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

Gainesville High School

Q: Is Gainesville High School a good school?

Gainesville High School ranks 419 th of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 8-12

419^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 50% of Florida high schools

Summary

Gainesville High School is a large, traditional public high school in Gainesville, FL, serving 1,825 students in grades 8 through 12 as part of the Alachua County Public School District, a district ranked in the 29th percentile statewide. The school has a history of consistent, mid-tier performance, earning a 3-star rating for most of the last decade, and serves a moderately diverse socioeconomic population with about 45% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Gainesville High School stands out as a stable, comprehensive option in a district with highly polarized outcomes. It is outperformed by the high-performing F. W. Buchholz High School (4-star, 75th percentile) and the magnet Professional Academy Magnet at Loften High School (4-star, 79th percentile), but significantly outperforms nearby alternative and charter schools like Siatech Mycroschool Inc. (1-star, 11th percentile) and North Central Florida Public Charter School (0-star, 9th percentile). A key differentiator is its strong graduation rate of 93.7%, which is above both the district (87.7%) and state (92.2%) averages, achieved despite test scores that generally lag behind. The school also shows a unique strength in Biology 1, with 76% proficiency in 2025-2026, above the district (70%) and state (74%) averages, though it struggles significantly in Algebra 1 (37% proficiency) compared to the district (60%) and state (63%).

Chronic absenteeism at Gainesville High School has nearly tripled from 11.2% in 2019-2020 to 30.0% in 2023-2024, a concerning trend that likely correlates with recent declines in test scores and state ranking. The school's state ranking experienced a temporary "COVID bump" during the pandemic years, improving to the 63rd percentile, but has since dropped back to the 50th percentile. Spending per student is $9,049, less than the magnet school but more than Buchholz High School ($8,066), suggesting higher spending does not automatically lead to better outcomes. The school serves as the "anchor" school in the district, maintaining a high graduation rate despite challenges, and its success or failure has a disproportionate impact on the overall health of the Alachua County school system.

1,825

Students ?

24.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

45%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1900 NW 13th St
Gainesville, FL 32609

(352) 955-6707

District: Alachua

Feeder schools for Gainesville High School:

Elementary:	C. W. Norton Elementary School
	Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary
	Glen Springs Elementary School
	Idylwild Elementary School
Middle:	Westwood Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

32.9%

White:

32.3%

Hispanic:

22.0%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Gainesville High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 50th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Florida median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (59% vs 64% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

!Algebra 1 scores 26 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg63%

Florida avg64%

419^th of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 13High Schools in the Alachua

50^th of 70Alachua among Florida 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	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	44.3	419 of 838	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.5	444 of 844	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.4	404 of 807	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.8	321 of 792	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.4	292 of 774	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	273 of 746	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.7	322 of 734	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.1	261 of 716	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.1	225 of 714	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.6	241 of 693	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.6	230 of 687	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.8	249 of 648	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.2	217 of 606	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.2	212 of 622	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.3	223 of 620	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.7	206 of 587	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.5	193 of 577	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.6	180 of 563	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.5	154 of 477	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.9	171 of 487	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	70.8	138 of 484	71.5%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Biology 176%~ state avg

US History64%-10 vs state

Geometry57%~ state avg

English Language Arts57%-4 vs state

Algebra 137%-26 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Gainesville High School and help other families decide.

Rate Gainesville High School

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 Gainesville High School

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)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)				FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	EOC Civics (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	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	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Total
Gainesville High School	Public, Magnet	8-12	1900 NW 13th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6707	1,825	74	24.5	45.0%	590 (32.3%)	601 (32.9%)	401 (22.0%)	93 (5.1%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	136 (7.5%)	44.3	419^th of 838 public high schools	50.0%		41.5	444^th of 844 public high schools	47.4%	25			57.0	56.0					37.0	57.0	76.0	64.0
Alachua Eschool (Virtual Franchise)	Public, Virtual	6-12	1108 NW 7th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	Yes	No	(352) 955-6840	178	2	118.6	45.5%	86 (48.3%)	48 (27.0%)	23 (12.9%)	8 (4.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.7%)	10.2	704^th of 838 public high schools	16.0%		33.3	546^th of 844 public high schools	35.3%	158	58.0	35.0	31.0	27.0		33.0	20.0	19.0	26.0	7.0	39.0	53.0	50.0
A.Quinn Jones Center	Public	6-12	1108 NW 7th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6840	95	14	6.6	84.2%	9 (9.5%)	77 (81.1%)	4 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.3%)	0.9	835^th of 838 public high schools	0.4%		0.5	843^rd of 844 public high schools	0.1%	8		19.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	6.0	13.0	4.0				8.0
North Central Florida Public Charter School	Public, Charter	8-12	1000 NE 16th Blvd Bldg C	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 379-2902	169	7	24.1	74.6%	20 (11.8%)	115 (68.0%)	24 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.9%)	3.6	761^st of 838 public high schools	9.2%		1.5	824^th of 844 public high schools	2.4%	63		7.0	24.0	11.0					7.0	0.0	0.0	33.0
P. K. Yonge Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	1200 SW 6th St	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Uf Lab School	No	No	Yes	No	(352) 392-1554	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pace	Public	6-12	1010 SE 4th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 374-8799	51	0		68.6%	10 (19.6%)	24 (47.1%)	7 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (19.6%)								(n/a)
Professional Academy Magnet At Loften High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3000 E University Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6839	328	18	18.2	45.4%	161 (49.1%)	75 (22.9%)	61 (18.6%)	8 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.0%)	66.3	176^th of 838 public high schools	79.0%		61.7	204^th of 844 public high schools	75.8%	28			69.0	77.0					31.0	82.0	81.0	71.0
Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center	Public	6-12	3434 NE 39th Ave	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 955-2105	0	0	47.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Alachua County Jail	Public	6-12	3333 NE 39th Ave	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(352) 955-2160	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
F. W. Buchholz High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	5510 NW 27th Ave	Gainesville	32606	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	No	(352) 955-6702	2,416	88	27.5	34.5%	1,058 (43.8%)	586 (24.3%)	403 (16.7%)	152 (6.3%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	210 (8.7%)	61.4	209^th of 838 public high schools	75.1%		60.3	218^th of 844 public high schools	74.2%	9			70.0	70.0					48.0	60.0	77.0	83.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Gainesville High School

Is Gainesville High School a good school?

Gainesville High School ranks 419^th of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gainesville High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,825 students attended Gainesville High School.

What is the racial makeup of Gainesville High School?

Students at Gainesville High School are 33% African American, 32% White, 22% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

What district is Gainesville High School in?

Alachua

What schools feed into Gainesville High School?

Gainesville High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : C. W. Norton Elementary School
Elementary : Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary
Elementary : Glen Springs Elementary School
Elementary : Idylwild Elementary School
Middle : Westwood Middle School

Rate Gainesville High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

FLFlorida High School Rankings

FLFlorida District Rankings

Schools in Gainesville, FL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Gainesville High School!

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