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

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

Kell High School

Q: Is Kell High School a good school?

Kell High School ranks 57 th of 457 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

57^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 457 Georgia High Schools

Better than 88% of Georgia high schools

Summary

Kell High School in Marietta, GA, serves approximately 1,587 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Cobb County School District, and it has earned a 4-star rating for the past decade, currently ranking 57th out of 455 Georgia high schools (87th percentile).

Kell stands out for its exceptional performance in Biology and U.S. History, where proficiency rates of 63.8% and 64.7% respectively far exceed state averages—by 16.6 and 26.2 percentage points. The school also shines in supporting students with special needs, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 21st statewide (94th percentile) for this subgroup—a rare distinction. Hispanic students also perform notably well, ranking 33rd statewide (89th percentile). With a graduation rate of 93.8% (compared to 89.2% for the district and 87.2% for the state) and a dropout rate of just 1.1%, Kell keeps students on track. While Algebra I proficiency (56.3%) trails the district average (59.4%), it has improved dramatically from 38.1% in 2022-2023. One area of concern is chronic absenteeism at 17.9%, which is higher than the district's 14.2% and well above nearby Walton High School (8.6%), Lassiter High School (11.3%), and Pope High School (12.9%)—though Kell has cut its rate by 37% since 2021-2022.

What makes Kell particularly compelling is that it achieves strong results while serving a more diverse and economically varied student body than its highest-performing neighbors. With 43% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch—a rate three to five times higher than at Walton, Lassiter, or Pope—Kell still outperforms the district average in most subjects and ranks in the 87th percentile statewide. Its per-student spending of $13,530 is comparable to those schools yet delivers better outcomes than Wheeler High School and Sprayberry High School, which spend more. In short, Kell is a school that consistently exceeds expectations given its demographic profile, making it a strong choice for families seeking solid academics, excellent support for diverse learners, and a proven track record of graduating students ready for the next step.

1,587

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,530

Per pupil spending ?

43.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4770 Lee Waters Rd
Marietta, GA 30066

(678) 494-7844

District: Cobb County

Feeder schools for Kell High School:

Elementary:	Keheley Elementary School
Middle:	McCleskey Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.0%

African American:

24.8%

Hispanic:

22.7%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare Kell High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 85th percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (62% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Georgia high schools

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Georgia average (87%)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg58%

Georgia avg45%

57^th of 457

Georgia public high schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Georgia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 17High Schools in the Cobb County

58^th of 202Cobb County among Georgia 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	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	73.8	57 of 457	87.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	52 of 451	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	59 of 454	87.0%	★★★★☆
2023	76.3	56 of 448	87.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.7	108 of 431	74.9%	★★★★☆
2021	61.5	104 of 410	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	70.9	69 of 438	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	68.1	83 of 428	80.6%	★★★★☆
2017	63.7	83 of 420	80.2%	★★★★☆
2016	69.2	64 of 426	85.0%	★★★★☆
2015	69.6	67 of 435	84.6%	★★★★☆
2014	70.9	72 of 425	83.1%	★★★★☆
2013	73.7	67 of 425	84.2%	★★★★☆
2012	74.1	75 of 396	81.1%	★★★★☆
2011	74.8	67 of 402	83.3%	★★★★☆
2010	76.9	64 of 384	83.3%	★★★★☆
2009	81.7	37 of 372	90.1%	★★★★★
2008	75.6	64 of 370	82.7%	★★★★☆
2007	79.3	43 of 358	88.0%	★★★★☆
2006	79.7	38 of 335	88.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	72.3	57 of 377	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	83.5	41 of 391	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	53 of 382	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	51 of 384	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	53 of 372	85.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	71.9	28 of 173	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	80.8	20 of 180	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	73.0	21 of 159	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	32.9	89 of 141	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	86.8	6 of 102	94.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	75.9	49 of 431	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	80.7	50 of 438	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	77.6	57 of 435	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.5	53 of 433	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	70 of 430	83.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	34 of 299	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	73.4	52 of 312	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.8	57 of 315	81.9%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	51 of 308	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	57.5	99 of 295	66.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	72.7	60 of 436	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	76.3	61 of 442	86.2%	★★★★☆
2024	75.6	69 of 436	84.2%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	64 of 436	85.3%	★★★★☆
2022	71.2	79 of 427	81.5%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	4 of 12	66.7%	★★★★☆
2025	62.4	3 of 10	70.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	68.5	31 of 123	74.8%	★★★★☆
2025	70.5	44 of 149	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	37 of 158	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	74.6	29 of 141	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	41.5	75 of 126	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	89.4	21 of 339	93.8%	★★★★★
2025	93.8	9 of 347	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	88.8	21 of 344	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	93.9	13 of 343	96.2%	★★★★★
2022	89.5	19 of 331	94.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	76.0	46 of 334	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	77.6	52 of 341	84.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.6	60 of 346	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	60 of 343	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	73.0	74 of 339	78.2%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)94th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)89th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)89th percentile~ school

Male (2026)86th percentile~ school

White (2026)86th percentile~ school

African American (2026)85th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)84th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)75th percentile-13 vs school

Migrant (2026)67th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

United States History65%+26 vs state

Biology64%+17 vs state

Algebra I56%+8 vs state

4.2

6 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★4

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Kell 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

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 29, 2021

Amazing school. The diverse student body assists in teaching the students real world interaction and global respect. The teachers encourage the student to have a complete education. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, April 30, 2020

