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

Bay City Central High School

Q: Is Bay City Central High School a good school?

Bay City Central High School ranks 431 st of 739 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

431^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 739 Michigan High Schools

Better than 42% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Bay City Central High School is a public high school serving 989 students in grades 9-12 in Bay City, Michigan, which is part of the Bay City School District. While the school has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, its performance has fluctuated in recent years, ranking between 392 and 431 out of Michigan high schools.

One key area of concern is the school's graduation rates, which have ranged from 77.0% to 82.8% over the past few years, slightly lower than the state average and the nearby Bay City Western High School, which had an 82.8% graduation rate in 2023-2024. Additionally, Bay City Central High School has experienced higher dropout rates, ranging from 7.6% to 9.4%, compared to the state average and Bay City Western High School's 7.6% rate. The school also faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 29.3% to 40.3%, significantly higher than the state average and Bay City Western High School's 29.5% rate.

Academically, Bay City Central High School's test scores are generally lower than the state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in M-Step/Science (29.6%) and SAT/Mathematics (10.7%) were significantly below the state averages of 34.9% and 27.5%, respectively. This underperformance is particularly concerning given that the school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 68.45% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, compared to 32.91% at Bay City Western High School.

921

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,821

Per pupil spending ?

71%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1624 Columbus Ave
Bay City, MI 48708-6827

(989) 893-9541

District: Bay City School District

Feeder schools for Bay City Central High School:

Elementary:	Hampton Elementary School
	Kolb Elementary School
	MacGregor Elementary School
	Washington Elementary School
Middle:	Handy Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.7%

Hispanic:

15.5%

Two or more races:

12.2%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Bay City Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 26th percentile in 2022 → 42nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 42nd (2025) from a 26th-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (34% vs 40% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (42% vs 28% Michigan)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg34%

Michigan avg40%

431^st of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Bay City School District

352^nd of 613Bay City School 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
2025	41.4	431 of 739	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	456 of 743	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	398 of 735	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	392 of 531	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.0	338 of 561	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.6	412 of 666	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.0	370 of 824	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.3	393 of 835	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.8	337 of 852	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.0	382 of 832	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.3	458 of 799	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.7	473 of 805	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.0	458 of 773	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.1	424 of 784	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.9	432 of 765	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.0	440 of 754	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.1	392 of 750	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.6	469 of 767	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.0	446 of 705	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	54.3	61 of 170	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	32.2	436 of 629	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.8	499 of 619	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	439 of 611	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.5	363 of 416	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.0	344 of 462	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.8	408 of 554	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.9	396 of 710	44.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	58.3	76 of 203	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.8	86 of 195	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.5	133 of 190	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.1	40 of 64	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.5	49 of 97	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.5	117 of 201	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	363 of 635	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.9	357 of 654	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.0	383 of 614	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	296 of 369	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.8	257 of 417	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.0	241 of 532	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.8	271 of 755	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	363 of 628	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	316 of 633	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.5	276 of 611	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.9	327 of 440	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.9	263 of 472	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.6	367 of 543	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.4	319 of 707	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	46 of 127	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	19.5	92 of 105	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.4	94 of 110	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.6	68 of 93	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	25.6	488 of 639	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	472 of 638	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.9	382 of 647	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	364 of 492	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.4	322 of 516	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.3	410 of 582	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.5	374 of 708	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2023)64th percentile+18 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)64th percentile+22 vs school

Hispanic (2025)63rd percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)31st percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)24th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing54%~ state avg

Social Studies40%~ state avg

Science30%-5 vs state

Mathematics11%-17 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Bay City Central High School and help other families decide.

