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Southern University Lab School

Public, Magnet, Alternative Grades PK, KG-12
213th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 699 Louisiana Alternative Schools
Better than 70% of Louisiana alternative schools
Summary

Southern University Lab School in Baton Rouge, LA, is a small, public PK-12 school with 478 students that operates as a laboratory school under its own district, the Southern University Lab School district, and stands out for its strong academic performance and high graduation rates despite serving a student population where nearly two-thirds are economically disadvantaged.

This school is a clear academic standout among alternative schools in the Baton Rouge area. For example, in English Language Arts, Southern Lab achieves 83% proficiency, far exceeding the state average of 70% and dramatically outperforming nearby schools like IDEA Bridge (38%) and Northdale Superintendent's Academy (23%). Its graduation rate is consistently high, reaching 91.7% in 2024-2025 compared to the state average of 85%, and it boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of just 11% versus the state's 22.5%. The school also shows a remarkable turnaround from a dropout crisis, dropping from 18.5% in 2021-2022 to just 0.5% the following year, suggesting successful interventions to keep students on track.

An interesting comparison is with the nearby LSU Laboratory School, which is also a university-affiliated lab school but serves a very different demographic. While LSU Lab has near-perfect test scores, Southern Lab's strong performance is especially impressive given its higher level of economic need. The school builds a strong foundation in early grades, with 4th graders achieving 91% proficiency in Social Studies and 5th graders reaching 94% in ELA. Unlike many alternative schools that serve students who struggled elsewhere, Southern Lab functions more as a specialized laboratory school focused on teacher training and educational research, redefining what an "alternative" school can achieve.

478
Students ?
14.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,724
Per pupil spending ?
63.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 129 Swan Street
       Baton Rouge, LA  70813

(225) 771-3490

District: Southern University Lab School

Racial breakdown:

African American:
97.9%
Hispanic:
1.0%
Two or more races:
0.6%
more
 See top rated Louisiana elementary schools

