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Van Meter High School

Public Grades 9-12

3^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 99% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Van Meter High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 305 students. The school is part of the Van Meter Community School District, which is ranked 3rd out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Van Meter High School consistently outperforms the state average in ISASP test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 93.8% of 10th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 74.7%. Similarly, 92.6% of 11th graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 65.6%. The school has also maintained high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 87.5% to 98.5% over the past few years, consistently exceeding the state average.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Johnston Senior High School, Urbandale High School, and Winterset Senior High School, Van Meter High School consistently outperforms them in academic performance, graduation rates, and student-teacher ratios. The school's spending per student ($14,547 in 2018-2019) is also higher than the nearby schools, which may contribute to its strong academic outcomes. Despite being a relatively small school, Van Meter High School's proximity to larger school districts, such as West Des Moines and Waukee, may present opportunities for further growth and collaboration.

316

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,547

Per pupil spending ?

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

520 1st Ave
Van Meter, IA 50261

(515) 996-2221

District: Van Meter Community School District

Feeder schools for Van Meter High School:

Elementary:	Van Meter Elementary School
Middle:	Van Meter Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.8%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Van Meter High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 85th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (91% vs 69% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Iowa high schools

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (88%)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school91%

District avg91%

Iowa avg69%

3^rd of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 14 pts since 2015

From top 15% (2015) to top 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 313Van Meter 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	85.2	11 of 327	96.6%	★★★★★
2016	78.0	48 of 343	86.0%	★★★★☆
2015	83.1	22 of 349	93.7%	★★★★★
2014	91.6	2 of 337	99.4%	★★★★★
2013	83.2	16 of 350	95.4%	★★★★★
2012	76.7	41 of 349	88.3%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	91.2	3 of 340	99.1%	★★★★★
2024	91.9	5 of 338	98.5%	★★★★★
2023	93.3	4 of 336	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	90.9	8 of 332	97.6%	★★★★★
2021	94.5	1 of 327	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	80.2	38 of 327	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	79.5	29 of 320	90.9%	★★★★★
2017	81.1	32 of 325	90.2%	★★★★★
2016	84.1	28 of 320	91.3%	★★★★★
2015	77.8	49 of 324	84.9%	★★★★☆
2014	67.6	113 of 322	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	78.0	38 of 351	89.2%	★★★★☆
2012	45.5	242 of 351	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts95%+21 vs state

Mathematics88%+22 vs state

Science88%+21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Van Meter 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 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van Meter High School	Public	9-12	520 1st Ave	Van Meter	50261	Dallas County	Van Meter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 996-2221	316	21	14.7	9.2%	287 (90.8%)	4 (1.3%)	14 (4.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.5%)	91.2	3^rd of 340 public high schools	99.1%		91.9	5^th of 338 public high schools	98.5%	2	95.2	93.8	95.6	90.4	82.7	92.6	87.7	$14,547	$514	$14,033
ADM Senior High School	Public	9-12	801 Nile Kinnick Dr S	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 993-4584	666	43	15.4	19.2%	613 (92.0%)	5 (0.8%)	21 (3.2%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.1%)	90.8	5^th of 340 public high schools	98.5%		92.2	4^th of 338 public high schools	98.8%	1	95.2	96.4	93.3	84.9	88.0	89.7	84.4	$13,069	$279	$12,789
Waukee High School	Public	10-12	555 SE University Avenue	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5163	1,375	82	16.7	23.0%	870 (63.3%)	142 (10.3%)	127 (9.2%)	124 (9.0%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	105 (7.6%)	46.1	214^th of 340 public high schools	37.1%		62	135^th of 338 public high schools	60.1%	79		72.9	68.4		70.5	66.7	61.6	$13,035	$231	$12,804
Northwest High School	Public	10-12	655 NW 10th ST	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5161	1,574	73	21.4	11.6%	1,199 (76.2%)	92 (5.8%)	112 (7.1%)	91 (5.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (5.0%)	77.5	46^th of 340 public high schools	86.5%		76.4	51^st of 338 public high schools	84.9%	5		85.3	80.0		83.1	78.1	79.5
Earlham Senior High School	Public	9-12	535 N Chestnut Ave	Earlham	50072	Madison County	Earlham Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 758-2235	189	16	12.0	15.9%	178 (94.2%)	2 (1.1%)	6 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	78.4	43^rd of 340 public high schools	87.4%		65.9	115^th of 338 public high schools	66.0%	72	83.8	87.0	78.2	81.1	84.8	76.4	87.0	$13,628	$119	$13,509
Valley High School	Public	10-12	3650 Woodland Ave	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4000	2,178	119	18.3	68.0%	1,195 (54.9%)	258 (11.8%)	442 (20.3%)	132 (6.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	147 (6.7%)	37.9	254^th of 340 public high schools	25.3%		46.7	212^th of 338 public high schools	37.3%	42		73.2	61.0		64.9	62.7	61.1	$15,551	$791	$14,760
Walnut Creek Campus	Public	9-12	1020 8th Street	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6480	152	14	10.8	76.3%	76 (50.0%)	30 (19.7%)	28 (18.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (11.2%)	0.6	334^th of 340 public high schools	1.8%		1.2	328^th of 338 public high schools	3.0%	6	23.1	34.8	41.2	7.7	26.1	23.5	26.1	$18,513	$197	$18,315
Dallas Center-Grimes High School	Public	9-12	2555 W 1st St	Grimes	50111	Dallas County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-9747	1,073	64	16.8	17.8%	922 (85.9%)	46 (4.3%)	57 (5.3%)	16 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	30 (2.8%)	68.7	98^th of 340 public high schools	71.2%		65.7	116^th of 338 public high schools	65.7%	18	85.5	82.8	72.9	76.9	76.5	71.9	73.9	$12,103	$211	$11,892
Johnston Senior High School	Public	10-12	6500 NW 100th Street	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 278-0449	1,820	87	20.8	22.4%	1,233 (67.7%)	195 (10.7%)	142 (7.8%)	145 (8.0%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	93 (5.1%)	77.1	49^th of 340 public high schools	85.6%		75.9	53^rd of 338 public high schools	84.3%	4		85.8	79.5		80.5	78.5	80.5	$11,440	$378	$11,061
Urbandale High School	Public	9-12	7111 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6800	1,301	88	14.7	36.4%	817 (62.8%)	117 (9.0%)	205 (15.8%)	88 (6.8%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	68 (5.2%)	61.2	150^th of 340 public high schools	55.9%		34.3	263^rd of 338 public high schools	22.2%	113	83.2	82.0	80.4	63.3	68.1	71.0	71.8	$11,428	$388	$11,040

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Meter High School

What district is Van Meter High School in?

Van Meter Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Van Meter High School?

Students at Van Meter High School are 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Van Meter High School a good school?

Yes! Van Meter High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 3^rd of 340 Iowa high schools.

What schools feed into Van Meter High School?

Van Meter High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Van Meter Elementary School
Middle : Van Meter Middle School

How many students attend Van Meter High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 316 students attended Van Meter High School.

Rate Van Meter High School!

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IAIowa High School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Van Meter, IA

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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.