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Lake City High School

Q: Is Lake City High School a good school?

Lake City High School ranks 308 th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

308^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 62% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Lake City High School is a mid-sized public high school in Lake City, MI, serving 369 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Lake City Area School District. The school has shown a strong upward trajectory in recent years, moving from the 34th percentile statewide in 2022-2023 to the 62nd percentile in 2025-2026, signaling meaningful improvement in overall academic performance.

One of the school's standout strengths is its exceptional work with students from low-income backgrounds. In 2025-2026, this subgroup ranked in the 80th percentile statewide (4 stars), a dramatic jump from the 50th percentile the year before. The school also consistently outperforms the state average in 11th-grade science, with 45.1% of students proficient compared to the state's 35.2%. However, there is a notable and growing gender gap: male students ranked in the 61st percentile while female students ranked in the 49th percentile in 2025-2026, a gap that has widened considerably since 2023-2024. When compared to nearby schools, Lake City outperforms Manton Consolidated High School in most academic metrics, including science (45.1% vs. 15%) and SAT math (25.9% vs. 8.2%), but trails Cadillac Senior High School and McBain High School in overall test scores and graduation rates.

The most pressing concern for Lake City is student retention. The graduation rate has consistently lagged the state average (77.9% vs. 84.0% in 2024-2025), and the dropout rate of 17.4% is more than double the state average of 7.1% and starkly higher than nearby McBain (0%) and Cadillac Senior High (2%). Chronic absenteeism (32.4%) is also a challenge. This creates a paradox: the school excels academically with its low-income students, yet struggles to keep all students enrolled through graduation. Notably, the school spends a significant $14,748 per student—more than Cadillac Senior High ($12,111)—and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.5, suggesting funding and class size are not the primary barriers. Addressing retention will be key to building on the school's recent progress and matching the success of its top-performing neighbors.

369

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,748

Per pupil spending ?

58.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

251 Russell St
Lake City, MI 49651-9449

(231) 839-6600

District: Lake City Area School District

Feeder schools for Lake City High School:

Elementary:	Lake City Elementary School
Middle:	Lake City Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.0%

Hispanic:

5.1%

Two or more races:

3.8%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Lake City High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 56th percentile in 2016 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Michigan median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (78% vs 84%)

!Dropout rate above the Michigan average (17% vs 7%)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg42%

Michigan avg43%

308^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

154^th of 625Lake City Area 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	55.5	308 of 800	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.5	410 of 739	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.9	335 of 743	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.3	483 of 735	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.2	401 of 531	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.8	490 of 561	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.6	272 of 666	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.1	263 of 824	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.5	400 of 835	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.8	376 of 852	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	73.0	215 of 832	74.2%	★★★★☆
2014	47.2	459 of 799	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	63.4	301 of 805	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.2	432 of 773	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	67.2	322 of 784	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.1	450 of 765	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.4	424 of 754	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	69.7	281 of 750	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	52.5	449 of 767	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	74.0	201 of 705	71.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	47.2	351 of 686	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.8	458 of 629	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.9	307 of 619	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	20.9	487 of 611	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.5	347 of 416	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.6	404 of 462	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.6	221 of 554	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.7	318 of 710	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	69.2	145 of 719	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	48.3	318 of 635	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.5	308 of 654	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.8	338 of 614	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.0	207 of 369	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.4	352 of 417	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.8	333 of 532	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.3	210 of 755	72.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	55.1	267 of 693	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.9	336 of 628	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.2	331 of 633	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.8	317 of 611	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.0	358 of 440	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	433 of 472	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	39.9	332 of 543	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.8	205 of 707	71.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.5	394 of 671	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.2	440 of 639	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	408 of 638	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.8	534 of 647	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.3	427 of 492	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	476 of 516	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	44.1	319 of 582	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.2	337 of 708	52.4%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)80th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2026)61st percentile~ school

