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Kauai High School

Q: Is Kauai High School a good school?

Kauai High School ranks 40 th of 65 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

40^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 65 Hawaii High Schools

Better than 38% of Hawaii high schools

Summary

Kauai High School is a public high school in Lihue, HI, serving grades 9–12 in the Hawaii Department of Education, with 1,016 students, making it the largest of the three local high schools compared here—slightly larger than Kapaa High School and substantially larger than Waimea High School.

In 2025–2026, Kauai High School ranked 40th of 65 Hawaii high schools, at the 38th percentile with 2 stars, down from 33rd of 67 and the 51st percentile in 2023–2024; earlier it reached the 67th percentile. Its 2025–2026 test scores were 52% proficient in English Language Arts, 21% in Mathematics, and 19% in Biology I. Math has stayed near 20% for several years, while ELA, though still much higher than Math, has cooled from 58.5% in 2023–2024 to 52% in 2024–2025 and 2025–2026. Locally, Waimea High School posted the stronger 2025–2026 rank percentile (60th), ELA (57%), and Math (27%), while Kapaa High School had lower ELA (28%) and Math (15%) but higher Biology I (31%). Kauai High School was second among the three in graduation rate (92.0%, up from 89.4%), chronic absenteeism (28.0%, better than Kapaa’s 39.0% but worse than Waimea’s 22.0%), and ELA/Math. It has the lowest student-teacher ratio (14.4) and the lowest per-student spending ($15,149 in 2018–2019) in this group.

Overall, Kauai High School is a mid-pack local school with an uneven recent trajectory. Its graduation rate is solid and improving, and its low-SES subgroup rank (38th percentile) matches its overall rank, but Math proficiency remains a persistent weakness, chronic absenteeism is still a meaningful challenge, and Biology I became the weakest local result in 2025–2026. Parents may want to watch whether Math rises above its roughly 20% plateau, whether the Biology drop continues, whether absenteeism improves, and whether recent gains for Special Education and English Language Learner students can be sustained. The school remains stronger than Kapaa High School in ELA and Math, but it has recently been overtaken by Waimea High School after leading the local group in the two prior comparison years.

1,016

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,149

Per pupil spending ?

40.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

3577 Lala Rd
Lihue, HI 96766

(808) 274-3160

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Feeder schools for Kauai High School:

Elementary:	Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School
	Kalaheo Elementary School
	King Kaumualii Elementary School
	Koloa Elementary School
Middle:	Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

27.9%

Two or more races:

25.2%

Hispanic:

19.7%

See top rated Hawaii high schools

Compare Kauai High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2016 → 38th in 2026

Strengths

✓92% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

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

!Near the bottom of Hawaii Department of Education's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

40^th of 65

Hawaii public high schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to bottom 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

33^rd of 42High Schools in the Hawaii Department of Education

1^st of 1Hawaii Department of Education among Hawaii 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	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	40 of 65	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.3	36 of 62	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.2	33 of 67	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.8	35 of 53	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.3	34 of 52	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	69.3	16 of 48	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	17 of 52	67.3%	★★★★☆
2018	45.6	30 of 53	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.4	22 of 63	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.4	24 of 53	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	10.6	47 of 51	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	70.3	15 of 56	73.2%	★★★★☆
2012	64.7	20 of 58	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.6	17 of 56	69.6%	★★★★☆
2010	49.7	29 of 56	48.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.1	18 of 55	67.3%	★★★★☆
2008	52.2	19 of 39	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.3	22 of 60	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.2	20 of 56	64.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	68.9	14 of 55	74.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	26 of 40	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.0	25 of 41	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	37 of 65	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	26.4	16 of 29	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.1	25 of 33	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	43 of 59	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	72.8	13 of 52	75.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	23.0	40 of 64	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	21 of 32	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.9	24 of 32	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	42 of 61	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	22 of 38	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.4	50 of 67	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	16.7	41 of 53	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	42 of 51	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.8	41 of 64	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2024)75th percentile+24 vs school

African American (2024)75th percentile+24 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)45th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)35th percentile-3 vs school

Pacific Islander (2026)34th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts52%

Mathematics21%

Biology I19%

★

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Schools Near Kauai High School

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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)				HSA Biology I (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	HSA Biology I All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kauai High School	Public	9-12	3577 Lala Rd	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 274-3160	1,016	71	14.4	40.4%	78 (7.7%)	2 (0.2%)	200 (19.7%)	283 (27.9%)	1 (0.1%)	196 (19.3%)	256 (25.2%)	25.4	40^th of 65 public high schools	38.5%		27.3	36^th of 62 public high schools	41.9%	4	19.0	52.0	21.0	$15,149	$1,109	$14,040
Kapaa High School	Public	9-12	4695 Mailihuna Rd	Kapaa	96746	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 821-4400	1,005	58	17.3	31.6%	179 (17.8%)	4 (0.4%)	192 (19.1%)	131 (13.0%)	2 (0.2%)	235 (23.4%)	262 (26.1%)	16.9	46^th of 65 public high schools	29.2%		25.8	38^th of 62 public high schools	38.7%	8	31.0	28.0	15.0	$16,461	$1,310	$15,151
Waimea High School	Public	9-12	9707 Tsuchiya Rd	Waimea	96796	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 338-6800	711	48	14.8	51.3%	53 (7.5%)	2 (0.3%)	127 (17.9%)	212 (29.8%)	1 (0.1%)	209 (29.4%)	107 (15.0%)	36.4	26^th of 65 public high schools	60.0%		19.5	41^st of 62 public high schools	33.9%	15	26.0	57.0	27.0	$17,813	$1,667	$16,146

Frequently Asked Questions about Kauai High School

What district is Kauai High School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

Is Kauai High School a good school?

Kauai High School ranks 40^th of 65 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Kauai High School?

Students at Kauai High School are 28% Asian, 25% Two or more races, 20% Hispanic, 19% Pacific Islander, 8% White.

What schools feed into Kauai High School?

Kauai High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School
Elementary : Kalaheo Elementary School
Elementary : King Kaumualii Elementary School
Elementary : Koloa Elementary School
Middle : Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

How many students attend Kauai High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,016 students attended Kauai High School.

Rate Kauai High School!

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HIHawaii High School Rankings

HIHawaii District Rankings

Schools in Lihue, HI

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Latest Hawaii data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 graduation ratesSep 19, 2026

2025–26 HSA & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresSep 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 18, 2025

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