 Compare Southern University Lab School to nearby alternative schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 65th percentile in 2023 → 66th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Louisiana average (70% vs 62% meeting standards)
✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Louisiana average (85%)
✓Above the Louisiana median (70th percentile)
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school70%
Louisiana avg62%
Elementary school
213th of 699
Louisiana public elementary schools ?
Top 30%▲ up 23 pts since 2016
From bottom 47% (2016) to top 30% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
152nd of 464
Louisiana public middle schools ?
Top 33%▲ up 2 pts since 2016
See the entire ranking list of Louisiana Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
High school
112th of 329
Louisiana public high schools ?
Top 34%▲ up 5 pts since 2016
From top 39% (2016) to top 34% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Louisiana High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
1st of 2Alternative Schools in the Southern University Lab School
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202671.0213 of 69969.5%★★★☆☆
202557.7315 of 66652.7%★★★☆☆
202456.7320 of 67552.6%★★★☆☆
202347.4409 of 73044.0%★★☆☆☆
202238.3463 of 72736.3%★★☆☆☆
202134.5485 of 72933.5%★★☆☆☆
201929.7560 of 73123.4%★☆☆☆☆
201819.5589 of 72819.1%★☆☆☆☆
201749.7415 of 73943.8%★★☆☆☆
201652.9394 of 74246.9%★★☆☆☆
201559.4347 of 79256.2%★★★☆☆
201451.5409 of 77747.4%★★☆☆☆
201344.3462 of 77240.2%★★☆☆☆
201233.3553 of 76427.6%★☆☆☆☆
201135.4541 of 76629.4%★☆☆☆☆
201027.7575 of 73621.9%★☆☆☆☆
200950.4420 of 73843.1%★★☆☆☆
200857.5349 of 74353.0%★★★☆☆
200743.1451 of 72537.8%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202683.463 of 55688.7%★★★★☆
202568.2135 of 50173.1%★★★★☆
202466.0152 of 50970.1%★★★★☆
202358.6216 of 57062.1%★★★☆☆
202252.0252 of 56255.2%★★★☆☆
202151.6253 of 56455.1%★★★☆☆
201945.5323 of 55942.2%★★☆☆☆
201852.7268 of 54751.0%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202674.0163 of 68876.3%★★★★☆
202554.0315 of 63350.2%★★★☆☆
202455.4306 of 63551.8%★★★☆☆
202351.9360 of 70548.9%★★☆☆☆
202247.1400 of 70142.9%★★☆☆☆
202138.1445 of 70536.9%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202662.6250 of 69363.9%★★★☆☆
202564.1249 of 66162.3%★★★☆☆
202459.3289 of 67457.1%★★★☆☆
202344.1423 of 72341.5%★★☆☆☆
202257.4306 of 72457.7%★★★☆☆
202125.6544 of 71924.3%★☆☆☆☆
201946.3404 of 69742.0%★★☆☆☆
201832.5513 of 68224.8%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202663.4263 of 69061.9%★★★☆☆
202558.0294 of 64154.1%★★★☆☆
202460.3275 of 65157.8%★★★☆☆
202347.6389 of 71345.4%★★☆☆☆
202224.5553 of 71222.3%★☆☆☆☆
20215.0685 of 7042.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201934.6502 of 69627.9%★☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202665.7152 of 46467.2%★★★☆☆
202560.7181 of 44759.5%★★★☆☆
202442.8266 of 44940.8%★★☆☆☆
202318.8381 of 46518.1%★☆☆☆☆
202228.5337 of 46026.7%★☆☆☆☆
202157.1193 of 45958.0%★★★☆☆
201947.8250 of 44944.3%★★☆☆☆
201827.0312 of 41124.1%★☆☆☆☆
201740.5295 of 43732.5%★★☆☆☆
201667.2151 of 43565.3%★★★☆☆
201569.0145 of 48269.9%★★★★☆
201451.2246 of 47047.7%★★☆☆☆
201336.4311 of 45731.9%★★☆☆☆
201244.8269 of 44239.1%★★☆☆☆
201143.7274 of 41233.5%★★☆☆☆
201031.3310 of 40824.0%★☆☆☆☆
200951.4232 of 42545.4%★★☆☆☆
200843.2264 of 41336.1%★★☆☆☆
200731.8303 of 39623.5%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202680.051 of 36285.9%★★★★☆
202573.270 of 34479.7%★★★★☆
202454.2144 of 33356.8%★★★☆☆
202334.0238 of 36033.9%★★☆☆☆
202244.3192 of 36046.7%★★☆☆☆
202174.952 of 35285.2%★★★★☆
201966.292 of 33872.8%★★★★☆
201849.0156 of 31350.2%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202665.8136 of 45069.8%★★★☆☆
202572.0115 of 41572.3%★★★★☆
202449.3231 of 41544.3%★★☆☆☆
202334.5313 of 44429.5%★☆☆☆☆
202225.7342 of 44122.4%★☆☆☆☆
202138.1286 of 44135.1%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202667.7122 of 45873.4%★★★★☆
202576.487 of 43780.1%★★★★☆
202446.5241 of 44445.7%★★☆☆☆
202324.4358 of 45922.0%★☆☆☆☆
202227.8337 of 45826.4%★☆☆☆☆
202164.5151 of 45566.8%★★★☆☆
201957.7180 of 43058.1%★★★☆☆
201842.8250 of 40338.0%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202670.6119 of 44673.3%★★★★☆
202552.0197 of 41452.4%★★★☆☆
202439.5265 of 42637.8%★★☆☆☆
202314.5382 of 44313.8%★☆☆☆☆
202233.2294 of 44233.5%★★☆☆☆
202170.1128 of 44271.0%★★★★☆
201942.9248 of 41840.7%★★☆☆☆
High school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202663.0112 of 32966.0%★★★☆☆
202555.9145 of 32955.9%★★★☆☆
202463.6118 of 33364.6%★★★☆☆
202365.0113 of 32164.8%★★★☆☆
202262.1126 of 32661.3%★★★☆☆
202146.3173 of 32246.3%★★☆☆☆
201936.0212 of 31332.3%★★☆☆☆
201836.4208 of 30231.1%★★☆☆☆
201768.8102 of 29765.7%★★★☆☆
201662.3116 of 29760.9%★★★☆☆
201555.3177 of 31243.3%★★☆☆☆
201471.562 of 30979.9%★★★★☆
201343.1228 of 31226.9%★☆☆☆☆
201238.1231 of 31025.5%★☆☆☆☆
201140.5215 of 30028.3%★☆☆☆☆
201045.0200 of 29732.7%★★☆☆☆
200959.0122 of 30159.5%★★★☆☆
200838.8197 of 29132.3%★★☆☆☆
200752.7165 of 29043.1%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202677.531 of 26188.1%★★★★☆
202570.547 of 25681.6%★★★★☆
202475.837 of 26085.8%★★★★☆
202382.826 of 25289.7%★★★★★
202279.927 of 25689.5%★★★★☆
202161.975 of 24369.1%★★★★☆
201953.393 of 23360.1%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202668.789 of 31271.5%★★★★☆
202564.5113 of 30863.3%★★★☆☆
202452.4153 of 30850.3%★★★☆☆
202377.647 of 30884.7%★★★★☆
202268.498 of 31168.5%★★★☆☆
202167.488 of 28869.4%★★★☆☆
201941.6187 of 29236.0%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202677.740 of 32487.7%★★★★☆
202562.0106 of 32367.2%★★★☆☆
202457.8120 of 32863.4%★★★☆☆
202364.497 of 32169.8%★★★★☆
202269.073 of 32277.3%★★★★☆
202152.6134 of 28553.0%★★★☆☆
201940.7186 of 30138.2%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankLouisiana percentileRating
202663.4100 of 31568.3%★★★☆☆
202554.9137 of 31356.2%★★★☆☆
202460.8122 of 31561.3%★★★☆☆
202364.7102 of 30666.7%★★★☆☆
202265.699 of 30167.1%★★★☆☆
202135.2200 of 29231.5%★★☆☆☆
201934.9194 of 29133.3%★★☆☆☆
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)
Elementary school
African American (2026)89th percentile+19 vs school
Female (2026)76th percentile+7 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile-6 vs school
Male (2026)62nd percentile-8 vs school
Middle school
African American (2026)86th percentile+19 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile+6 vs school
Male (2026)73rd percentile+6 vs school
Female (2026)70th percentile+3 vs school
High school
African American (2026)88th percentile+22 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile+22 vs school
Female (2026)71st percentile+6 vs school
Male (2026)68th percentile~ school
By subject vs Louisiana (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts83%+13 vs state
Civics78%+16 vs state
English II76%+9 vs state
U.S. History69%+14 vs state
Social Studies68%+13 vs state
Algebra I66%~ state avg
English I64%~ state avg
Biology58%~ state avg

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Frequently Asked Questions about Southern University Lab School

In the 2024-25 school year, 478 students attended Southern University Lab School.

Southern University Lab School ranks 213th of 699 Louisiana alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Southern University Lab School are 98% African American, 1% Hispanic.

Rate Southern University Lab School!



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Latest Louisiana data All new data »
2025–26 LEAP test scoresJul 6, 2026
2023–24 dropout ratesFeb 24, 2026
2023–24 school spending dataDec 1, 2025
2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesNov 22, 2025


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

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