Rate Bay City Central 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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Bay City Central 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)	M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (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	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bay City Central High School	Public	9-12	1624 Columbus Ave	Bay City	48708	Bay County	Bay City School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 893-9541	921	54	17.0	71.0%	596 (64.7%)	61 (6.6%)	143 (15.5%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	112 (12.2%)	41.4	431^st of 739 public high schools	41.7%		36.5	456^th of 743 public high schools	38.6%	25	53.6	10.7	29.6	40.5	$12,821	$823	$11,998
Bay City Eastern High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	201 Woodside Ln	Bay City	48708	Bay County	Bay City School District	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 895-5550	137	10	13.7	87.6%	83 (60.6%)	12 (8.8%)	25 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (11.7%)								(n/a)				18.2	$13,683	$1,579	$12,104
Garber High School	Public	9-12	213 Pine St	Essexville	48732	Bay County	Essexville-Hampton Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 894-9710	489	42	11.6	37.0%	424 (86.7%)	8 (1.6%)	30 (6.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.7%)	68.1	193^rd of 739 public high schools	73.9%		72.3	165^th of 743 public high schools	77.8%	28	67.5	28.1	43.4	46.0	$12,218	$862	$11,356
BayArenac Community High School	Public, Charter	9-12	805 Langstaff St	Essexville	48732	Bay County	Bay-Arenac Community High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(989) 893-8811	180	10	18.8	86.1%	134 (74.4%)	15 (8.3%)	23 (12.8%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)								(n/a)					$12,149	$1,828	$10,321
John Glenn High School	Public	9-12	3201 Kiesel Rd	Bay City	48706	Bay County	Bangor Township Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 684-7510	864	32	27.2	31.5%	722 (83.6%)	14 (1.6%)	94 (10.9%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.2%)	57.4	295^th of 739 public high schools	60.1%		53.7	308^th of 743 public high schools	58.5%	13	58.6	25.4	33.0	47.8	$12,213	$788	$11,425
Bay City Adult EducationCTP	Public	9-12	4155 Monitor Rd	Bay City	48706	Bay County	Bay City School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 686-4770	65	0		61.5%	48 (73.8%)	5 (7.7%)	9 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.6%)								(n/a)					$791	$663	$129
Great Lakes Bay Early College	Public	9-12	1961 Delta Rd	University Center	48710	Bay County	Saginaw Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(989) 686-9146	200	10	19.9	23.0%	142 (71.0%)	20 (10.0%)	26 (13.0%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)	88.7	62^nd of 739 public high schools	91.6%		95	31^st of 743 public high schools	95.8%	31	81.5	38.9	64.8	57.4
Carrollton High School	Public	9-12	1235 Mapleridge Rd	Saginaw	48604	Saginaw County	Carrollton Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 753-3433	431	25	17.4	74.5%	170 (39.4%)	128 (29.7%)	114 (26.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (4.2%)	28.9	512^th of 739 public high schools	30.7%		26.6	535^th of 743 public high schools	28.0%	23	51.6	9.5	20.8	29.2	$17,110	$3,301	$13,810
Omni High School	Public	9-12	479 Shattuck Rd	Saginaw	48604	Saginaw County	Carrollton Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 753-3477	125	6	21.3	83.2%	60 (48.0%)	24 (19.2%)	38 (30.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)								(n/a)				15.0	$11,325	$1,100	$10,224
Bay City Western High School	Public	9-12	500 W Midland Rd	Auburn	48611	Bay County	Bay City School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 662-4481	1,009	43	23.5	31.9%	901 (89.3%)	9 (0.9%)	51 (5.1%)	13 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.4%)	45.6	403^rd of 739 public high schools	45.5%		59.4	270^th of 743 public high schools	63.7%	133	59.1	23.6	32.6	28.2	$11,119	$739	$10,380

Frequently Asked Questions about Bay City Central High School

What district is Bay City Central High School in?

Bay City School District

What schools feed into Bay City Central High School?

Bay City Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Hampton Elementary School
Elementary : Kolb Elementary School
Elementary : MacGregor Elementary School
Elementary : Washington Elementary School
Middle : Handy Middle School

Is Bay City Central High School a good school?

Bay City Central High School ranks 431^st of 739 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bay City Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 921 students attended Bay City Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Bay City Central High School?

Students at Bay City Central High School are 65% White, 16% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 7% African American.

Rate Bay City Central High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan High School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Bay City, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Bay City Central High School!

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.