Summary:
Zip code 80920 in Colorado Springs, CO is home to five high schools serving grades 9–12 (with Ascend College Prep serving grades 10–12), ranging from large comprehensive schools with over 1,500 students to smaller alternative programs. Four of the five schools belong to Academy School District No. 20, a highly ranked 5-star district, while Ascend College Prep belongs to Education Reenvisioned BOCES. The schools tell a two-tier story: several offer strong academics and high graduation rates, while one faces serious challenges with attendance and outcomes.
The top performer is Ascend College Prep, ranked 35th in the state (90th percentile) with a 93% SAT reading/writing proficiency rate and the lowest chronic absenteeism in the group at 11.8%. Village High School is a close standout with the highest graduation rate (97.7%) and outstanding 9th-grade reading scores (89% proficient on PSAT9). Liberty High School and Rampart High School are the large traditional options—each with over 1,300 students, 4-star ratings, and graduation rates above 93%. They perform above state averages but trail the smaller schools, particularly in math, where SAT math proficiency is only 36-39% compared to 70-74% in reading/writing.
Aspen Valley High School is the outlier: ranked 217th statewide, with a 77.8% graduation rate, 4.6% dropout rate, and 69.8% chronic absenteeism. Despite having the lowest student-teacher ratio (7.6:1), it has the highest free/reduced-price lunch rate (46.7%) and lowest test scores. Meanwhile, Rampart has elevated absenteeism (35.7%) yet still graduates 93.6%, showing attendance challenges don't always dictate outcomes. For families, this zip code offers real choice—from Ascend's rapid improvement and Village's literacy strength to the comprehensive programs at Liberty and Rampart—but math proficiency remains a systemic concern across all schools.
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