	47.3	$15,756
Northglenn Middle School	Public	6-8	1123 Muriel Drive	Northglenn	80233	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5080	672	43	15.6	85.3%	128 (19.0%)	7 (1.0%)	469 (69.8%)	45 (6.7%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.2%)	8.1	461^st of 476 public middle schools	3.2%		8.4	451^st of 469 public middle schools	3.8%	10	11.9	19.2	10.7	14.2	706.0	715.0	8.8	6.0	8.8	$17,438
Rodger Quist Middle School	Public	6-8	13451 Yosemite Street	Thornton	80602	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(303) 655-6950	855	46	18.5	38.6%	355 (41.5%)	12 (1.4%)	379 (44.3%)	68 (8.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.4%)	41.3	234^th of 476 public middle schools	50.8%		31.6	303^rd of 469 public middle schools	35.4%	69	41.9	38.4	40.9	40.3	28.0	27.1	35.4	30.1	27.2	$13,601
Thornton Middle School	Public	6-8	9451 Hoffman Way	Thornton	80229	Adams County	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 972-5160	721	44	16.3	84.2%	77 (10.7%)	23 (3.2%)	557 (77.3%)	52 (7.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.2%)	5.4	474^th of 476 public middle schools	0.4%		5.1	467^th of 469 public middle schools	0.4%	7	8.2	7.7	6.6	7.5	3.1	3.6	7.1	4.7	5.0	$18,637
Broomfield Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	1555 Daphne Street	Broomfield	80020	Broomfield County	Boulder Valley School District No. Re2	No	No	No	No	(720) 561-8400	490	30	16.5	34.3%	315 (64.3%)	6 (1.2%)	123 (25.1%)	13 (2.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.1%)	66.1	139^th of 476 public middle schools	70.8%		70.3	122^nd of 469 public middle schools	74.0%	17	58.8	58.1	53.5	56.5	35.6	35.3	43.9	38.7	44.4	$21,740
Prairie View Middle School	Public	6-8	12915 East 120th Avenue	Henderson	80640	Adams County	School District 27J	No	No	No	No	(720) 685-5400	679	36	18.7	58.9%	227 (33.4%)	15 (2.2%)	378 (55.7%)	33 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	22 (3.2%)	24	337^th of 476 public middle schools	29.2%		19.7	370^th of 469 public middle schools	21.1%	33	29.6	30.9	26.7	29.1	20.9	17.0	22.9	20.2	21.4	$14,109

Frequently Asked Questions about Rocky Top Middle School

How many students attend Rocky Top Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,052 students attended Rocky Top Middle School.

What district is Rocky Top Middle School in?

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

What is the racial makeup of Rocky Top Middle School?

Students at Rocky Top Middle School are 56% White, 28% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is Rocky Top Middle School a good school?

Rocky Top Middle School ranks 127^th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Rocky Top Middle School!

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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.