Dunbar High School

Q: Is Dunbar High School a good school?

Dunbar High School ranks 23 rd of 34 District Of Columbia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public 9-12

101 N St. NW
Washington, DC 20001

(202) 698-3762

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
23^rd of 34 District Of Columbia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $24,797

Feeder schools for Dunbar High School:

Elementary:	Bunker Hill Elementary School
	Burroughs Elementary School
	Langdon Elementary School
	Langley Elementary School
	More...
	Noyes Elementary School
	Walker-Jones Education Campus
	Wheatley Education Campus
Middle:	Brookland Middle School
	McKinley Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 868

Racial breakdown:

African American:

92.4%

Hispanic:

6.9%

White:

0.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

Compare Dunbar High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dunbar High School ranks worse than 67.6% of high schools in District Of Columbia. It also ranks 11^th among 17 ranked high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.4. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Dunbar High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (92.4%), Hispanic (6.9%), Asian (0.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dunbar High School is 14.3. 13 high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Dunbar High School employs 60.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunbar High School is $24,797. 10 high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Dunbar High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunbar High School 23^rd of 34 District Of Columbia public high schools. (See Dunbar High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

District of Columbia Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks District of Columbia Public Schools 27^th of 47 District Of Columbia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dunbar High School

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Rank History for all students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2010	31.30	18^th	30	40.0%
2011	20.26	22^nd	31	29.0%
2012	23.42	22^nd	31	29.0%
2014	33.19	23^rd	35	34.3%
2015	28.82	23^rd	29	20.7%
2016	25.07	24^th	31	22.6%
2017	24.84	28^th	34	17.6%
2018	26.65	27^th	34	20.6%
2019	28.90	24^th	34	29.4%
2022	24.78	26^th	30	13.3%
2023	28.40	23^rd	34	32.4%

See the entire list of District Of Columbia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.76	20^th	26	23.1%
2019	35.15	10^th	25	60.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.07	17^th	30	43.3%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	28.06	23^rd	32	28.1%
2019	26.08	25^th	31	19.4%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2018	32.55	23^rd	33	30.3%
2019	30.40	25^th	31	19.4%
2022	29.37	14^th	19	26.3%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	25.51	29^th	33	12.1%
2019	28.77	24^th	32	25.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dunbar High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2018	27.25	27^th	34	20.6%
2019	29.48	26^th	33	21.2%
2023	27.34	20^th	27	25.9%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: OSSE DC Office of the State Superindendent of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: OSSE DC Office of the State Superindendent of Education

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Enrollment information for Dunbar High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	0	1432	6	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	1442
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1316	1316
1990	0	1137	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1143
1991	0	996	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	999
1992	1	844	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	847
1993	1	783	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	785
1994	0	740	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	743
1995	0	518	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	519
1996	0	518	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	519
1997	0	579	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	582
1998	0	641	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	643
1999	1	663	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	674
2000	0	690	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	697
2001	0	765	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	769
2002	2	920	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	931
2003	2	920	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	931
2004	1	897	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	912
2005	0	873	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	889
2006	0	817	2	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	831
2007	0	789	4	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	807
2008	0	888	7	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	913
2009	0	900	2	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	921
2010	1	822	2	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	837
2011	1	745	2	18	0	0	0	0	766
2012	2	572	3	11	2	0	3	0	593
2013	1	489	0	9	1	0	4	0	504
2014	1	612	1	14	0	0	0	0	628
2015	0	635	1	15	1	0	1	0	653
2016	3	623	0	26	0	0	1	0	653
2017	3	555	0	26	0	0	0	0	584
2018	4	588	1	22	0	1	1	0	617
2019	2	638	3	21	0	1	2	0	667
2020	2	619	1	22	0	1	3	0	648
2021	0	635	1	26	0	1	3	0	666
2022	2	683	4	38	0	0	1	0	728
2023	2	802	2	60	0	0	1	1	868

