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

Ben Davis High School

Public Grades 10-12

333^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 429 Indiana High Schools

Better than 22% of Indiana high schools

Summary

Ben Davis High School is a public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 3,274 students in grades 10-12. The school is part of the MSD Wayne Township school district, which is ranked 289 out of 380 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ben Davis High School consistently ranks in the bottom third of Indiana high schools, with academic performance significantly below the state and district averages across various standardized tests. For example, in 2024-2025, only 10.53% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/Biology, compared to the district average of 23.36%. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 78.2% to 88.4% in recent years, which is below the state and district averages. Additionally, Ben Davis High School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17.8% to 36.8% in recent years, significantly higher than the state and district averages.

Interestingly, within the same school district, Ben Davis University High School and Achieve Virtual Education Academy perform significantly better than Ben Davis High School across various metrics, including academic performance, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. Additionally, Herron-Riverside High School, a public charter school outside the district, also outperforms Ben Davis High School in several areas. In contrast, George Washington High School and Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, both located within the Indianapolis Public Schools district, perform even worse than Ben Davis High School on many measures.

3,315

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,675

Per pupil spending ?

69.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1200 N Girls Sch Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46214

(317) 988-7000

District: MSD Wayne Township

Feeder schools for Ben Davis High School:

Elementary:	Bridgeport Elementary School
	Chapel Glen Elementary School
	Chapelwood Elementary School
	Garden City Elementary School
	More...
	Maplewood Elementary School
	McClelland Elementary School
	North Wayne Elementary School
	Rhoades Elementary School
	Robey Elementary School
	Stout Field Elementary School
	Westlake Elementary School
Middle:	Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center
	Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center

Racial breakdown:

African American:

38.9%

Hispanic:

37.0%

White:

18.3%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare Ben Davis High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 5th percentile in 2015 → 22nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (20% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school20%

District avg23%

Indiana avg42%

333^rd of 429

Indiana public high schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 5% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3High Schools in the MSD Wayne Township

289^th of 380MSD Wayne Township among Indiana 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	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	22.0	333 of 429	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	357 of 432	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.0	359 of 398	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	339 of 409	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.1	341 of 388	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.5	342 of 389	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.4	357 of 385	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.3	351 of 380	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.1	359 of 394	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.4	381 of 400	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	3.2	365 of 379	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.0	340 of 353	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.1	361 of 373	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.6	353 of 364	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	11.5	340 of 362	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	26.5	318 of 364	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.3	314 of 360	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.2	314 of 354	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	31.1	295 of 349	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.7	298 of 349	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	47.3	46 of 132	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.5	73 of 132	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.9	66 of 125	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.1	52 of 125	58.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	78 of 119	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	60 of 94	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.4	45 of 74	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	15.9	335 of 387	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	338 of 392	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.8	352 of 388	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	22.1	146 of 181	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.9	155 of 184	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	147 of 166	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	124 of 164	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	297 of 377	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	314 of 377	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	327 of 379	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	18.9	323 of 386	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.3	354 of 392	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	349 of 383	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	71 of 111	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	55 of 102	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.0	77 of 104	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	69 of 94	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	184 of 298	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.3	185 of 289	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.6	260 of 285	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	220 of 377	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.7	307 of 381	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	323 of 375	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.3	292 of 378	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)65th percentile+43 vs school

White (2025)42nd percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2025)38th percentile+16 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)36th percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)34th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)19th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)16th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)13th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-based Reading and Writing32%-23 vs state

Biology11%-35 vs state

Mathematics10%-16 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Ben Davis 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
Sunday, November 5, 2017

Our choice to enroll our kids at Ben Davis came after researching the AP/Honors courses available compared to other private high schools in the area. We knew the rich AP course offerings (20+ classes) coupled with the diverse student body were perfect for our family. And the decision has proven fruitful! Our kids were able to take advantage of the great academics, theatre/music programs, and strong athletic teams. Most importantly, our children experienced an environment where students from all socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, religions, and experiences came together. We wanted our children to have a "real world" school experience, not one where they were placed in a homogenous bubble of students. Ben Davis was just that and prepared our children to go into their universities and careers with the ability to move through and feel comfortable in different spaces and communities with ease. This understanding is the foundation to empathy and understanding that we need in this world. Close Quote

