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Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School

Public Grades 9-12

673^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 16% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School is a public high school in Detroit's Lafayette Park area, serving 976 students in grades 9-12 within the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The most striking news for parents is the school's dramatic improvement in graduation rates. Over the past five years, MLK's graduation rate has jumped from 67.8% to 96.3%—now exceeding both the district (83.1%) and state (84.0%) averages. The dropout rate has also plummeted to just 3.0%, far below the district's 10.6%. This suggests recent efforts around student retention and credit recovery are working well. However, test scores tell a different story. While the school's overall state ranking has improved from the 2nd to the 16th percentile, proficiency rates remain low—only 26.1% of 11th graders are proficient in reading, and just 6.2% in math. There's also a notable bright spot: special education students at MLK rank in the 59th percentile statewide, placing them in the top half of Michigan schools for that subgroup. Chronic absenteeism remains a serious concern, affecting 64.5% of students—more than double the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, MLK sits in a middle ground. It significantly outperforms Southeastern High School in nearly every metric, including a 96.3% vs. 85.8% graduation rate and double the reading proficiency. However, it trails the selective-admission Cass Technical High School, where proficiency rates are 3-5 times higher—though Cass Tech serves a different, magnet-school population. Against the nearby charter Detroit Edison Public School Academy High School, MLK is competitive in some areas but Edison has significantly lower chronic absenteeism (44.8% vs. 64.5%). For parents, MLK represents a neighborhood school showing real momentum in getting students to graduation, even as academic proficiency remains a work in progress.

976

Students ?

23.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,960

Per pupil spending ?

75.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

3200 E Lafayette St
Detroit, MI 48207-3812

(313) 494-7373

District: Detroit Public Schools Community District

Feeder schools for Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School:

Elementary:

Chrysler Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

98.8%

Two or more races:

0.5%

Hispanic:

0.4%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 2nd percentile in 2019 → 16th in 2026

Strengths

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (84%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2019

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (20% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (64% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg28%

Michigan avg43%

673^rd of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 16%▲ up 13 pts since 2019

From bottom 2% (2019) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 20High Schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District

541^st of 625Detroit Public Schools Community District among Michigan 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	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	13.3	673 of 800	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	644 of 739	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.8	688 of 743	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.1	696 of 735	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.1	650 of 666	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	144 of 252	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.6	99 of 192	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.6	149 of 188	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	150 of 170	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.3	127 of 147	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	153 of 254	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.8	608 of 686	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	6.6	592 of 629	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.3	609 of 619	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.1	596 of 611	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.2	550 of 554	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.2	606 of 710	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	17.5	604 of 719	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.8	541 of 635	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.5	606 of 654	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	578 of 614	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.6	520 of 532	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.9	589 of 755	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	11.4	613 of 693	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.9	564 of 628	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	582 of 633	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	575 of 611	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.6	531 of 543	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.3	632 of 707	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	50.9	90 of 220	59.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)59th percentile+43 vs school

African American (2026)43rd percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile~ school

Male (2026)12th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)11th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts36%-23 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing26%-26 vs state

Social Studies21%-22 vs state

Mathematics11%-22 vs state

Science10%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)			PSAT Mathematics (2026)			SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)		M-Step Math (2026)		M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 9th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 9th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School	Public	9-12	3200 E Lafayette St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7373	976	41	23.8	75.5%	1 (0.1%)	964 (98.8%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	13.3	673^rd of 800 public high schools	15.9%		12.6	644^th of 739 public high schools	12.9%	29		38.4	33.6		11.4	9.4	26.1	6.2						9.9		20.9	$18,960	$2,374	$16,586
University Prep Science and Math High School	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	2664 Franklin St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 393-9166	452	20	22.6	68.1%	4 (0.9%)	442 (97.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	7.6	733^rd of 800 public high schools	8.4%		13	642^nd of 739 public high schools	13.1%	91		24.3	34.4		4.5	6.6	16.7	372.2						4.8		8.6	$14,612	$1,226	$13,386
Detroit Edison Public School Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3403 Saint Aubin St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	Detroit Edison Public School Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 475-0679	419	20	20.5	59.2%	2 (0.5%)	393 (93.8%)	14 (3.3%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	19.3	615^th of 800 public high schools	23.1%		26.2	529^th of 739 public high schools	28.4%	86		37.8	47.5		10.2	8.9	30.1	6.5						16.1		31.2	$12,006	$1,136	$10,870
WAY Michigan	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	407 E Fort St	Detroit	48226	Wayne County	WAY Michigan	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(734) 494-2106	156	9	17.1	82.7%	79 (50.6%)	51 (32.7%)	20 (12.8%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	19	618^th of 800 public high schools	22.8%					(n/a)	40.0	17.9	38.5	326.7	334.6	363.8	410.9	354.5		1669.0		1654.6	1774.0	2085.3	1783.0	40.0	$12,072	$1,635	$10,438
Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine	Public	9-12	571 Mack Ave	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-1805	191	13	14.6	81.2%	6 (3.1%)	170 (89.0%)	6 (3.1%)	7 (3.7%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.7	583^rd of 800 public high schools	27.1%		5.3	713^th of 739 public high schools	3.5%	130		35.6	31.6		6.7	14.0	29.4	17.6						28.6		48.6	$24,639	$2,657	$21,982
Cass Technical High School	Public	9-12	2501 2nd Ave	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 263-2000	2,493	104	24.0	62.3%	52 (2.1%)	1,829 (73.4%)	353 (14.2%)	229 (9.2%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (1.2%)	81.2	108^th of 800 public high schools	86.5%		60.8	266^th of 739 public high schools	64.0%	158		78.2	77.9		48.2	40.7	73.6	35.6						38.6		61.3	$17,670	$2,048	$15,622
Detroit School of Arts	Public	9-12	123 Selden St	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-6000	523	36	14.6	70.9%	15 (2.9%)	488 (93.3%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.7%)	29	551^st of 800 public high schools	31.1%		11.9	647^th of 739 public high schools	12.4%	96		53.1	50.0		13.8	10.1	45.9	9.8						25.2		26.7	$22,858	$3,007	$19,851
Pathways Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	11340 E Jefferson Ave	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Pathways Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 209-3803	140	5	28.0	90.7%	1 (0.7%)	136 (97.1%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$19,840	$1,774	$18,066
Detroit Public Safety Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	1250 Rosa Parks Blvd	Detroit	48216	Wayne County	Detroit Public Safety Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 965-6916	156	8	19.2	82.7%	0 (0.0%)	155 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.3	761^st of 800 public high schools	4.9%		6.7	696^th of 739 public high schools	5.8%	65		330.4	15.6		321.1	337.8	397.8	356.7						2070.4		15.8	$00	$00	$00
Southeastern High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3030 Fairview St	Detroit	48214	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 866-4500	602	34	17.7	92.4%	3 (0.5%)	588 (97.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.0%)	4.6	772^nd of 800 public high schools	3.5%		6.5	701^st of 739 public high schools	5.1%	71		18.1	20.7		1.5	5.7	11.0	365.2						6.3		11.0	$21,149	$2,418	$18,731

Frequently Asked Questions about Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School

What district is Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School in?

Detroit Public Schools Community District

Is Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School a good school?

Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Michigan high schools.

How many students attend Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 976 students attended Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School?

Students at Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School are 99% African American.

What schools feed into Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School?

Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Chrysler Elementary School

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 2026

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