Female (2026)49th percentile-13 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts55%-4 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing53%~ state avg

Science45%+10 vs state

Mathematics35%~ state avg

Social Studies34%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lake City 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Lake City High School	Public	9-12	251 Russell St	Lake City	49651	Missaukee County	Lake City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(231) 839-6600	369	25	14.5	58.5%	332 (90.0%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.8%)	55.5	308^th of 800 public high schools	61.5%		44.5	410^th of 739 public high schools	44.5%	102		58.1	51.1		39.8	30.0	53.1	25.9						45.1		34.1	$14,748	$927	$13,822
WexfordMissaukee Independent School District (Isd) Career Center	Public	9-12	9901 E 13th St	Cadillac	49601	Wexford County	Wexford-Missaukee Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(231) 876-2200	0	19	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
McBain High School	Public	9-12	107 E Maple St	Mc Bain	49657	Missaukee County	McBain Rural Agricultural Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 825-2412	294	17	17.0	38.4%	260 (88.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	65	221^st of 800 public high schools	72.4%		61.4	262^nd of 739 public high schools	64.5%	41		60.7	53.1		33.7	40.6	62.7	33.9						45.8		45.8	$14,952	$922	$14,029
Manton Consolidated High School	Public	9-12	105 5th St	Manton	49663	Wexford County	Manton Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 824-6411	289	18	15.9	37.7%	269 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	38.5	468^th of 800 public high schools	41.5%		26.3	527^th of 739 public high schools	28.7%	59		59.7	48.6		31.2	33.3	39.3	8.2						15.0		30.0	$13,949	$1,086	$12,863
Cadillac Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 Chestnut St	Cadillac	49601	Wexford County	Cadillac Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 876-5800	903	50	17.9	39.8%	826 (91.5%)	5 (0.6%)	33 (3.7%)	7 (0.8%)	7 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.5%)	75.8	140^th of 800 public high schools	82.5%		85.3	74^th of 739 public high schools	90.0%	66		66.8	74.6		45.2	37.8	62.9	34.9						47.7		50.0	$12,111	$859	$11,252
Cadillac Innovation High School	Public	9-12	532 Haynes St	Cadillac	49601	Wexford County	Cadillac Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 876-5900	164	5	33.3	71.3%	144 (87.8%)	2 (1.2%)	8 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.2%)	7 (4.3%)	18.8	619^th of 800 public high schools	22.6%		14.8	625^th of 739 public high schools	15.4%	6		52.6	34.2		13.2	7.9	21.7	396.5						22.2		20.5	$14,066	$979	$13,088
Marion High School	Public	6-12	2213 20 Mile Rd	Marion	49665	Osceola County	Marion Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 743-2836	192	14	13.3	70.3%	172 (89.6%)	4 (2.1%)	12 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	44.8	418^th of 800 public high schools	47.8%		59.1	281^st of 739 public high schools	62.0%	137	56.0	60.0	44.4	28.0	28.0	25.9	43.8	413.8	33.3	40.0	29.2	56.0	48.0	2081.1	40.0	41.2	$16,188	$1,245	$14,943
Forest Area High School	Public	9-12	7661 Shippy Rd SW	Fife Lake	49633	Kalkaska County	Forest Area Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 369-2884	156	10	15.1	44.9%	150 (96.2%)	3 (1.9%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	34.9	498^th of 800 public high schools	37.8%		24.6	544^th of 739 public high schools	26.4%	46		32.4	44.1		18.9	14.7	40.5	21.6						35.9		44.7	$15,266	$979	$14,287

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake City High School

What is the racial makeup of Lake City High School?

Students at Lake City High School are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Lake City High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 369 students attended Lake City High School.

What district is Lake City High School in?

Lake City Area School District

What schools feed into Lake City High School?

Lake City High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Lake City Elementary School
Middle : Lake City Middle School

Is Lake City High School a good school?

Lake City High School ranks 308^th of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

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.