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dunbar High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1442	77.0	18.7	4.9
1989	1316	79.0	16.6	5.4
1990	1143	90.0	12.7	12.6
1991	999	83.0	12.0	18.2
1992	847	67.0	12.6	19.4
1993	785	60.0	13.1	30.8
1994	743	57.0	13.0	31.1
1995	519	51.0	10.2	64.9
1996	519	51.0	10.2	64.9
1997	582	39.0	14.9	37.6
1998	643	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	674	38.0	17.7	n/a
2000	697	42.0	16.6	50.5
2001	769	42.0	18.3	38
2002	931	n/a	n/a	46.6
2003	931	n/a	n/a	46.6
2004	912	56.0	16.3	45.5
2005	889	n/a	n/a	61.2
2006	831	50.0	16.6	47.9
2007	807	59.0	13.7	60
2008	913	116.0	7.9	63.1
2009	921	63.9	14.4	71.9
2010	837	66.0	12.6	91.8
2011	766	51.0	15.0	99.6
2012	593	47.0	12.6	68.5
2013	504	38.5	13.0	66.3
2014	628	41.5	15.1	99.5
2015	653	42.0	15.5	100
2016	653	56.0	11.6	100
2017	584	57.5	10.1	n/a
2018	617	48.5	12.7	n/a
2019	667	49.5	13.4	n/a
2020	648	51.3	12.6	n/a
2021	666	42.0	15.8	n/a
2022	728	46.0	15.8	n/a
2023	868	60.5	14.3	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Dunbar High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1442	77.0	18.7	4.9
1989	1316	79.0	16.6	5.4
1990	1143	90.0	12.7	12.6
1991	999	83.0	12.0	18.2
1992	847	67.0	12.6	19.4
1993	785	60.0	13.1	30.8
1994	743	57.0	13.0	31.1
1995	519	51.0	10.2	64.9
1996	519	51.0	10.2	64.9
1997	582	39.0	14.9	37.6
1998	643	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	674	38.0	17.7	n/a
2000	697	42.0	16.6	50.5
2001	769	42.0	18.3	38
2002	931	n/a	n/a	46.6
2003	931	n/a	n/a	46.6
2004	912	56.0	16.3	45.5
2005	889	n/a	n/a	61.2
2006	831	50.0	16.6	47.9
2007	807	59.0	13.7	60
2008	913	116.0	7.9	63.1
2009	921	63.9	14.4	71.9
2010	837	66.0	12.6	91.8
2011	766	51.0	15.0	99.6
2012	593	47.0	12.6	68.5
2013	504	38.5	13.0	66.3
2014	628	41.5	15.1	99.5
2015	653	42.0	15.5	100
2016	653	56.0	11.6	100
2017	584	57.5	10.1	n/a
2018	617	48.5	12.7	n/a
2019	667	49.5	13.4	n/a
2020	648	51.3	12.6	n/a
2021	666	42.0	15.8	n/a
2022	728	46.0	15.8	n/a
2023	868	60.5	14.3	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dunbar High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,585 (12.9%)	$17,420 (87.1%)	$20,005
2020	$2,738 (12.1%)	$19,965 (87.9%)	$22,702
2021	$3,539 (15.3%)	$19,625 (84.7%)	$23,164
2022	$4,714 (19.0%)	$20,082 (81.0%)	$24,797

Data source: District Of Columbia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dunbar High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 24^th of 34 High schools	Ranks 23^rd of 34 High schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Geometry (Dunbar High School)	0.7	1.6	0.9%
10th Grade Geometry (District of Columbia Public Schools)	13.1	7.9	5.2%
10th Grade Geometry (District Of Columbia)	12.2	6.7	5.5%
End of Course English II (Dunbar High School)	15.8	21.1	5.3%
End of Course English II (District of Columbia Public Schools)	38.6	36.9	1.7%
End of Course English II (District Of Columbia)	33.7	33.8	0.1%
End of Course Geometry (Dunbar High School)	0.5	1.3	0.8%
End of Course Geometry (District of Columbia Public Schools)	20.1	14.2	5.9%
End of Course Geometry (District Of Columbia)	17.2	12.8	4.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	667	868	30.1%
African American	638	802	25.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	2	33.3%
Hispanic	21	60	185.7%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	2	2
Two or More Races	2	1	50%

