Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

First State Military Academy

Q: Is First State Military Academy a good school?

First State Military Academy ranks 25 th of 41 Delaware high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

25^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 41 Delaware High Schools

Better than 39% of Delaware high schools

Summary

First State Military Academy is a public high school in Clayton, DE, serving 433 students in grades 9-12 and operating as its own district. The school has maintained a stable ranking in the bottom half of Delaware high schools for several years, earning a 2-star rating in the 2025-2026 school year.

The most significant concern for parents is the school's mathematics performance. Only 6.38% of 11th graders scored proficient on the SAT Math exam, which is nearly three times lower than the state average of 18.16%. This gap is especially stark when compared to Smyrna High School, located less than a mile away, where 16.62% of students are proficient in math. The school also struggles with writing skills—only 25.32% of students are proficient on the SAT Essay, compared to the state average of 43.01%. On a more positive note, the graduation rate has improved from 75.4% in 2018-2019 to 84.3% in 2022-2023, though it still trails the state average of 88.9%. Chronic absenteeism has been volatile, swinging from 9.8% in 2023-2024 to 24.6% in 2024-2025, well above the state average of 17.1%.

Parents should also consider that the school spends less per student ($12,478) than nearby schools like POLYTECH High School ($16,759) and St. Georges Technical High School ($17,207), while maintaining a higher student-teacher ratio of 18:1. The school shows notable strengths in serving its African American students, ranking in the top 15 statewide, but struggles more with its White student population. While the military academy model provides structure and discipline, the inconsistent academic outcomes and attendance patterns suggest the school has not yet found a formula that works consistently for all students. The most urgent priority should be addressing the severe math deficiency, which represents the largest gap compared to both state averages and neighboring schools.

433

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

35.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

355 West Duck Creek Road
Clayton, DE 19938

(302) 223-2150

District: First State Military Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.4%

African American:

32.8%

Hispanic:

11.8%

See top rated Delaware high schools

Compare First State Military Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 35th percentile in 2019 → 39th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (22% vs 31% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (25% vs 17% Delaware)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school22%

District avg22%

Delaware avg31%

25^th of 41

Delaware public high schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 4 pts since 2019

From bottom 35% (2019) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 34First State Military Academy among Delaware 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	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	32.8	25 of 41	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.1	23 of 41	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.4	24 of 41	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.5	24 of 39	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	25 of 39	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.7	27 of 39	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.6	26 of 40	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	15 of 35	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.6	10 of 35	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	27.3	22 of 27	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	36.3	24 of 39	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.7	20 of 40	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.3	24 of 39	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.5	22 of 38	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.2	14 of 37	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.1	21 of 36	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.1	21 of 41	48.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2019	83.8	4 of 29	86.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	32.1	27 of 39	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.0	23 of 40	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	21 of 39	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.4	11 of 38	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	27.8	25 of 37	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.4	27 of 36	25.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.9	28 of 41	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	19.6	33 of 36	8.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.8	30 of 35	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	31 of 35	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	27 of 34	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.6	23 of 33	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.9	25 of 34	26.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.7	30 of 36	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)86th percentile+51 vs school

African American (2026)57th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile~ school

Male (2026)31st percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)8th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts44%~ state avg

Essay25%-18 vs state

Science20%-8 vs state

Social Studies17%-8 vs state

Mathematics6%-12 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate First State Military Academy and help other families decide.

Rate First State Military Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near First State Military Academy

