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Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy

Q: Is Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy a good school?

Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy ranks 600 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-12

600^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 25% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy is a public middle/high school in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, serving 494 students in grades 6 through 12, with about three-quarters of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

The most striking thing about this school is its near-perfect graduation rate of 98.3%—far above the district average of 83.2% and the state average of 84.0%. Its dropout rate is just 1.6%, compared to 10.7% districtwide. Once students enroll here, they are very likely to stay and earn a diploma. This stands out even among nearby schools: Grand Rapids Public Museum High graduates 92.7% of students, and Innovation Central High graduates 82.6%. However, the school presents a paradox: while students graduate at exceptional rates, standardized test scores are low. In the most recent year, only 6.6% of 11th graders were proficient in SAT math and 27.9% in reading—compared to 65.1% reading proficiency at Public Museum High. This suggests the school prioritizes keeping students on track to graduate over maximizing test performance.

Chronic absenteeism is a significant challenge, with 39.8% of students missing substantial school time—higher than the state average of 27.9%. The school's state ranking has also been volatile, jumping to the 62nd percentile one year before falling back to the 25th percentile the next. One consistent strength is its work with African American students, where it has ranked in the 95th percentile statewide in a recent year. For parents weighing options, this school offers a supportive path to graduation, but families should compare academic outcomes with alternatives like Grand Rapids Montessori MiddleHigh, which has higher test scores but a slightly lower graduation rate of 95.8%.

494

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,692

Per pupil spending ?

74.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

512 Division Ave S
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-5107

(616) 819-1010

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.6%

Hispanic:

42.3%

White:

5.9%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2014 → 25th in 2026

Strengths

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (84%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2014

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (26% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg29%

Michigan avg42%

Middle school

636^th of 896

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

600^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 25%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 10High Schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools

480^th of 625Grand Rapids 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	636 of 896	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.9	652 of 890	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.8	751 of 897	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.2	704 of 883	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	668 of 776	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.3	715 of 792	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.0	757 of 838	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.9	789 of 821	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	16.5	743 of 894	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.0	759 of 919	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.8	805 of 921	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	14.6	806 of 919	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	16.0	798 of 900	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.9	781 of 858	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.4	143 of 337	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.1	158 of 338	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	149 of 300	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	152 of 310	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	29.9	253 of 366	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	42 of 108	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	43 of 88	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	28.3	114 of 154	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	557 of 789	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.8	612 of 789	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	643 of 771	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	661 of 770	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	612 of 657	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.6	615 of 658	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.6	719 of 794	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	25.7	202 of 260	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.2	194 of 265	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.3	217 of 257	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	193 of 246	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.0	101 of 138	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.3	116 of 137	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	248 of 266	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	563 of 834	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.2	667 of 832	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.2	684 of 836	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	621 of 825	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.0	528 of 691	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	542 of 672	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	695 of 815	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	617 of 813	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.6	621 of 798	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	685 of 786	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.6	530 of 776	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	15.3	678 of 797	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	21.5	600 of 800	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	59.3	278 of 739	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	24.3	562 of 743	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	528 of 735	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	4.6	638 of 666	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.8	755 of 824	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.3	640 of 835	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.2	650 of 852	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.9	662 of 832	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.2	660 of 799	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	16.5	639 of 805	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	117 of 252	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	91.7	10 of 192	94.8%	★★★★★
2024	48.5	80 of 188	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.1	79 of 170	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	21.5	193 of 254	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	54.0	17 of 43	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	568 of 686	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	58.8	245 of 629	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	17.4	510 of 619	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.7	447 of 611	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	3.6	680 of 710	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	21.4	221 of 259	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	49.7	97 of 203	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	25.8	148 of 195	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	77.9	31 of 190	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	17.6	74 of 83	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	5.8	194 of 201	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	519 of 719	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	62.6	209 of 635	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.6	392 of 654	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.6	265 of 614	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	12.3	353 of 369	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	509 of 532	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.2	695 of 755	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.8	530 of 693	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.3	317 of 628	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	406 of 633	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.5	386 of 611	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	7.3	510 of 543	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.9	616 of 707	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

English Language Learner (2026)61st percentile+32 vs school

African American (2026)58th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)29th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)22nd percentile-7 vs school

High school

English Language Learner (2024)60th percentile+36 vs school

African American (2026)54th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)28th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)24th percentile~ school

Female (2026)17th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts48%-13 vs state

Social Studies29%-18 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing28%-24 vs state

Math20%-13 vs state

Science16%-21 vs state

Mathematics11%-22 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, June 26, 2012

My child went to this high school. I had to remove her from this school because of the teachers did teach her the right material that she needed. In Mr.Williams wasnt doing his job at all. Thats why most of the children is at summer school right now. Close Quote

