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Kalamazoo Central High School

Q: Is Kalamazoo Central High School a good school?

Kalamazoo Central High School ranks 413 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

413^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 48% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Kalamazoo Central High School is a large, comprehensive public high school in Kalamazoo, MI, serving 1,613 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Kalamazoo Public Schools district.

For families considering high school options in the Kalamazoo area, Kalamazoo Central stands out as the strongest traditional choice. The school dramatically outperforms nearby alternatives on core academic measures. In the most recent school year, 45.1% of students were proficient in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 18.2% in SAT Math—far exceeding Phoenix Alternative High School (5.3% reading/writing) and Kalamazoo Prep Academy (14.3% on 9th grade PSAT ELA). The graduation rate is a bright spot at 87.7%, which beats the district average (77.3%) and the state average (84.0%), and has improved by 13.2 percentage points over the past four years. This is particularly notable given that 54% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school benefits from the Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program, which provides college tuition for graduates.

However, there are significant challenges families should know about. Chronic absenteeism affects 44.7% of students—nearly double the state average—and is likely a major factor holding back academic performance. The school also shows a stark achievement gap: while White students rank in the 89th percentile statewide, other demographic groups rank much lower, and the school's performance with Special Education students has fallen to the 8th percentile. Support for low-income students has also declined recently, dropping to the 26th percentile. While the school spends a substantial $15,911 per student, results remain mid-tier overall. For parents seeking a traditional high school experience in the area, Kalamazoo Central is clearly the dominant option, but families should be aware of the attendance challenges and ask how the school supports diverse learners.

1,613

Students ?

23.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,911

Per pupil spending ?

54.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2432 N Drake Rd
Kalamazoo, MI 49006-1361

(269) 337-0300

District: Kalamazoo Public Schools

Feeder schools for Kalamazoo Central High School:

Elementary:	Arcadia Elementary School
	Indian Prairie Elementary School
	KingWestwood Elementary School
	Northeastern Elementary School
	More...
	Northglade Montessori School
	Spring Valley Center for Exploration
Middle:	Hillside Middle School
	Linden Grove Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

43.4%

White:

32.5%

Two or more races:

12.1%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Kalamazoo Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 40th percentile in 2016 → 48th in 2026

Strengths

✓88% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (84%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (45% vs 28% Michigan)

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg37%

Michigan avg43%

413^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4High Schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools

407^th of 625Kalamazoo 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
2026	46.0	413 of 800	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.5	380 of 739	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.1	232 of 743	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.2	404 of 735	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	335 of 531	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	80.2	79 of 561	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	35.5	435 of 666	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.7	472 of 824	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.7	521 of 835	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	37.7	509 of 852	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	52.5	415 of 832	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.3	385 of 799	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	46.0	462 of 805	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.9	408 of 773	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.9	524 of 784	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.5	467 of 765	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.9	372 of 754	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	50.0	459 of 750	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	55.6	423 of 767	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	56.6	377 of 705	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	142 of 252	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.2	80 of 192	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	87 of 188	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.5	100 of 170	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.0	44 of 51	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	103 of 147	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.5	134 of 254	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	34 of 74	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.3	45 of 87	48.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	32.5	79 of 119	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	11 of 43	74.4%	★★★★☆
2018	36.7	53 of 102	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	38.6	423 of 686	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.6	349 of 629	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.7	178 of 619	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	37.2	386 of 611	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.6	253 of 416	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.7	125 of 462	72.9%	★★★★☆
2019	33.8	385 of 554	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.3	464 of 710	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	36.3	170 of 259	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.1	90 of 203	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.5	104 of 195	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.1	164 of 190	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.3	63 of 83	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.0	42 of 64	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.8	66 of 97	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.1	86 of 201	57.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	530 of 719	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.2	437 of 635	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	326 of 654	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.0	478 of 614	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	310 of 369	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	84.9	43 of 417	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	19.7	446 of 532	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.5	497 of 755	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	372 of 693	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.1	348 of 628	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.3	299 of 633	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.4	383 of 611	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.5	340 of 440	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	88.4	44 of 472	90.7%	★★★★★
2019	26.3	413 of 543	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.1	419 of 707	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	120 of 179	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.7	43 of 127	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.9	61 of 105	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.4	56 of 110	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.0	16 of 32	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.9	14 of 36	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.7	44 of 93	52.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	16.9	202 of 220	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.9	103 of 116	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	242 of 315	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	85.0	73 of 671	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	83.1	80 of 639	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	87.7	62 of 638	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	72.3	147 of 647	77.3%	★★★★☆
2022	75.2	113 of 492	77.0%	★★★★☆
2021	95.4	25 of 516	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	68.0	155 of 582	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	59.4	269 of 708	62.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)89th percentile+41 vs school

Asian (2026)54th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)46th percentile~ school

African American (2026)44th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile-14 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)34th percentile-15 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)33rd percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)26th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts51%-8 vs state

Social Studies49%+6 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing45%-7 vs state

Science34%~ state avg

Mathematics28%-4 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 4, 2022

This is by far the most poorly organized school I've ever seen. Administrators have no teaching experience, so they have no idea how to choose quality teachers for the school. Many of the teachers are racist and do not know how to teach students who are from racial and ethnic backgrounds that are different from their own. There are about 5 fights per day and administration does nothing effective to combat the issue. Close Quote