Schools Near Ben Davis High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)				ILEARN Math (2025)				ILEARN Science (2025)		ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ben Davis High School	Public	10-12	1200 N Girls Sch Rd	Indianapolis	46214	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 988-7000	3,315	180	18.4	69.1%	606 (18.3%)	1,291 (38.9%)	1,225 (37.0%)	12 (0.4%)	1 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	178 (5.4%)	22	333^rd of 429 public high schools	22.4%		17.3	357^th of 432 public high schools	17.4%	24	32.0	9.9											10.5	$13,675	$1,059	$12,616
Area 31 Career & Technical Center	Public	6-12	1200 N High School Rd	Indianapolis	46214	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 988-7230	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Achieve Virtual Education Academy	Public, Virtual	7-12	1250 N High School Rd	Indianapolis	46214	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	Yes	No	(317) 988-7144	668	27	24.5	42.8%	344 (51.5%)	136 (20.4%)	142 (21.3%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.0%)	26.9	316^th of 429 public high schools	26.3%		47.5	215^th of 432 public high schools	50.2%	101	41.2	8.8			50.0	50.0			0.0	13.6			26.1	$8,036	$4,207	$3,829
Speedway Senior High School	Public	9-12	5357 W 25th St	Speedway	46224	Marion County	School Town of Speedway	No	No	No	No	(317) 244-7238	602	37	16.4	56.0%	242 (40.2%)	140 (23.3%)	151 (25.1%)	31 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	84.1	32^nd of 429 public high schools	92.5%		84.5	37^th of 432 public high schools	91.4%	5	68.6	40.9											61.6	$12,926	$612	$12,314
Ben Davis University High School	Public	10-12	1155 S High School Rd	Indianapolis	46241	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 988-7800	375	17	22.0	73.6%	77 (20.5%)	125 (33.3%)	164 (43.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	61.8	128^th of 429 public high schools	70.2%		69.1	83^rd of 432 public high schools	80.8%	45	60.8	18.5												$15,391	$1,516	$13,875
Excel Center - West	Public, Charter	9-12	6000 W 34th St	Indianapolis	46224	Marion County	Excel Center - West	Yes	No	No	No	(317) 524-4005	410	13	31.5	21.5%	12 (2.9%)	318 (77.6%)	67 (16.3%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)								(n/a)														$4,282	$299	$3,983
Monarca Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	5525 W 34th Street	Indianapolis	46224	Marion County	Monarca Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(317) 379-0499	219	12	18.2	47.9%	6 (2.7%)	6 (2.7%)	205 (93.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)			9.4	11.4	21.8	14.6	1.6	8.6	12.8	8.0	3.1	3.1		$14,702	$471	$14,232
George Washington High School	Public	9-12	2215 W Washington St	Indianapolis	46222	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 693-5555	729	50	14.5	59.1%	100 (13.7%)	317 (43.5%)	275 (37.7%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.1%)	5.5	413^th of 429 public high schools	3.7%		8.5	395^th of 432 public high schools	8.6%	18	9.4	2.3											3.8	$24,623	$4,875	$19,749
Indianapolis Metropolitan High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1635 W Michigan St	Indianapolis	46222	Marion County	Indianapolis Metropolitan High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 524-4638	194	22	8.8	73.7%	29 (14.9%)	102 (52.6%)	50 (25.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.2%)	6.3	407^th of 429 public high schools	5.1%		6.9	407^th of 432 public high schools	5.8%		7.8	2.0											10.0	$15,162	$3,147	$12,015
Excel Center - Michigan Street	Public, Charter	9-12	1635 W Michigan St	Indianapolis	46205	Marion County	Excel Center - Michigan Street	Yes	No	No	No	(317) 524-3910	385	10	38.5	43.9%	40 (10.4%)	255 (66.2%)	72 (18.7%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)								(n/a)														$3,967	$153	$3,814

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Davis High School

How many students attend Ben Davis High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 3,315 students attended Ben Davis High School.

Is Ben Davis High School a good school?

Ben Davis High School ranks in the bottom 22.4% of Indiana high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Ben Davis High School?

Students at Ben Davis High School are 39% African American, 37% Hispanic, 18% White, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Ben Davis High School?

What district is Ben Davis High School in?

MSD Wayne Township

Rate Ben Davis High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

INIndiana High School Rankings

INIndiana District Rankings

Schools in Indianapolis, IN

Sign up for updates!

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

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