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James Hillhouse High School

Public Grades 9-12

123^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 133 Connecticut High Schools

Better than 8% of Connecticut high schools

Summary

James Hillhouse High School is a public high school in New Haven, CT, serving 1,124 students in grades 9–12 as part of the New Haven School District, which ranks 143rd out of 153 Connecticut districts. The school serves a high-need population, with roughly 81% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In 2025–26, James Hillhouse High School ranked 123rd out of 133 Connecticut high schools (8th percentile), and its graduation rate of 69.1% in 2024–25 was well below the district rate of 79.9% and the state rate of 91.2%. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern — 46.3% of students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent, about three times the state rate. Academic proficiency in 11th grade remains low, with only 19.7% of students proficient in ELA, 11.6% in math, and 21.4% in science.

The challenges at Hillhouse stand out when compared with nearby schools. It has the lowest graduation rate in the surrounding area — far below the 98.8% at Engineering - Science University Magnet School, the 96.1% at Sound School, the 94.7% at Eli Whitney Technical High School, and the 74.6% at Wilbur Cross High School. Even schools with similarly high poverty rates, like Hill Regional Career High School (90.0%) and Metropolitan Business Academy (91.7%), graduate students at much higher rates. The contrast with nearby magnets is stark: Engineering - Science University Magnet School posted 75% ELA proficiency and 41.3% math proficiency, compared with Hillhouse's 19.7% and 11.6%. Per-pupil spending at Hillhouse (~$17,400) is similar to several higher-performing schools, so the outcome gaps are not simply a matter of resources.

There are signs of momentum, however. The graduation rate has risen from 53.4% in 2022–23 to 69.1% in 2024–25, chronic absenteeism has fallen sharply from 97.8% in 2021–22, and math and science proficiency have roughly doubled or tripled from their recent lows. The school has also shown notable effectiveness for specific student groups — in 2025–26, Hillhouse ranked 19th out of 31 schools statewide for outcomes among African American students, a major improvement from prior years. Attendance appears to be the central lever for continued progress: with nearly half of students chronically absent, academic gains and graduation outcomes remain severely constrained. Reducing absenteeism further may be the single most important factor in lifting the school's overall performance.

1,124

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,211

Per pupil spending ?

81.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

480 Sherman Parkway
New Haven, CT 06511

(475) 220-7500

District: New Haven School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.7%

Hispanic:

40.1%

White:

5.9%

See top rated Connecticut high schools

Compare James Hillhouse High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Connecticut average (18% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Connecticut average (69% vs 91%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg24%

Connecticut avg46%

123^rd of 133

Connecticut public high schools ?

Bottom 8%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 7High Schools in the New Haven School District

143^rd of 153New Haven School District among Connecticut 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	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	123 of 133	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.1	136 of 141	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.7	132 of 145	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	133 of 142	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.2	134 of 139	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.3	191 of 200	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.1	120 of 121	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.3	135 of 140	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.0	125 of 132	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.2	191 of 196	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.4	181 of 193	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	1.7	181 of 188	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	2.0	180 of 189	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	2.8	175 of 186	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.8	171 of 176	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	1.0	170 of 176	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.2	169 of 176	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	38.6	19 of 31	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	16.0	30 of 31	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	25 of 25	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	52 of 58	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.4	11 of 11	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2022	0.0	11 of 17	35.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	0.0	1 of 10	90.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	11.2	97 of 111	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.1	96 of 104	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	101 of 103	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.5	185 of 189	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.0	76 of 79	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2025	14.0	61 of 63	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	63 of 63	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	51 of 59	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.1	100 of 104	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	65 of 68	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.7	69 of 70	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	69 of 70	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.3	147 of 155	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	9.5	104 of 115	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	5.8	109 of 111	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.8	98 of 100	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.1	170 of 182	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	6.9	168 of 175	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)39th percentile+31 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)35th percentile+32 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)10th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)4th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2021)4th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

Science21%-29 vs state

English Language Arts20%-36 vs state

Math12%-20 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Great!!