Schools Near Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy

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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 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th 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
Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	512 Division Ave S	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 819-1010	494	30	16.4	74.9%	29 (5.9%)	230 (46.6%)	209 (42.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.9%)	21.5	600^th of 800 public high schools	25.0%		59.3	278^th of 739 public high schools	62.4%	322	45.6	45.1	55.2	8.9	12.2	12.1	27.9	6.6	27.6	38.6	11.8	28.6	17.7	14.8	30.4	26.2	$18,692	$2,229	$16,463
Covenant High School Grand Rapids	Public, Charter	9-12	50 Antoine St SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Covenant High School Grand Rapids	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 364-2000	218	11	19.1	99.5%	17 (7.8%)	110 (50.5%)	78 (35.8%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.1%)								(n/a)							381.0	313.0						2068.5			$15,159	$1,129	$14,030
Southwest MiddleHigh Academia Bilingue	Public	7-12	327 Rumsey St SW	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-4134	378	18	21.1	67.7%	2 (0.5%)	19 (5.0%)	352 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	14.5	662^nd of 800 public high schools	17.3%		10.5	661^st of 739 public high schools	10.6%	1	50.0	27.7	31.7	14.3	351.2	350.2	29.8	411.6		21.7		13.0	27.1	10.5	31.4	28.1	$17,571	$2,168	$15,403
Grand Rapids Public Museum High	Public	9-12	54 Jefferson Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-6450	267	16	16.3	49.4%	125 (46.8%)	50 (18.7%)	61 (22.8%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.7%)	48.7	382^nd of 800 public high schools	52.3%		59.6	273^rd of 739 public high schools	63.1%	109		54.7	58.5		7.6	12.3	65.1	17.5						47.6		44.4	$18,113	$1,892	$16,221
Grand Rapids Learning Center	Public	9-12	435 Fulton St E	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2010	39	2	19.5	64.1%	10 (25.6%)	12 (30.8%)	15 (38.5%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19.1	617^th of 800 public high schools	22.9%		94.5	32^nd of 739 public high schools	95.7%	585							443.6	390.7						21.4		21.4	$30,798	$1,722	$29,075
Innovation Central High	Public	9-12	421 Fountain St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2310	386	28	13.8	83.2%	37 (9.6%)	137 (35.5%)	187 (48.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.7%)	17.2	627^th of 800 public high schools	21.6%		13.4	638^th of 739 public high schools	13.7%	11		34.6	34.1		10.2	8.8	30.9	403.5						22.7		31.8	$23,713	$3,304	$20,409
Grand Rapids Montessori MiddleHigh	Public	7-12	421 Fountain St NE	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2405	184	11	16.1	55.4%	86 (46.7%)	41 (22.3%)	30 (16.3%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.5%)	23 (12.5%)	51.3	351^st of 800 public high schools	56.1%		66.4	213^th of 739 public high schools	71.2%	138	50.0	55.2	71.9	13.9	10.3	21.9	59.1	434.5		25.0		1668.8	36.1	22.7	38.9	63.6	$17,580	$2,219	$15,361
Southeast Career Pathways	Public	9-12	1250 Sigsbee St SE	Grand Rapids	49506	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-3082	106	6	17.6	82.1%	9 (8.5%)	41 (38.7%)	50 (47.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.7%)								(n/a)							377.0	338.0						2067.3		2080.3	$19,790	$3,361	$16,429
NexTech High School	Public, Charter	9-12	801 Broadway Ave NW	Grand Rapids	49504	Kent County	NexTech High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 458-4992	144	9	15.2	84.7%	58 (40.3%)	35 (24.3%)	42 (29.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.3%)	24.4	577^th of 800 public high schools	27.9%		9.8	669^th of 739 public high schools	9.5%	92		50.0	38.1		386.7	362.9	30.2	365.3						23.8		26.2	$11,309	$2,056	$9,253
East Lee Campus	Public	9-12	982 Lee St SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 241-2661	87	4	19.7	85.1%	5 (5.7%)	5 (5.7%)	75 (86.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)								(n/a)		329.3			319.3		368.3	330.0						2077.2		18.8	$18,837	$1,764	$17,073

Frequently Asked Questions about Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy

What is the racial makeup of Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy?

Students at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy are 47% African American, 42% Hispanic, 6% White, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy?

Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Aberdeen Academy
Elementary : Brookside Elementary
Elementary : Buchanan Elementary
Elementary : Burton Elementary
Elementary : Campus Elementary
Elementary : Cesar E Chavez Elementary
Elementary : Coit Creative Arts Academy
Elementary : Congress Elementary
Elementary : Dickinson Academy
Elementary : Gerald R Ford Academic Center
Elementary : Harrison Park Academy
Elementary : Kent Hills Elementary
Elementary : Martin Luther King Leadership Academy
Elementary : Mulick Park Elementary School
Elementary : North Park Montessori Academy
Elementary : Palmer School
Elementary : Shawmut Hills School
Elementary : Sherwood Global Studies Academy
Elementary : Sibley School
Elementary : Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue
Middle : Alger Middle School
Middle : Blandford School
Middle : Burton Middle School
Middle : Center for Economicology
Middle : John Ball Park Zoo School
Middle : Riverside Middle School
Middle : Westwood Middle School

What district is Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

How many students attend Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 494 students attended Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy.

Is Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy a good school?

Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy ranks 600^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy!

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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.