I could not be happier having my son at Kell and look forward to my daughter attending in a year. We are so fortunate to have this gem of a school in Cobb County. The administration, teachers, extra curricular opportunities and overall community are fantastic. The communication is excellent. They follow through on what they say they are going to do. Kell provides our students the tools and experiences they need to be successful and achieve college readiness in a very safe and nurturing environment. I have been particularly impressed with the (marching) band program. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 20, 2019

Great change to the school this year! Dr. Giles has brought back school spirit, community, and pride to the school. Teachers and students feel valued again! The new LASSO structure is awesome and has helped so many students academically already and is an incentive for all students. Proud to live here and have my students go there. Don't believe any previous bad comments about the school. It has all changed now! Close Quote

Schools Near Kell 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)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kell High School	Public	9-12	4770 Lee Waters Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 494-7844	1,587	92	17.2	43.2%	682 (43.0%)	393 (24.8%)	360 (22.7%)	43 (2.7%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	103 (6.5%)	73.8	57^th of 457 public high schools	87.5%		78.1	52^nd of 451 public high schools	88.5%	5	56.3	63.8	64.7	$13,530	$397	$13,133
Lassiter High School	Public	9-12	2601 Shallowford Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 494-7863	2,005	111	18.1	13.6%	1,336 (66.6%)	146 (7.3%)	234 (11.7%)	168 (8.4%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	114 (5.7%)	88.5	15^th of 457 public high schools	96.7%		91.9	18^th of 451 public high schools	96.0%	3	74.9	79.6	80.5	$13,092	$323	$12,769
Woodstock High School	Public	9-12	2010 Towne Lake Hills South Dr	Woodstock	30189	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-3000	2,006	124	16.1	33.8%	1,112 (55.4%)	252 (12.6%)	462 (23.0%)	47 (2.3%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	128 (6.4%)	69.3	69^th of 457 public high schools	84.9%		76.2	60^th of 451 public high schools	86.7%	9	54.5	69.5	55.4	$12,118	$399	$11,719
Sprayberry High School	Public	9-12	2525 Sandy Plains Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 578-3200	1,769	105	16.8	48.6%	537 (30.4%)	521 (29.5%)	490 (27.7%)	111 (6.3%)	9 (0.5%)	3 (0.2%)	98 (5.5%)	56	133^rd of 457 public high schools	70.9%		68	90^th of 451 public high schools	80.0%	43	41.8	46.1	57.7	$13,848	$383	$13,465
River Ridge High School	Public	9-12	400 Arnold Mill Rd	Woodstock	30188	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-6500	1,902	116	16.4	29.8%	1,170 (61.5%)	129 (6.8%)	437 (23.0%)	80 (4.2%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (4.4%)	82.7	32^nd of 457 public high schools	93.0%		84.1	34^th of 451 public high schools	92.5%	2	70.5	71.2	73.8	$12,800	$505	$12,294
Pope High School	Public	9-12	3001 Hembree Rd NE	Marietta	30062	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 578-7900	1,793	103	17.3	10.1%	1,266 (70.6%)	99 (5.5%)	194 (10.8%)	142 (7.9%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (4.9%)	86.6	20^th of 457 public high schools	95.6%		91.3	19^th of 451 public high schools	95.8%	1	67.3	81.4	78.6	$13,459	$459	$13,000
Etowah High School	Public	9-12	6565 Putnam Ford Dr	Woodstock	30189	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-3120	2,393	149	16.1	34.3%	1,301 (54.4%)	291 (12.2%)	598 (25.0%)	70 (2.9%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (5.5%)	68.1	77^th of 457 public high schools	83.2%		75.1	62^nd of 451 public high schools	86.3%	15	49.9	65.4	50.0	$12,779	$382	$12,397
Walton High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1590 Bill Murdock Rd	Marietta	30062	Cobb County	Cobb County	Yes	No	No	No	(770) 578-3225	2,705	142	19.1	7.6%	1,565 (57.9%)	169 (6.2%)	208 (7.7%)	652 (24.1%)	5 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	105 (3.9%)	91.8	8^th of 457 public high schools	98.2%		93.5	9^th of 451 public high schools	98.0%	1	81.8	86.3	76.4	$12,373	$345	$12,028
Wheeler High School	Public	9-12	375 Holt Rd NE	Marietta	30068	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 578-3266	2,401	147	16.3	48.9%	556 (23.2%)	797 (33.2%)	626 (26.1%)	318 (13.2%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	101 (4.2%)	51.4	161^st of 457 public high schools	64.8%		66.2	97^th of 451 public high schools	78.5%	64	41.5	55.9	35.4	$13,905	$401	$13,505
Roswell High School	Public	9-12	11595 King Rd	Roswell	30075	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-4500	2,035	125	16.2	28.9%	1,073 (52.7%)	248 (12.2%)	571 (28.1%)	55 (2.7%)	1 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	85 (4.2%)	68.9	70^th of 457 public high schools	84.7%		73.8	71^st of 451 public high schools	84.3%	1	42.8	67.4	51.0	$15,283	$514	$14,769

Frequently Asked Questions about Kell High School

How many students attend Kell High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,587 students attended Kell High School.

What schools feed into Kell High School?

Kell High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Keheley Elementary School
Middle : McCleskey Middle School

Is Kell High School a good school?

Kell High School ranks 57^th of 457 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Kell High School in?

Cobb County

What is the racial makeup of Kell High School?

Students at Kell High School are 43% White, 25% African American, 23% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Rate Kell High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

GAGeorgia High School Rankings

GAGeorgia District Rankings

Schools in Marietta, GA

Sign up for updates!

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

Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)Aug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

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