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

Cardinal High School

Q: Is Cardinal High School a good school?

Cardinal High School ranks 221 st of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

221^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 35% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Cardinal High School is a public high school located in Eldon, Iowa, serving 277 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Cardinal Community School District, which is ranked 248 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cardinal High School consistently outperforms the state average in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 81.7% of 10th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 74.7%. The school has also maintained a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.5% to 100% over the past few years, which is on par with or exceeds the graduation rates of the nearby schools like Fairfield High School and Pekin Community Junior/Senior High School.

While Cardinal High School's chronic absenteeism rate has fluctuated between 13.3% and 23.4% in recent years, it is generally in line with or lower than the rates of the surrounding schools. However, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 35.94% to 49.64% in the past few years, which is higher than the rates of some nearby schools. This suggests that Cardinal High School may be serving a more economically disadvantaged population, which could present unique challenges and opportunities for the school to address the needs of its student population.

270

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,215

Per pupil spending ?

53.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4045 Ashland Rd
Eldon, IA 52554

(641) 652-7531

District: Cardinal Community School District

Feeder schools for Cardinal High School:

Elementary:	Cardinal Elementary
Middle:	Cardinal Junior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.5%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

2.2%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Cardinal High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 8th percentile in 2021 → 35th in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (88%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 35th (2025) from a 8th-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Mathematics scores 12 pts below the Iowa average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg67%

Iowa avg69%

221^st of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 35%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to bottom 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

248^th of 313Cardinal Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2017	19.8	292 of 327	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.1	311 of 343	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.5	312 of 349	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	7.8	324 of 337	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	23.2	309 of 350	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	36.9	267 of 349	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	221 of 340	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	245 of 338	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.4	237 of 336	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.2	287 of 332	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.5	302 of 327	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.7	283 of 327	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.8	283 of 320	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	59.5	151 of 325	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	46.9	197 of 320	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.7	169 of 324	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	11.4	297 of 322	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	48.7	222 of 351	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	14.8	325 of 351	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts76%+3 vs state

Science75%+8 vs state

Mathematics54%-12 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Cardinal 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 Cardinal High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)					ISASP Mathematics (2025)					ISASP Science (2025)		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/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	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cardinal High School	Public	9-12	4045 Ashland Rd	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 652-7531	270	21	12.7	53.3%	247 (91.5%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	44.1	221^st of 340 public high schools	35.0%		37.9	245^th of 338 public high schools	27.5%	24			77.6	81.7	69.7			50.7	68.3	45.5		75.0	$15,215	$369	$14,847
Ottumwa High School	Public	10-12	501 E 2nd	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 683-4444	910	55	16.5	37.4%	441 (48.5%)	92 (10.1%)	287 (31.5%)	20 (2.2%)	2 (0.2%)	55 (6.0%)	12 (1.3%)	29	278^th of 340 public high schools	18.2%		23.5	284^th of 338 public high schools	16.0%	6				68.9	66.9				52.3	60.2		55.5	$14,352	$688	$13,665
Gateway High School	Public	9-12	907 Gateway Drive	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(641) 684-6597	213	7	29.5	62.0%	114 (53.5%)	16 (7.5%)	45 (21.1%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (13.1%)	5 (2.3%)	1.3	331^st of 340 public high schools	2.6%		0.1	336^th of 338 public high schools	0.6%	5				40.9	35.5				25.0	12.5		41.7
Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School	Public	7-12	1062 Birch Ave	Packwood	52580	Jefferson County	Pekin Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 695-3705	258	22	11.7	42.2%	244 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	47.2	210^th of 340 public high schools	38.2%		46.3	214^th of 338 public high schools	36.7%	4	89.2	88.6	76.5	75.0	70.2	73.0	84.1	52.9	66.7	74.5	84.1	64.6	$14,808	$218	$14,591
Fairfield High School	Public	9-12	605 E Broadway	Fairfield	52556	Jefferson County	Fairfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 472-2059	442	30	14.8	36.9%	361 (81.7%)	11 (2.5%)	32 (7.2%)	13 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.2%)	68.2	101^st of 340 public high schools	70.3%		44	227^th of 338 public high schools	32.8%	126			91.8	87.6	69.5			82.7	74.5	63.2		71.1	$14,744	$133	$14,611
Davis County Community High School	Public	9-12	503 E. Locust	Bloomfield	52537	Davis County	Davis County Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 664-2200	358	22	16.3	39.7%	334 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	44.9	219^th of 340 public high schools	35.6%		35.8	256^th of 338 public high schools	24.3%	37			82.7	78.8	64.4			70.4	62.5	60.9		53.2	$15,057	$442	$14,614
DC Online	Public, Virtual	6-12	608 S. Washington	Bloomfield	62637	Davis County	Davis County Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(641) 664-2200	34	0		35.3%	33 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardinal High School

What schools feed into Cardinal High School?

Cardinal High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cardinal Elementary
Middle : Cardinal Junior High

What district is Cardinal High School in?

Cardinal Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Cardinal High School?

Students at Cardinal High School are 91% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Cardinal High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 270 students attended Cardinal High School.

Is Cardinal High School a good school?

Cardinal High School ranks 221^st of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Cardinal High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa High School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Eldon, IA

Sign up for updates!

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

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