Best High Schools in Zip Code 81624

High schools located in zip code 81624 in the Collbran area of western Colorado include two schools serving grades 9–12: Plateau Valley High School and Grand Mesa High School, both part of Plateau Valley School District No. 50 and sharing the same campus and address. Despite their proximity, these two schools have dramatically different profiles. Plateau Valley is the clear academic leader, ranked 155th out of 338 Colorado high schools with a 3-star rating, a 95.8% graduation rate, and a very favorable 8.2:1 student-teacher ratio. Grand Mesa, by contrast, sits near the bottom of state rankings at 292nd out of 349 schools, with a 1-star rating, a 31.1% graduation rate, and an extremely high 24.0% dropout rate. The student-teacher ratio at Grand Mesa is 23.3:1, implying a very small teaching staff relative to its 55 students.

When comparing the two schools, the differences are stark. Plateau Valley outperforms the state in 9th-grade math proficiency (44% vs. 40%) but trails in reading/writing (59% vs. 66%). Grand Mesa reports no test score data at all, which is typical for very small or alternative programs. Interestingly, chronic absenteeism is lower at Grand Mesa (8.1%) than at Plateau Valley (23.1%) and far below the state average (28.4%), suggesting that attendance is not the main barrier for Grand Mesa students—despite their poor graduation and dropout outcomes. Plateau Valley also serves a notable share of economically disadvantaged students, with 43.08% qualifying for free/reduced lunch, yet still maintains strong graduation numbers and an improving state rank, moving from the 48th percentile in 2018–2019 to the 54th percentile in 2025–2026.

For parents, the key takeaway is that these two schools under the same district umbrella are likely serving very different student populations. Plateau Valley appears to offer a solid, well-supported education with small class sizes and steady improvement, although its reading/writing scores and chronic absenteeism are worth monitoring. Grand Mesa, which may function as an alternative or at-risk program, has persistently low rankings and faces serious challenges with graduation and dropout rates. The district-wide graduation rate is only 52.3% compared to the state's 85.6%, a gap that is heavily influenced by Grand Mesa's struggles. Any district improvement plan will need to focus on Grand Mesa, while ensuring Plateau Valley continues its positive trajectory.