Schools Near Kalamazoo Central High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Kalamazoo Central High School	Public	9-12	2432 N Drake Rd	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0300	1,613	70	23.1	54.2%	524 (32.5%)	700 (43.4%)	164 (10.2%)	22 (1.4%)	8 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	195 (12.1%)	46	413^th of 800 public high schools	48.4%	48.5	380^th of 739 public high schools	48.6%	33	48.8	52.9	28.4	28.3	45.1	18.2	34.5	48.8	$15,911	$1,420	$14,491
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency West Campus Transition Services	Public	6-12	4606 Croyden Ave	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency	No	No	No	No	(269) 250-9602	126	14	9.0	31.7%	76 (60.3%)	19 (15.1%)	12 (9.5%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (13.5%)							(n/a)
Boys To Men Group Home	Public	6-12	6025 Litchfield Ln	Kalamazoo	49009	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 254-8444	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Lets Talk About It Girls Home	Public	6-12	1004 Conant St	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 431-1371	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Lets Talk About It Home for Young Men	Public	6-12	1004 Conant St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 431-1371	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Phoenix Alternative High School	Public	9-12	1411 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0760	219	14	15.6	78.1%	54 (24.7%)	112 (51.1%)	21 (9.6%)	7 (3.2%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (9.6%)	2.9	794^th of 800 public high schools	0.7%	4.5	720^th of 739 public high schools	2.6%	74	318.3	323.4	300.8	302.4	5.3	334.4	2066.9	9.4	$20,306	$1,480	$18,826
Transition Services	Public	9-12	1411 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0161	17	0	17.0	58.8%	5 (29.4%)	6 (35.3%)	1 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (29.4%)							(n/a)									$42,096	$3,996	$38,100
Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center	Public	9-12	600 W Vine St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0004	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
The Epic Center	Public	9-12	359 S Kalamazoo Mall	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(269) 250-9390	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Kalamazoo Prep Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	400 W Crosstown Pkwy	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Prep Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(734) 358-9775	184	6	30.1	82.1%	42 (22.8%)	106 (57.6%)	18 (9.8%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.6%)							(n/a)	14.3	372.1	308.6	338.4		316.2	2073.8	2081.7	$10,364	$88	$10,276

Frequently Asked Questions about Kalamazoo Central High School

Is Kalamazoo Central High School a good school?

Kalamazoo Central High School ranks 413^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Kalamazoo Central High School in?

Kalamazoo Public Schools

How many students attend Kalamazoo Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,613 students attended Kalamazoo Central High School.

What schools feed into Kalamazoo Central High School?

Kalamazoo Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Arcadia Elementary School
Elementary : Indian Prairie Elementary School
Elementary : KingWestwood Elementary School
Elementary : Northeastern Elementary School
Elementary : Northglade Montessori School
Elementary : Spring Valley Center for Exploration
Middle : Hillside Middle School
Middle : Linden Grove Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Kalamazoo Central High School?

Students at Kalamazoo Central High School are 43% African American, 32% White, 12% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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Schools in Kalamazoo, MI

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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.

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 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 9th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 9th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 10th Grade	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
Kalamazoo Central High School	Public	9-12	2432 N Drake Rd	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0300	1,613	70	23.1	54.2%	524 (32.5%)	700 (43.4%)	164 (10.2%)	22 (1.4%)	8 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	195 (12.1%)	46	413^th of 800 public high schools	48.4%		48.5	380^th of 739 public high schools	48.6%	33	48.8	52.9	28.4	28.3	45.1	18.2	34.5	48.8	$15,911	$1,420	$14,491
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency West Campus Transition Services	Public	6-12	4606 Croyden Ave	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency	No	No	No	No	(269) 250-9602	126	14	9.0	31.7%	76 (60.3%)	19 (15.1%)	12 (9.5%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (13.5%)								(n/a)
Boys To Men Group Home	Public	6-12	6025 Litchfield Ln	Kalamazoo	49009	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 254-8444	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lets Talk About It Girls Home	Public	6-12	1004 Conant St	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 431-1371	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lets Talk About It Home for Young Men	Public	6-12	1004 Conant St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(248) 431-1371	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Phoenix Alternative High School	Public	9-12	1411 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0760	219	14	15.6	78.1%	54 (24.7%)	112 (51.1%)	21 (9.6%)	7 (3.2%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (9.6%)	2.9	794^th of 800 public high schools	0.7%		4.5	720^th of 739 public high schools	2.6%	74	318.3	323.4	300.8	302.4	5.3	334.4	2066.9	9.4	$20,306	$1,480	$18,826
Transition Services	Public	9-12	1411 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0161	17	0	17.0	58.8%	5 (29.4%)	6 (35.3%)	1 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (29.4%)								(n/a)									$42,096	$3,996	$38,100
Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center	Public	9-12	600 W Vine St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 337-0004	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
The Epic Center	Public	9-12	359 S Kalamazoo Mall	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(269) 250-9390	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Kalamazoo Prep Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	400 W Crosstown Pkwy	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Prep Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(734) 358-9775	184	6	30.1	82.1%	42 (22.8%)	106 (57.6%)	18 (9.8%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.6%)								(n/a)	14.3	372.1	308.6	338.4		316.2	2073.8	2081.7	$10,364	$88	$10,276