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Alpena High School

Q: Is Alpena High School a good school?

Alpena High School ranks 301 st of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 8-12

301^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 62% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Alpena High School is a large public high school in Alpena, MI, serving 1,091 students in grades 8 through 12 as part of the Alpena Public Schools district. The school earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 62nd percentile statewide, making it a solid mid-tier performer that exceeds its district average but falls short of Michigan’s top schools.

For students who attend regularly, Alpena High delivers strong academics in several subjects. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in Science (45.3%) and Social Studies (58%) on the M-Step significantly outpaced state averages, and SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing proficiency (61%) also beat the state norm. However, mathematics is a clear weakness—only 22.4% of 11th graders are proficient on the SAT Math exam, and lower grade levels show similar struggles. When compared to nearby Posen Consolidated High School, Alpena outperforms in 11th-grade reading, science, and social studies, but Posen far exceeds Alpena in 10th-grade math proficiency (54.55% vs. 19.6%).

The most pressing concern at Alpena High is student engagement, not instruction. Chronic absenteeism has reached 74.2%—nearly triple the state average and dramatically higher than Posen’s 18.7%. This crisis appears to be driving a declining graduation rate (78.1%, down from 85.5% a few years ago) and a dropout rate that has more than doubled to 11.3%. Posen, with a similar economic profile and per-pupil spending, achieves a 94.4% graduation rate and 0.0% dropout rate, suggesting Alpena’s challenges stem more from school culture and the ability to personalize attention for at-risk students than from poverty or funding. The school also saw a sudden drop in performance for its low-income students, falling from the 74th percentile to the 43rd percentile in a single year. For parents, this means Alpena High can be an excellent choice for motivated, regularly attending students, but families should be aware of the significant engagement challenges affecting a large portion of the student body.

1,091

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,188

Per pupil spending ?

58.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3303 S Third Ave
Alpena, MI 49707-3307

(989) 358-5200

District: Alpena Public Schools

Feeder schools for Alpena High School:

Elementary:	Besser Elementary School
	Ella M White Elementary
	Hinks Elementary
	Lincoln Elementary
	More...
	Sanborn Elementary
	Wilson Elementary
Middle:	Thunder Bay Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.1%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Hispanic:

3.2%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Alpena High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (78% vs 84%)

!Dropout rate above the Michigan average (11% vs 7%)

!High chronic absenteeism (74% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg41%

Michigan avg43%

301^st of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Alpena Public Schools

360^th of 625Alpena Public Schools 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	56.3	301 of 800	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.9	257 of 739	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.3	243 of 743	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.7	183 of 735	75.1%	★★★★☆
2022	55.0	263 of 531	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.1	236 of 561	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.7	166 of 666	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	66.1	262 of 824	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.7	260 of 835	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	77.9	151 of 852	82.3%	★★★★☆
2015	87.2	76 of 832	90.9%	★★★★★
2014	59.5	338 of 799	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.4	250 of 805	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.2	211 of 773	72.7%	★★★★☆
2011	72.5	240 of 784	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.7	334 of 765	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.0	312 of 754	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.6	283 of 750	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	74.7	186 of 767	75.7%	★★★★☆
2006	80.3	116 of 705	83.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	48.2	342 of 686	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.2	253 of 629	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.0	215 of 619	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.0	229 of 611	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.2	197 of 416	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.7	263 of 462	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	70.6	135 of 554	75.6%	★★★★☆
2018	58.5	273 of 710	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	166 of 259	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.4	413 of 719	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	71.3	146 of 635	77.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.8	171 of 654	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	68.4	157 of 614	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	43.6	238 of 369	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.2	230 of 417	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	82.6	70 of 532	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	63.5	237 of 755	68.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	55.9	258 of 693	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.7	258 of 628	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.4	255 of 633	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.7	123 of 611	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	44.7	264 of 440	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.9	201 of 472	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.6	185 of 543	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	244 of 707	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	40.2	108 of 179	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	81.1	14 of 110	87.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	139 of 220	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.1	56 of 125	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	23.0	247 of 315	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	345 of 671	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.4	296 of 639	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.2	276 of 638	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.3	215 of 647	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.6	275 of 492	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.1	277 of 516	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.8	221 of 582	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.5	318 of 708	55.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2026)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)50th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)49th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)43rd percentile-20 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)40th percentile-23 vs school

Special Education (2026)37th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2026)36th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing61%+9 vs state

Social Studies58%+15 vs state

English Language Arts58%~ state avg

Science45%+10 vs state

Mathematics23%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Alpena 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 7th 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
Alpena High School	Public	8-12	3303 S Third Ave	Alpena	49707	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 358-5200	1,091	60	18.0	58.3%	1,005 (92.1%)	5 (0.5%)	35 (3.2%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (3.6%)	56.3	301^st of 800 public high schools	62.4%		61.9	257^th of 739 public high schools	65.2%	44		63.9	50.8		26.2	19.6	61.0	22.4				45.3		58.0	$17,188	$1,469	$15,719
ACES Academy	Public	7-12	3303 S Third Ave	Alpena	49707	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 358-5170	57	7	8.0	75.4%	53 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.0%)	5.1	764^th of 800 public high schools	4.5%					(n/a)		25.0	19.1		312.5	324.8	415.3	347.4				2075.6		2079.2	$16,539	$754	$15,785
Posen Consolidated High School	Public	7-12	10575 Michigan Ave	Posen	49776	Presque Isle County	Posen Consolidated School District No. 9	No	No	No	No	(989) 248-6500	92	8	11.7	46.7%	91 (98.9%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62	246^th of 800 public high schools	69.3%		36.6	464^th of 739 public high schools	37.2%	218	61.5	58.3	45.5	389.2	394.2	54.6	436.4	428.2	1679.1	27.3	23.1	2082.9	30.8	45.5	$16,860	$1,106	$15,754

Frequently Asked Questions about Alpena High School

What schools feed into Alpena High School?

Alpena High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Besser Elementary School
Elementary : Ella M White Elementary
Elementary : Hinks Elementary
Elementary : Lincoln Elementary
Elementary : Sanborn Elementary
Elementary : Wilson Elementary
Middle : Thunder Bay Junior High School

Is Alpena High School a good school?

Alpena High School ranks 301^st of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Alpena High School?

Students at Alpena High School are 92% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Alpena High School in?

Alpena Public Schools

How many students attend Alpena High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,091 students attended Alpena High School.

Rate Alpena High School!

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MIMichigan High School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Alpena, MI

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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.