Universal Learning Academy

Universal Learning Academy is a public charter school in Westland, MI, serving 761 students in Pre-K through 12th grade, where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The most striking thing about this school is its success at keeping students on track to graduate. The graduation rate of 93.4% is well above the state average of 84.0%, and the dropout rate of 4.3% is nearly half the state average. This is a major achievement, especially when you compare it to nearby alternative schools like Bradford Academy (78.4% graduation) or Vista Meadows Academy (38.7%). The school also does a better job than many peers at keeping students in class—its chronic absenteeism rate of 26.5% is actually slightly below the state average, while Bradford Academy sits at 59.8% and Keeler School at 66.9%. In short, this is a school where students show up and stay until they earn their diploma.

However, the picture is more complicated when it comes to test scores. While the school excels at getting students to graduation, proficiency rates on state tests are significantly below state averages in most subjects and grade levels. Math is the biggest concern—for example, only 15.6% of 6th graders were proficient in math, compared to the state average of 42.9%. There is some encouraging news: English Language Arts scores have been steadily improving over the past four years, and 8th-grade science proficiency jumped from 13.3% to 50.8% in a single year. It's also worth noting that Star International Academy, just 2.5 miles away, serves a similar student population but achieves much higher test scores, which suggests there is room for growth. For parents, this school offers a caring environment that prioritizes keeping kids in school and graduating, but you may want to ask about extra academic support, especially in math.