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University High School

Public Grades 9-12

718^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 739 Michigan High Schools

Better than 3% of Michigan high schools

Summary

University High School is a public high school located in Ferndale, Michigan, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 494 students. The school is part of the Ferndale Public Schools district, which is ranked 493 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

University High School consistently performs below the state and district averages in academic assessments. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 8.5% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in M-Step/Science and M-Step/Social Studies, compared to 16% and 19% for the Ferndale Public Schools district, and 34.9% and 42.1% for the state of Michigan, respectively. The school's performance in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing is also significantly lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, University High School has a relatively low four-year graduation rate, ranging from 68.5% to 95.8% over the past few years, compared to the state average of around 80-85%, and a higher dropout rate, ranging from 4.2% to 9.4%, which is above the state average.

When compared to other high schools in the Ferndale Public Schools district and nearby districts, University High School consistently performs worse academically and has higher rates of chronic absenteeism. For example, Ferndale High School, which is also in the Ferndale Public Schools district, outperforms University High School in academic assessments and has a higher graduation rate.

469

Students ?

21.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,113

Per pupil spending ?

73.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2521 Bermuda St
Ferndale, MI 48220-1326

(248) 586-8846

District: Ferndale Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.6%

Two or more races:

1.5%

White:

0.4%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare University High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2013 → 3rd in 2025

Strengths

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (83%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (11% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (80% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

District avg22%

Michigan avg44%

718^th of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 21% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Ferndale Public Schools

493^rd of 613Ferndale 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
2025	4.7	718 of 739	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.9	708 of 743	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.8	722 of 735	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	646 of 666	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.8	756 of 824	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.4	699 of 835	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	10.0	719 of 852	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.7	658 of 832	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	17.1	631 of 799	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.4	603 of 805	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.5	616 of 773	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.1	569 of 784	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.5	595 of 765	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.4	531 of 754	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.8	584 of 750	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	39.2	532 of 767	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	176 of 192	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	175 of 188	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.3	157 of 170	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.3	131 of 147	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.6	199 of 254	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	3.9	619 of 629	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.4	594 of 619	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.5	600 of 611	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.7	540 of 554	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	648 of 710	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	5.7	616 of 635	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.1	617 of 654	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.2	598 of 614	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.4	392 of 417	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	508 of 532	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.3	691 of 755	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	4.1	614 of 628	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.6	623 of 633	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.1	670 of 707	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)8th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing17%-39 vs state

Science8%-26 vs state

Social Studies8%-34 vs state

★

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Schools Near University 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
University High School	Public	9-12	2521 Bermuda St	Ferndale	48220	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 586-8846	469	22	21.8	73.3%	2 (0.4%)	453 (96.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.5%)	4.7	718^th of 739 public high schools	2.8%		5.9	708^th of 743 public high schools	4.7%	10	16.8		8.5	8.5	$12,113	$1,164	$10,949
Ferndale High School	Public	9-12	881 Pinecrest Dr	Ferndale	48220	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 548-8622	739	43	17.3	47.2%	195 (26.4%)	460 (62.2%)	19 (2.6%)	11 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.2%)	28.2	518^th of 739 public high schools	29.9%		21.9	583^rd of 743 public high schools	21.5%	65	44.6	14.3	24.1	28.2	$17,165	$1,381	$15,784
Invest Roosevelt Alternative High School	Public	9-12	24131 S Chrysler Dr	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	No	(248) 658-5200	332	3	123.8	75.9%	315 (94.9%)	16 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$00	$00	$00
Tri County Educational Center	Public	9-12	21131 Garden Ln	Ferndale	48220	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 586-8885	348	12	29.0	80.2%	18 (5.2%)	315 (90.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	4.5	721^st of 739 public high schools	2.4%					(n/a)	14.9			11.1	$7,446	$1,162	$6,285
Hazel Park High School	Public	9-12	23400 Hughes Ave	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	No	(248) 658-5100	567	33	17.1	65.3%	243 (42.9%)	302 (53.3%)	15 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13.3	639^th of 739 public high schools	13.5%		13.1	648^th of 743 public high schools	12.8%	9	33.1	7.5	13.3	20.7	$00	$00	$00
Oak Park High School	Public	9-12	13701 Oak Park Blvd	Oak Park	48237	Oakland County	Oak Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 336-7740	798	42	18.8	74.6%	15 (1.9%)	748 (93.7%)	10 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	11 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.5%)	5.6	706^th of 739 public high schools	4.5%		4.8	721^st of 743 public high schools	3.0%	15	13.8		6.8	15.4	$19,449	$1,552	$17,897
Madison High School	Public	9-12	915 E 11 Mile Rd	Madison Heights	48071	Oakland County	Madison District Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 548-1800	255	15	17.1	75.7%	69 (27.1%)	158 (62.0%)	12 (4.7%)	8 (3.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	20.9	577^th of 739 public high schools	21.9%		19.1	607^th of 743 public high schools	18.3%	30	37.5	12.5	23.4	21.3	$22,031	$4,349	$17,682
Madison Preparatory High School	Public	9-12	915 E 11 Mile Rd	Madison Heights	48071	Oakland County	Madison District Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(248) 543-5465	5	1	6.2		1 (20.0%)	4 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$134,384	$1,838	$132,546
Viking Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	9-12	23400 Hughes Ave	Hazel Park	48030	Oakland County	Hazel Park School District of the City of	No	No	Yes	No	(248) 658-5200	39	1	35.4	84.6%	17 (43.6%)	18 (46.2%)	3 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$00	$00	$00
Casa	Public	9-12	22180 Parklawn St	Oak Park	48237	Oakland County	Ferndale Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 691-8502	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about University High School

What district is University High School in?

Ferndale Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of University High School?

Students at University High School are 97% African American, 1% Two or more races.

Is University High School a good school?

University High School ranks in the bottom 2.8% of Michigan high schools.

How many students attend University High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 469 students attended University High School.

Rate University High School!

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Schools in Ferndale, MI

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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.