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Bay City Western High School

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

Bay City Western High School ranks 403 rd of 739 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

403^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 739 Michigan High Schools

Better than 45% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Bay City Western High School is a public high school located in Auburn, Michigan, serving 1,033 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Bay City School District.

While the school has shown a decline in academic performance over the years, dropping from a statewide ranking of 106 out of 852 Michigan high schools in 2015-2016 to 403 out of 739 in 2024-2025, its test scores, particularly in mathematics, remain below the state and district averages. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 77% and 93.7%, lower than the state average, and its dropout rate has ranged from 3.7% to 9.4%, higher than the state average. Additionally, Bay City Western High School has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 19.9% to 31.5%, compared to the state average.

When compared to other high schools in the Bay City School District, Bay City Western High School generally performs better than Bay City Eastern High School but lags behind Bay City Central High School in terms of academic performance and test scores. Neighboring school districts, such as Midland Public Schools and Freeland Community School District, consistently outperform the Bay City School District in various metrics, including test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism.

1,009

Students ?

23.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,119

Per pupil spending ?

31.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 W Midland Rd
Auburn, MI 48611-9300

(989) 662-4481

District: Bay City School District

Feeder schools for Bay City Western High School:

Elementary:	Auburn Elementary School
	Mackensen Elementary School
	McAlearSawden Elementary School
Middle:	Western Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.3%

Hispanic:

5.1%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Bay City Western High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2015 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (83%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2015

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

!Social Studies scores 14 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg34%

Michigan avg40%

403^rd of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 28 pts since 2015

From top 27% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	45.6	403 of 739	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.4	270 of 743	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.0	276 of 735	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	176 of 531	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.0	277 of 561	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.7	175 of 666	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.9	197 of 824	76.1%	★★★★☆
2017	73.5	176 of 835	78.9%	★★★★☆
2016	83.6	106 of 852	87.6%	★★★★☆
2015	72.4	223 of 832	73.2%	★★★★☆
2014	70.9	213 of 799	73.3%	★★★★☆
2013	78.7	141 of 805	82.5%	★★★★☆
2012	79.8	135 of 773	82.5%	★★★★☆
2011	77.7	174 of 784	77.8%	★★★★☆
2010	76.6	167 of 765	78.2%	★★★★☆
2009	73.1	223 of 754	70.4%	★★★★☆
2008	75.1	202 of 750	73.1%	★★★★☆
2007	74.8	183 of 767	76.1%	★★★★☆
2006	67.8	258 of 705	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	40.6	368 of 629	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.4	297 of 619	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.7	266 of 611	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.8	147 of 416	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.1	248 of 462	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.3	146 of 554	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.3	246 of 710	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	297 of 635	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.8	359 of 654	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	321 of 614	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.2	316 of 369	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.8	233 of 417	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.6	289 of 532	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.6	187 of 755	75.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	373 of 628	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.1	224 of 633	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	254 of 611	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	181 of 440	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.1	282 of 472	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.7	196 of 543	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.9	152 of 707	78.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	20.3	259 of 315	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	35.4	417 of 639	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.0	267 of 638	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.0	303 of 647	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	183 of 492	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.6	312 of 516	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.3	206 of 582	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.8	226 of 708	68.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)53rd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)41st percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)41st percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)35th percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2018)18th percentile-58 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing59%+4 vs state

Science33%~ state avg

Social Studies28%-14 vs state

Mathematics24%-4 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student on FaceBook
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

I attended Western High School in the late 90's. I was blessed to have studied under many excellent teachers who I still remember in detail 10 - 12 years later. They were engaging, passionate, and they really cared about their students. There are many opportunities for students to get involved in extracurricular activities, both athletic and academic. I would without hesitation send my children there. Close Quote

Schools Near Bay City Western High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)	M-Step Math (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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th 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
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
Freeland Middle SchoolHigh School	Public	6-12	8250 Webster Rd	Freeland	48623	Saginaw County	Freeland Community School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 695-2586	897	42	21.2	19.4%	804 (89.6%)	11 (1.2%)	49 (5.5%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (2.9%)	85.7	71^st of 739 public high schools	90.4%		80.3	114^th of 743 public high schools	84.7%	43	78.2	44.2	71.5	42.4	49.7	56.4	53.7	52.1	59.2	56.9	$12,201	$1,407	$10,794
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
Midland High School	Public	9-12	1301 Eastlawn Dr	Midland	48642	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 923-5181	1,129	62	18.0	41.4%	959 (84.9%)	32 (2.8%)	63 (5.6%)	20 (1.8%)	5 (0.4%)	7 (0.6%)	43 (3.8%)	84.3	81^st of 739 public high schools	89.0%		91.6	51^st of 743 public high schools	93.1%	30			69.7	45.5				45.9		57.8	$15,053	$1,324	$13,729
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
Saginaw Correctional Facility	Public	9-12	9625 Pierce Rd	Freeland	48623	Saginaw County	Michigan Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(989) 695-9880	11	0		54.5%	2 (18.2%)	8 (72.7%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
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
HH Dow High School	Public	9-12	3901 N Saginaw Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 923-5382	1,272	71	17.9	24.8%	1,045 (82.2%)	17 (1.3%)	59 (4.6%)	98 (7.7%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	48 (3.8%)	95	29^th of 739 public high schools	96.1%		95.6	25^th of 743 public high schools	96.6%	4			83.1	59.7				55.7		65.5	$14,229	$1,287	$12,942
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
Windover High School	Public, Charter	9-12	919 Smith Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Windover High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(989) 832-0852	95	8	12.5	91.6%	92 (96.8%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								21.1			$12,072	$1,195	$10,877

Frequently Asked Questions about Bay City Western High School

Is Bay City Western High School a good school?

Bay City Western High School ranks 403^rd of 739 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Bay City Western High School?

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

Elementary : Auburn Elementary School
Elementary : Mackensen Elementary School
Elementary : McAlearSawden Elementary School
Middle : Western Middle School

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

Students at Bay City Western High School are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Bay City Western High School in?

Bay City School District

How many students attend Bay City Western High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,009 students attended Bay City Western High School.

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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.