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Ballou High School

Q: Is Ballou High School a good school?

Ballou High School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of District Of Columbia high schools.

Q: How many students attend Ballou High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 597 students attended Ballou High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Ballou High School?

Students at Ballou High School are 96% African American, 4% Hispanic.

Q: What schools feed into Ballou High School?

Ballou High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Garfield Elementary School Elementary : Hendley Elementary School Elementary : King Elementary School Elementary : Leckie Education Campus Elementary : Malcolm X Elementary School at Green Elementary : Patterson Elementary School Elementary : Simon Elementary School Elementary : Turner Elementary School Middle : Hart Middle School Middle : Johnson Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

32^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 35 District Of Columbia High Schools

Better than 9% of District Of Columbia high schools

Summary

Ballou High School is a public high school in Washington, DC, serving 585 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) district, which is ranked 22 out of 46 districts in DC and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ballou High School consistently ranks in the bottom third of DC high schools, with a ranking between 29-32 out of 34 schools in recent years. Its performance on standardized tests is significantly below the district and state averages, with only 14% of Ballou students proficient or better in English Language Arts in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to 42.5% for DCPS and 37.6% for the state. Ballou High School also has a lower 4-year graduation rate around 76% in recent years, which is lower than the district average. The school performs particularly poorly for certain student subgroups, ranking 30th out of 31 DC high schools for female students and 23rd out of 32 for male students in 2018-2019.

Despite the school's academic challenges, Ballou High School has relatively high spending per student, with over $34,000 spent per student in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the district average of around $28,000. The school is located in close proximity to several other public and public charter high schools, including Eastern High School, Anacostia High School, Bard High School Early College DC, and Ballou STAY High School. While Ballou High School struggles academically, some of the nearby schools, such as Bard High School Early College DC and Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory High School, perform significantly better on standardized tests and have higher rankings within the district.

597

Students ?

9.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$34,588

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3401 4th St. SE
Washington, DC 20032

(202) 645-3400

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Feeder schools for Ballou High School:

Elementary:	Garfield Elementary School
	Hendley Elementary School
	King Elementary School
	Leckie Education Campus
	More...
	Malcolm X Elementary School at Green
	Patterson Elementary School
	Simon Elementary School
	Turner Elementary School
Middle:	Hart Middle School
	Johnson Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.8%

Hispanic:

3.7%

White:

0.2%

See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

Compare Ballou High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — <1st percentile in 2022 → 9th in 2025

Strengths

✓89% graduate in 4 years — above the District Of Columbia average (79%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 9th (2025) from a <1st-percentile low (2022)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (14% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school14%

District avg43%

District Of Columbia avg38%

32^nd of 35

District Of Columbia public high schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 16High Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

23^rd of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia 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	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	18.8	32 of 35	8.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	32 of 34	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	29 of 34	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.1	30 of 30	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	26 of 34	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.5	31 of 34	8.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.1	26 of 34	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.4	27 of 31	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.7	26 of 29	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	12.9	30 of 35	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.6	23 of 31	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.2	25 of 31	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.1	19 of 30	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	17.9	31 of 32	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	27.9	29 of 33	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	31 of 34	8.8%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	30.5	24 of 31	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.1	27 of 33	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	21.1	30 of 31	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.9	30 of 32	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	31 of 32	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	28 of 28	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	29 of 30	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	32.6	23 of 32	28.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.5	31 of 33	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	64.6	6 of 25	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	34.8	15 of 26	42.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2019)76th percentile+52 vs school

Male (2019)28th percentile+5 vs school

At Risk (2019)23rd percentile~ school

Female (2019)3rd percentile-20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile-5 vs school

African American (2025)3rd percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2024-2025) ?