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DeSSA Science (2026)					DeSSA Social Studies (2026)			SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	SAT Essay (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments 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 (2016)	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	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Science 9th Grade	DeSSA Science 10th Grade	DeSSA Science 11th Grade	DeSSA Science 12th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Essay 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
First State Military Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	355 West Duck Creek Road	Clayton	19938	Kent County	First State Military Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 223-2150	433	24	18.0	35.6%	214 (49.4%)	142 (32.8%)	51 (11.8%)	9 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	14 (3.2%)	32.8	25^th of 41 public high schools	39.0%		38.1	23^rd of 41 public high schools	43.9%	2			20.2					16.8	43.6	6.4	25.3
Smyrna High School	Public	9-12	500 Duck Creek Parkway	Smyrna	19977	Kent County	Smyrna School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 653-8581	1,777	100	17.7	21.4%	861 (48.5%)	634 (35.7%)	183 (10.3%)	21 (1.2%)	4 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	72 (4.1%)	52.2	19^th of 41 public high schools	53.7%		46.1	20^th of 41 public high schools	51.2%	1			21.2					18.0	47.5	16.6	49.9					$16,865
Early College School at Del State	Public, Charter	7-12	1570 North DuPont Highway	Dover	19901	Kent County	Early College High School at Del State	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 857-3510	583	24	24.2	33.0%	45 (7.7%)	463 (79.4%)	54 (9.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	14 (2.4%)	54.8	17^th of 41 public high schools	58.5%		48.1	18^th of 41 public high schools	56.1%	1			17.6			57.0	31.1	30.9	51.1	8.5	55.0	34.5	39.0	18.6	9.5
Odessa High School	Public	9-12	570 Tony Marchio Drive	Townsend	19734	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 842-2625	1,254	83	15.0		599 (47.8%)	450 (35.9%)	98 (7.8%)	42 (3.3%)	11 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (4.1%)	73.1	8^th of 41 public high schools	80.5%		77.8	5^th of 41 public high schools	87.8%	3		44.8	33.0					38.9	54.2	19.7	50.0					$17,060
Dover High School	Public	9-12	One Dover High Drive	Dover	19904	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 241-2400	1,812	88	20.5	42.5%	340 (18.8%)	1,022 (56.4%)	295 (16.3%)	32 (1.8%)	10 (0.6%)	10 (0.6%)	103 (5.7%)	30.6	28^th of 41 public high schools	31.7%		29.5	28^th of 41 public high schools	31.7%			44.4	15.1					25.1	22.9	7.3	32.4					$18,334
Middletown High School	Public	9-12	120 Silver Lake Road	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 376-4141	1,231	80	15.3	10.9%	492 (40.0%)	448 (36.4%)	118 (9.6%)	101 (8.2%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (5.5%)	69.7	10^th of 41 public high schools	75.6%		51.1	17^th of 41 public high schools	58.5%	7		37.8	19.1					25.7	60.9	28.2	51.6					$19,820
Appoquinimink High School	Public	9-12	1080 Bunker Hill Road	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 449-3840	1,357	89	15.2	10.8%	608 (44.8%)	422 (31.1%)	110 (8.1%)	155 (11.4%)	8 (0.6%)	3 (0.2%)	51 (3.8%)	75.9	7^th of 41 public high schools	82.9%		75.6	7^th of 41 public high schools	82.9%			52.8	28.8					28.6	55.2	26.6	53.6					$20,258
Positive Outcomes Charter School	Public, Charter	7-12	3337 South DuPont Highway	Camden	19934	Kent County	Positive Outcomes Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-8805	119	13	9.1	27.8%	58 (48.7%)	50 (42.0%)	4 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.0%)								(n/a)			22.7
POLYTECH High School	Public	9-12	823 Walnut Shade Road	Woodside	19980	Kent County	POLYTECH School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-3255	1,228	80	15.3	18.8%	666 (54.2%)	305 (24.8%)	129 (10.5%)	19 (1.5%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	101 (8.2%)	48.8	20^th of 41 public high schools	51.2%		58	15^th of 41 public high schools	63.4%	5		71.4	18.1					20.1	48.4	12.7	46.8					$21,677
St. Georges Technical High School	Public	9-12	555 Hyetts Corner Rd.	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 449-3360	1,198	80	14.9	12.9%	518 (43.2%)	408 (34.1%)	162 (13.5%)	27 (2.3%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	77 (6.4%)	67.1	11^th of 41 public high schools	73.2%		61.5	12^th of 41 public high schools	70.7%	1			36.2					25.4	52.8	14.2	52.8

Frequently Asked Questions about First State Military Academy

Is First State Military Academy a good school?

First State Military Academy ranks 25^th of 41 Delaware high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of First State Military Academy?

Students at First State Military Academy are 49% White, 33% African American, 12% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend First State Military Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 433 students attended First State Military Academy.

What district is First State Military Academy in?

First State Military Academy

Rate First State Military Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

DEDelaware High School Rankings

DEDelaware District Rankings

Schools in Clayton, DE

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for First State Military Academy!

Latest Delaware data All new data »

2025–26 DeSSA, SAT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresAug 18, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 23, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 20, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 7, 2026

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