by a parent
Saturday, September 15, 2012

The new principal sets a bad example by appearing in the media and using language like: "my momma didn't raise no punk." That some of his athletes had to leave school because of alleged grade tampering is a disgrace. Close Quote

Schools Near James Hillhouse High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

School	Students/Teachers	Ranking (2026)	Ranking (2025)	NGSS Science (2026)	SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Math (2026)	SBAC English Language Arts (2026)	SBAC Mathematics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
James Hillhouse High School	Public	9-12	480 Sherman Parkway	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-7500	1,124	84	13.3	81.4%	66 (5.9%)	525 (46.7%)	451 (40.1%)	45 (4.0%)	2 (0.2%)	30 (2.7%)	11.7	123^rd of 133 public high schools	7.5%	7.1	136^th of 141 public high schools	3.5%	13		21.4	19.7	11.6							$21,211
Hill Regional Career High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	140 Legion Ave.	New Haven	06519	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-5000	625	55	11.3	82.1%	56 (9.0%)	245 (39.2%)	282 (45.1%)	28 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)	26.8	86^th of 133 public high schools	35.3%	18.2	109^th of 141 public high schools	22.7%	23		42.2		8.5							$23,110
New Haven Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	444 Orange Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-6600	321	24	13.3	63.2%	49 (15.3%)	141 (43.9%)	116 (36.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)							(n/a)				20.3							$21,333
Cooperative High School - Inter-District Magnet	Public, Magnet	9-12	177 College Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-2400	560	48	11.6	72.3%	69 (12.3%)	239 (42.7%)	219 (39.1%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	12.9	118^th of 133 public high schools	11.3%	20.5	106^th of 141 public high schools	24.8%	12		16.7	26.4	13.6							$22,452
Eli Whitney Technical High School	Public	9-12	100 Fairview Ave	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 397-4031	586	57	10.2	70.0%	26 (4.4%)	183 (31.2%)	351 (59.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.2%)	10.7	124^th of 133 public high schools	6.8%				(n/a)		24.4	25.6	4.7							$34,155
Common Ground High School	Public, Charter	9-12	358 Springside Ave.	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Common Ground High School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(203) 389-4333	221	22	9.9	64.3%	33 (14.9%)	72 (32.6%)	103 (46.6%)	4 (1.8%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.2%)							(n/a)											$20,127
High School In The Community	Public, Magnet	9-12	175 Water St.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-6200	251	25	10.0	80.1%	24 (9.6%)	102 (40.6%)	108 (43.0%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.2%)							(n/a)		26.2									$25,371
Wilbur Cross High School	Public	9-12	181 Mitchell Dr.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(475) 220-7400	1,742	127	13.6	75.7%	157 (9.0%)	333 (19.1%)	1,161 (66.6%)	51 (2.9%)	2 (0.1%)	36 (2.1%)	12.6	119^th of 133 public high schools	10.5%	7.8	135^th of 141 public high schools	4.3%	16		22.0	22.9	12.1							$19,455
Metropolitan Business Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	115 Water Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-7700	380	33	11.5	80.5%	35 (9.2%)	116 (30.5%)	205 (53.9%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	7.6	130^th of 133 public high schools	2.3%				(n/a)		17.4	26.2								$22,391
Engineering - Science University Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-12	500 Boston Post Road	West Haven	06516	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-6000	608	52	11.6	50.8%	165 (27.1%)	177 (29.1%)	151 (24.8%)	64 (10.5%)	2 (0.3%)	49 (8.1%)	71.2	41^st of 133 public high schools	69.2%	61.8	55^th of 141 public high schools	61.0%	14	62.5	52.6	75.0	41.3	64.0	54.4	63.6	57.5	47.2	51.2	$21,492

Frequently Asked Questions about James Hillhouse High School

What schools feed into James Hillhouse High School?

James Hillhouse High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Augusta Lewis Troup School
Elementary : Barnard Environmental Magnet School
Elementary : Beecher School
Elementary : Davis Academy for Arts & Design Innovation
Elementary : Edgewood School
Elementary : King/Robinson Magnet School
Elementary : Wexler/Grant - Lincoln/Bassett Community School

What is the racial makeup of James Hillhouse High School?