Schools Near Dunbar High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				PARCC English II (2023)	PARCC Geometry (2023)			PARCC Mathematics (2023)				PARCC English Language Arts (2023)				PARCC Algebra I (2023)			PARCC English I (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PARCC English II End of Course	PARCC Geometry 9th Grade	PARCC Geometry 10th Grade	PARCC Geometry End of Course	PARCC Mathematics 5th Grade	PARCC Mathematics 6th Grade	PARCC Mathematics 7th Grade	PARCC Mathematics 8th Grade	PARCC English Language Arts 5th Grade	PARCC English Language Arts 6th Grade	PARCC English Language Arts 7th Grade	PARCC English Language Arts 8th Grade	PARCC Algebra I 9th Grade	PARCC Algebra I 10th Grade	PARCC Algebra I End of Course	PARCC English I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dunbar High School	Public	9-12	101 N St. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 698-3762	868	61	14.3		2 (0.2%)	802 (92.4%)	60 (6.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	28.4	23^rd of 34 public high schools	32.4%		24.8	26^th of 30 public high schools	13.3%	3	21.1		1.6	1.3									1.2		1.2	20.2	$24,797	$4,714	$20,082
McKinley Technology High School	Public	9-12	151 T St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 281-3950	696	48	14.6		25 (3.6%)	579 (83.2%)	82 (11.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.0%)	83.8	5^th of 34 public high schools	85.3%		57.2	8^th of 30 public high schools	73.3%	3	70.8		28.0	26.0									26.0			58.9	$23,358	$4,208	$19,150
Benjamin Banneker High School	Public	9-12	1600 9th St. NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 671-6320	579	34	17.0		28 (4.8%)	405 (69.9%)	116 (20.0%)	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.8%)	92.9	2^nd of 34 public high schools	94.1%		96.9	1^st of 30 public high schools	96.7%	1	84.1	81.8	36.0	39.7									46.3		46.3	92.2	$21,284	$3,933	$17,351
Roosevelt STAY High School	Public	9-12	2001 10th St NW	Washington	20001	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 576-8399	451	44	10.1		2 (0.4%)	214 (47.5%)	233 (51.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)								(n/a)																	$21,862	$4,151	$17,711
KIPP DC - College Preparatory PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	1405 Brentwood Parkway NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 678-2527	769	65	11.8		1 (0.1%)	752 (97.8%)	16 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31.9	18^th of 34 public high schools	47.1%		34.2	13^th of 30 public high schools	56.7%	5	25.8	14.3	1.4	3.5									3.5		4.2	24.8	$29,751	$6,280	$23,471
Basis Dc Pcs	Public, Charter	5-12	410 8th Street NW	Washington	20004	District Of Columbia	Basis Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 804-6390	663	51	13.1		335 (50.5%)	126 (19.0%)	64 (9.7%)	42 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (13.7%)	92.1	3^rd of 34 public high schools	91.2%		89.9	3^rd of 30 public high schools	90.0%		90.0	52.6		52.6	60.5	58.1	69.7	63.9	67.4	57.3	79.8	91.6		87.5	87.5	93.4	$14,724	$1,120	$13,605
Cardozo Education Campus	Public	6-12	1200 Clifton St. NW	Washington	20009	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 673-7385	639	67	9.6		6 (0.9%)	290 (45.4%)	321 (50.2%)	17 (2.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	15.6	34^th of 34 public high schools	0.0%		26.4	21^st of 30 public high schools	30.0%	13	2.7					2.7	4.4			13.5	6.4	16.7			1.1	1.1	$33,896	$5,365	$28,531
Maya Angelou Academy at Youth Services Center	Public	6-12	1000 Mount Olivet Road NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	Dyrs	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 202-7007	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Washington Leadership Academy PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	3015 4th Street NE	Washington	20017	District Of Columbia	Washington Leadership Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(240) 580-3371	377	50	7.5		2 (0.5%)	312 (82.8%)	50 (13.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)	34.3	13^th of 34 public high schools	61.8%		32.7	15^th of 30 public high schools	50.0%	2	29.0		4.9	5.3											4.8	17.8	$28,399	$3,767	$24,633
Kingsman Academy PCS	Public, Charter	6-12	1375 E Street NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	Kingsman Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 547-1028	315	10	31.5		1 (0.3%)	310 (98.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)								(n/a)																	$29,180	$7,028	$22,152

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar High School

How many students attend Dunbar High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 868 students attended Dunbar High School.

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar High School?

Students at Dunbar High School are 92% African American, 7% Hispanic.

Is Dunbar High School a good school?

Dunbar High School ranks 23^rd of 34 District Of Columbia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Dunbar High School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

What schools feed into Dunbar High School?

Dunbar High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bunker Hill Elementary School
Elementary : Burroughs Elementary School
Elementary : Langdon Elementary School
Elementary : Langley Elementary School
Elementary : Noyes Elementary School
Elementary : Walker-Jones Education Campus
Elementary : Wheatley Education Campus
Middle : Brookland Middle School
Middle : McKinley Middle School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the OSSE DC Office of the State Superindendent 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.

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