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Tawas Area High School

Public Grades 9-12
192nd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 800 Michigan High Schools
Better than 76% of Michigan high schools
Summary

Tawas Area High School in Tawas City, MI, serves 351 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Tawas Area Schools district, a 4-star district that ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide.

This school stands out as a clear academic leader in its region. For the 2024-2025 school year, Tawas Area High School earned a 4-star rating and ranks in the 76th percentile of Michigan high schools, a steady improvement from the 66th percentile just a few years ago. The most impressive numbers are its graduation rate of 97.6%—nearly 14 points above the state average—and a 0.0% dropout rate. Students here also shine in science and social studies, with 11th-grade proficiency rates of 63.4% and 61.4% respectively, both far exceeding state averages by 28.5 and 19.3 points. When compared to nearby schools like WhittemorePrescott JrSr High School and Oscoda Area High School, Tawas Area is the top performer, particularly in reading where its SAT proficiency rate of 60.6% nearly doubles Whittemore-Prescott's 33.3%. The school is also notably effective at supporting students from low socio-economic backgrounds, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 93rd percentile for that subgroup.

There are a couple of areas worth noting. While the school excels in most subjects, math proficiency is more moderate—11th-grade SAT math scores sit at 31%, above the state average but below the school's own high standards in other areas. Additionally, chronic absenteeism runs at 27.2%, nearly matching the state average and higher than the district's 21.5%, which is surprising given the school's strong graduation outcomes. On the positive side, Tawas Area achieves these results efficiently, spending $15,270 per student—less than nearby Whittemore-Prescott and Oscoda—while delivering top-tier outcomes. For parents seeking a high-performing, consistent school that prepares students well for graduation, Tawas Area High School is a standout choice in the Iosco County area.

351
Students ?
21.5
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,270
Per pupil spending ?
43.3%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 255 W M 55
       Tawas City, MI  48763-9252

(989) 984-2100

District: Tawas Area Schools


Feeder schools for Tawas Area High School:

Elementary:    Clara B Bolen Elementary School
Middle:    Tawas Area Middle School
Racial breakdown:

White:
88.6%
Two or more races:
5.1%
Hispanic:
3.4%
more
 See top rated Michigan high schools

 Compare Tawas Area High School to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 76th in 2026
Strengths
Test scores above the Michigan average (50% vs 43% meeting standards)
Ranks in the top 24% of Michigan high schools
98% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (84%)
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school50%
District avg50%
Michigan avg43%
192nd of 800
Michigan public high schools ?
Top 24%▼ down 8 pts since 2016
From top 16% (2016) to top 24% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
175th of 625Tawas Area 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202668.4192 of 80076.0%★★★★☆
202579.0119 of 73983.9%★★★★☆
202478.7128 of 74382.8%★★★★☆
202374.2157 of 73578.6%★★★★☆
202267.1178 of 53166.5%★★★☆☆
202159.9178 of 56168.3%★★★☆☆
201971.2171 of 66674.3%★★★★☆
201856.5343 of 82458.4%★★★☆☆
201782.8109 of 83586.9%★★★★☆
201679.7133 of 85284.4%★★★★☆
201581.0138 of 83283.4%★★★★☆
201473.9173 of 79978.3%★★★★☆
201364.0295 of 80563.4%★★★☆☆
201262.0318 of 77358.9%★★★☆☆
201168.7299 of 78461.9%★★★☆☆
201073.7221 of 76571.1%★★★★☆
200976.0187 of 75475.2%★★★★☆
200872.5236 of 75068.5%★★★☆☆
200771.7229 of 76770.1%★★★★☆
200674.5190 of 70573.0%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202660.4217 of 68668.4%★★★☆☆
202574.7123 of 62980.4%★★★★☆
202474.8122 of 61980.3%★★★★☆
202353.3270 of 61155.8%★★★☆☆
202266.2142 of 41665.9%★★★☆☆
202165.7119 of 46274.2%★★★★☆
201969.4145 of 55473.8%★★★★☆
201854.0308 of 71056.6%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202667.1159 of 71977.9%★★★★☆
202588.944 of 63593.1%★★★★★
202477.096 of 65485.3%★★★★☆
202393.130 of 61495.1%★★★★★
202271.6105 of 36971.5%★★★★☆
202172.381 of 41780.6%★★★★☆
201958.6195 of 53263.3%★★★☆☆
201855.1303 of 75559.9%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202668.2166 of 69376.0%★★★★☆
202575.4113 of 62882.0%★★★★☆
202475.8127 of 63379.9%★★★★☆
202384.575 of 61187.7%★★★★☆
202258.8187 of 44057.5%★★★☆☆
202140.2280 of 47240.7%★★☆☆☆
201962.4198 of 54363.5%★★★☆☆
201848.9358 of 70749.4%★★☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202483.814 of 13089.2%★★★★☆
201834.7185 of 31541.3%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202659.5230 of 67165.7%★★★☆☆
202572.1148 of 63976.8%★★★★☆
202469.0166 of 63874.0%★★★★☆
202359.7227 of 64764.9%★★★☆☆
202257.6208 of 49257.7%★★★☆☆
202142.0284 of 51645.0%★★☆☆☆
201960.1217 of 58262.7%★★★☆☆
201840.6429 of 70839.4%★★☆☆☆
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)
Special Education (2024)89th percentile+6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)78th percentile~ school
Male (2026)76th percentile~ school
Female (2026)68th percentile-8 vs school
White (2026)66th percentile-10 vs school
By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts68%+9 vs state
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing63%+11 vs state
Social Studies59%+16 vs state
Science52%+17 vs state
Mathematics29%-4 vs state

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Schools Near Tawas Area High School

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Frequently Asked Questions about Tawas Area High School

Tawas Area High School ranks 192nd of 800 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Tawas Area High School are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

Tawas Area High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Clara B Bolen Elementary School
Middle : Tawas Area Middle School

In the 2024-25 school year, 351 students attended Tawas Area High School.

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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.

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