Students at James Hillhouse High School are 47% African American, 40% Hispanic, 6% White, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend James Hillhouse High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,124 students attended James Hillhouse High School.

Is James Hillhouse High School a good school?

James Hillhouse High School ranks in the bottom 7.5% of Connecticut high schools.

What district is James Hillhouse High School in?

New Haven School District

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Latest Connecticut data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewAug 31, 2026

2025–26 NGSS, SAT & SBAC test scoresNewAug 31, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataApr 2, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNov 6, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut 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.

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NGSS Science (2026)		SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Math (2026)	SBAC English Language Arts (2026)			SBAC Mathematics (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	NGSS Science 8th Grade	NGSS Science 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Math 11th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
James Hillhouse High School	Public	9-12	480 Sherman Parkway	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	Yes	(475) 220-7500	1,124	84	13.3	81.4%	66 (5.9%)	525 (46.7%)	451 (40.1%)	45 (4.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (2.7%)	11.7	123^rd of 133 public high schools	7.5%		7.1	136^th of 141 public high schools	3.5%	13		21.4	19.7	11.6							$21,211
Hill Regional Career High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	140 Legion Ave.	New Haven	06519	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-5000	625	55	11.3	82.1%	56 (9.0%)	245 (39.2%)	282 (45.1%)	28 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)	26.8	86^th of 133 public high schools	35.3%		18.2	109^th of 141 public high schools	22.7%	23		42.2		8.5							$23,110
New Haven Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	444 Orange Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-6600	321	24	13.3	63.2%	49 (15.3%)	141 (43.9%)	116 (36.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)								(n/a)				20.3							$21,333
Cooperative High School - Inter-District Magnet	Public, Magnet	9-12	177 College Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-2400	560	48	11.6	72.3%	69 (12.3%)	239 (42.7%)	219 (39.1%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	12.9	118^th of 133 public high schools	11.3%		20.5	106^th of 141 public high schools	24.8%	12		16.7	26.4	13.6							$22,452
Eli Whitney Technical High School	Public	9-12	100 Fairview Ave	Hamden	06514	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 397-4031	586	57	10.2	70.0%	26 (4.4%)	183 (31.2%)	351 (59.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.2%)	10.7	124^th of 133 public high schools	6.8%					(n/a)		24.4	25.6	4.7							$34,155
Common Ground High School	Public, Charter	9-12	358 Springside Ave.	New Haven	06515	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	Common Ground High School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(203) 389-4333	221	22	9.9	64.3%	33 (14.9%)	72 (32.6%)	103 (46.6%)	4 (1.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)								(n/a)											$20,127
High School In The Community	Public, Magnet	9-12	175 Water St.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(475) 220-6200	251	25	10.0	80.1%	24 (9.6%)	102 (40.6%)	108 (43.0%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)								(n/a)		26.2									$25,371
Wilbur Cross High School	Public	9-12	181 Mitchell Dr.	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	No	No	No	(475) 220-7400	1,742	127	13.6	75.7%	157 (9.0%)	333 (19.1%)	1,161 (66.6%)	51 (2.9%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (2.1%)	12.6	119^th of 133 public high schools	10.5%		7.8	135^th of 141 public high schools	4.3%	16		22.0	22.9	12.1							$19,455
Metropolitan Business Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	115 Water Street	New Haven	06511	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-7700	380	33	11.5	80.5%	35 (9.2%)	116 (30.5%)	205 (53.9%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	7.6	130^th of 133 public high schools	2.3%					(n/a)		17.4	26.2								$22,391
Engineering - Science University Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-12	500 Boston Post Road	West Haven	06516	South Central Connecticut Planning Region	New Haven School District	No	Yes	No	No	(475) 220-6000	608	52	11.6	50.8%	165 (27.1%)	177 (29.1%)	151 (24.8%)	64 (10.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.1%)	71.2	41^st of 133 public high schools	69.2%		61.8	55^th of 141 public high schools	61.0%	14	62.5	52.6	75.0	41.3	64.0	54.4	63.6	57.5	47.2	51.2	$21,492