English II14%-24 vs state

English Language Arts14%-24 vs state

English I14%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ballou High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				DC Science Science (2025)	DC CAPE English Language Arts (2025)		DC CAPE Mathematics (2025)	DC CAPE English II (2025)	DC CAPE Algebra I (2025)	DC CAPE Geometry (2025)	DC CAPE English I (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC Science Science End of Course	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	DC CAPE English II End of Course	DC CAPE Algebra I End of Course	DC CAPE Geometry End of Course	DC CAPE English I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ballou High School	Public	9-12	3401 4th St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3400	597	62	9.6		1 (0.2%)	572 (95.8%)	22 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18.8	32^nd of 35 public high schools	8.6%		17.5	32^nd of 34 public high schools	5.9%				14.0		14.5			13.5	$34,588	$4,747	$29,841
Ballou STAY High School	Public	9-12	3401 4th St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 645-3390	278	30	9.1		0 (0.0%)	272 (97.8%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$24,967	$3,828	$21,139
KIPP DC PCS - Legacy College Preparatory PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	3999 8th Street SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-9170	646	62	10.3		0 (0.0%)	638 (98.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22.7	30^th of 35 public high schools	14.3%		22.4	29^th of 34 public high schools	14.7%	1			17.7	3.4	19.8	1.9	3.7	14.3	$34,784	$5,313	$29,471
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2705 Martin Luther King Jr Av	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-1681	307	40	7.6		0 (0.0%)	302 (98.4%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.8	16^th of 35 public high schools	54.3%		40.6	13^th of 34 public high schools	61.8%	3			31.7	10.6	25.8	10.5	10.6	36.7	$34,587	$4,936	$29,650
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC)	Public	9-12	1351 Alabama Ave SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 898-4664	331	32	10.3		0 (0.0%)	300 (90.6%)	21 (6.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	45.5	11^th of 35 public high schools	68.6%		28.8	22^nd of 34 public high schools	35.3%	11	5.6		39.7	9.6	38.3	9.2	10.3	40.5	$28,406	$4,409	$23,997
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	2427 Martin Luther King Jr Av	Washington	20020	District Of Columbia	Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 563-6862	373	34	10.9		0 (0.0%)	372 (99.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.4	18^th of 35 public high schools	48.6%		29.1	20^th of 34 public high schools	41.2%	2			24.9	3.4	30.4			19.4	$38,343	$5,409	$32,935
Anacostia High School	Public	9-12	1601 16th St. SE	Washington	20020	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-2155	246	32	7.6		0 (0.0%)	227 (92.3%)	14 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)								(n/a)			5.7		7.3				$46,589	$5,124	$41,466
Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Capitol Hill	Public, Charter	9-12	709 12th Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	Digital Pioneers Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 677-3522	387	25	15.7		0 (0.0%)	380 (98.2%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	47.2	10^th of 35 public high schools	71.4%					(n/a)			34.6	11.1	39.2	11.8	8.9	30.9	$32,602	$3,566	$29,036
Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Public, Charter	8-12	475 School Street SW	Washington	20024	District Of Columbia	Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 388-1011	300	26	11.7		3 (1.0%)	293 (97.7%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.1	12^th of 35 public high schools	65.7%		40.9	12^th of 34 public high schools	64.7%			20.0	29.6	3.5	33.9		5.3	28.2	$32,581	$3,041	$29,539
DC Department of Corrections	Public	9-12	1901 D Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	DC Jail Education Program	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 698-4932	45	15	3.0		0 (0.0%)	42 (93.3%)	3 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$00	$00	$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Ballou High School

What is the racial makeup of Ballou High School?

Students at Ballou High School are 96% African American, 4% Hispanic.

Is Ballou High School a good school?

Ballou High School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of District Of Columbia high schools.

What schools feed into Ballou High School?

Ballou High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Garfield Elementary School
Elementary : Hendley Elementary School
Elementary : King Elementary School
Elementary : Leckie Education Campus
Elementary : Malcolm X Elementary School at Green
Elementary : Patterson Elementary School
Elementary : Simon Elementary School
Elementary : Turner Elementary School
Middle : Hart Middle School
Middle : Johnson Middle School

What district is Ballou High School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

How many students attend Ballou High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 597 students attended Ballou High School.

Rate Ballou High School!

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DCDistrict Of Columbia High School Rankings

DCDistrict Of Columbia District Rankings

Schools in Washington, DC

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent 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.