Best High Schools in Zip Code 80016

Zip code 80016 in the Aurora, Colorado area is served by two large public high schools—Cherokee Trail High School and Grandview High School—both part of the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 and serving grades 9 through 12 with a combined enrollment of about 5,773 students. Both are 4-star rated institutions that consistently outperform district and state averages across nearly every academic measure. Grandview High School holds the higher overall state ranking, coming in at 75th out of 338 Colorado high schools, while Cherokee Trail High School ranks 83rd.

Grandview is the clear leader in mathematics and science. On the 2025–2026 SAT, 51% of Grandview 11th graders were proficient in math versus 45% at Cherokee Trail, and Grandview also posted stronger PSAT10 math scores (56% vs. 50%) and CMAS science scores (37.2% vs. 35.1%). This academic edge is notable because Cherokee Trail actually serves a more affluent student population, with a free/reduced-price lunch rate of 21.07% compared to 30.51% at Grandview. Cherokee Trail, however, leads slightly in graduation rate (95.6% vs. 95.3%) and has a lower dropout rate (0.6% vs. 0.7%). Both schools far exceed the state graduation rate of 85.6%.

Reading and writing proficiency is strong at both schools, with students scoring in the 73–79% proficiency range across all assessments, well above state averages. The one area of concern is chronic absenteeism, which affects more than one in four students at each school—27.6% at Cherokee Trail and 26.5% at Grandview—exceeding the district average of 25.3%. Both schools have seen their state rankings slip slightly in recent years, but they remain firmly in the top quartile of Colorado high schools. Families in zip code 80016 have access to two excellent, well-above-average high school options that combine strong academics, outstanding graduation rates, and low dropout rates.