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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 255 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

255^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 68% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Bay City Western High School in Auburn, MI, is a large public high school serving 1,009 students in grades 9-12, part of the Bay City School District.

Bay City Western stands out for its exceptional graduation rate of 96.6%, far exceeding the state average of 84.0% and dramatically higher than its same-district counterpart, Bay City Central High School (86.3%). The school also shines in English Language Arts, with 60.8% of 11th graders proficient in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, beating both the district (54.5%) and state (52.1%). Even more impressive, 9th and 10th graders score 72.1% and 64.6% proficiency on the PSAT, significantly outpacing state averages. However, math is a clear area of concern—only 21.5% of 11th graders are proficient in SAT Mathematics, below the state average of 26.5%. This gap between strong reading and weaker math skills is a defining feature of the school's academic profile. One remarkable success story: the school's Special Education students have jumped from the 18th percentile statewide in 2017-2018 to the 75th percentile in 2025-2026, showing a powerful turnaround in supporting these learners.

Compared to nearby schools, Bay City Western is a solid performer but not a top-tier academic institution. It trails high-achieving neighbors like HH Dow High School, Midland High School, and Freeland Middle School/High School, all ranked in the 85th percentile or higher statewide. Within its own district, the contrast with Bay City Central is stark—Western has a lower free/reduced lunch rate (31.9% vs. 71.0%), a higher state ranking (68th vs. 43rd percentile), and lower chronic absenteeism (22.5% vs. 42.4%). While the school spends a healthy $14,761 per student, its student-teacher ratio of 23.5 is the highest among comparable schools, suggesting resources may not be directed toward reducing class sizes. Chronic absenteeism, affecting nearly a quarter of students, remains a persistent challenge despite the strong graduation numbers.

1,009

Students ?

23.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,761

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: Rebounding — 45th percentile in 2025 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (84%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 68th (2026) from a 45th-percentile low (2025)

✓Above the Michigan median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg40%

Michigan avg43%

255^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 12% (2016) to top 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Bay City School District

346^th of 625Bay 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
2026	60.7	255 of 800	68.1%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	51.4	300 of 686	56.3%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	50.8	340 of 719	52.7%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	61.0	212 of 693	69.4%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	66.0	55 of 220	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	20.3	259 of 315	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	283 of 671	57.8%	★★★☆☆
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)

Special Education (2026)75th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)69th percentile~ school

White (2026)58th percentile-10 vs school

Female (2026)56th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)53rd percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts68%+9 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing61%+9 vs state

Mathematics38%+6 vs state

Social Studies35%-8 vs state

Science33%~ state avg

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

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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
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%)	60.7	255^th of 800 public high schools	68.1%		45.6	403^rd of 739 public high schools	45.5%	148		72.1	64.6		42.3	34.5	60.8	21.5				33.2		35.0	$14,761	$893	$13,867
Freeland Middle SchoolHigh School	Public	7-12	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%)	79.1	123^rd of 800 public high schools	84.6%		85.7	71^st of 739 public high schools	90.4%	52	78.3	81.3	73.7	49.4	55.6	41.6	69.4	35.5	53.0	55.7	54.2	35.8	62.7	48.7	$12,767	$532	$12,235
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%)	90.9	49^th of 800 public high schools	93.9%		88.7	62^nd of 739 public high schools	91.6%	13			90.6			50.0	83.8	35.1				62.2		73.0
State Street Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4721 3 Mile Rd	Bay City	48706	Bay County	State Street Academy	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(989) 684-6484	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)		69.2			395.4
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%)	83.6	93^rd of 800 public high schools	88.4%		84.3	81^st of 739 public high schools	89.0%	12		71.0	68.0		41.7	42.0	72.3	45.5				57.5		68.3	$14,441	$346	$14,095
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)															$3,668	$834	$2,835
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%)	50.8	360^th of 800 public high schools	55.0%		57.4	295^th of 739 public high schools	60.1%	65		61.6	64.5		28.7	25.6	52.9	17.6				24.5		48.1	$13,187	$601	$12,587
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%)	93.7	32^nd of 800 public high schools	96.0%		95	29^th of 739 public high schools	96.1%	3		74.9	83.8		60.8	62.4	74.5	57.0				62.0		65.6	$13,547	$344	$13,204
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%)	39.9	458^th of 800 public high schools	42.8%		41.4	431^st of 739 public high schools	41.7%	27		53.9	58.6		18.9	7.9	48.5	12.7				37.6		38.8	$17,400	$860	$16,539

Frequently Asked Questions about Bay City Western High School

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

How many students attend Bay City Western High School?

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

Is Bay City Western High School a good school?

Bay City Western High School ranks 255^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Bay City Western High School in?

Bay City School District

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.