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Central High School

Q: Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks 178 th of 739 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 8-12

178^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 739 Michigan High Schools

Better than 76% of Michigan high schools

Summary

Central High School is a public high school located in Traverse City, Michigan, serving grades 8-12 with a total enrollment of 1,324 students. The school is part of the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, which is ranked 156 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in Michigan, with a statewide ranking ranging from 42nd to 178th out of 739 high schools in the state over the past 10 years. The school's performance on standardized tests, such as the M-Step and SAT, is generally higher than the state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, 80.2% of 11th-grade students at Central High School were proficient or better in SAT/Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to 55.4% statewide. The school's four-year graduation rate has also been high, ranging from 81.7% to 94.1% over the past few years, which is generally higher than the state and district averages.

While Central High School outperforms the other high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, such as West Senior High and Traverse City High School, on academic metrics, Elk Rapids High School, which is located outside the Traverse City district, consistently ranks higher than Central High School on statewide metrics. Additionally, Central High School has relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.9% to 30.8% in recent years, which is higher than the state and district averages.

1,326

Students ?

23.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,659

Per pupil spending ?

20.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1150 Milliken Dr
Traverse City, MI 49686-2875

(231) 933-6500

District: Traverse City Area Public Schools

Feeder schools for Central High School:

Elementary:	Blair Elementary School
	Cherry Knoll Elementary School
	Courtade Elementary School
	Eastern Elementary School
	More...
	Traverse Heights Elementary School
Middle:	East Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.8%

Hispanic:

3.1%

African American:

2.9%

See top rated Michigan high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 74th percentile in 2015 → 76th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (50% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Michigan high schools

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (83%)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg52%

Michigan avg40%

178^th of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools

156^th of 613Traverse City Area 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	70.9	178 of 739	75.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.1	136 of 743	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	81.7	111 of 735	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	91.4	48 of 531	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	90.7	42 of 561	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	86.0	80 of 666	88.0%	★★★★☆
2018	87.4	78 of 824	90.5%	★★★★★
2017	89.6	59 of 835	92.9%	★★★★★
2016	87.2	83 of 852	90.3%	★★★★★
2015	72.7	220 of 832	73.6%	★★★★☆
2014	83.4	102 of 799	87.2%	★★★★☆
2013	82.6	114 of 805	85.8%	★★★★☆
2012	82.4	111 of 773	85.6%	★★★★☆
2011	84.5	79 of 784	89.9%	★★★★★
2010	83.4	92 of 765	88.0%	★★★★☆
2009	86.2	85 of 754	88.7%	★★★★☆
2008	85.6	86 of 750	88.5%	★★★★☆
2007	79.1	133 of 767	82.7%	★★★★☆
2006	72.4	215 of 705	69.5%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	21.2	67 of 87	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	46.0	35 of 102	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	168 of 629	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	71.6	133 of 619	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	79.4	87 of 611	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	89.1	44 of 416	89.4%	★★★★☆
2021	87.4	44 of 462	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	84.8	68 of 554	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	86.7	70 of 710	90.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	58.9	233 of 635	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.4	150 of 654	77.1%	★★★★☆
2023	70.9	128 of 614	79.2%	★★★★☆
2022	87.9	36 of 369	90.2%	★★★★★
2021	68.5	96 of 417	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	73.2	112 of 532	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	90.7	35 of 755	95.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	66.4	179 of 628	71.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	124 of 633	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	77.9	110 of 611	82.0%	★★★★☆
2022	90.2	45 of 440	89.8%	★★★★☆
2021	88.2	45 of 472	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	82.3	77 of 543	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	90 of 707	87.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	82 of 125	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.4	106 of 130	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	73.8	22 of 116	81.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	26 of 315	91.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	63.2	201 of 639	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	149 of 638	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	117 of 647	81.9%	★★★★☆
2022	91.7	45 of 492	90.9%	★★★★★
2021	89.3	47 of 516	90.9%	★★★★★
2019	87.3	68 of 582	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	84.5	86 of 708	87.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2025)73rd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)71st percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)69th percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2018)66th percentile-25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile-13 vs school

Special Education (2025)34th percentile-42 vs school

Asian (2018)23rd percentile-68 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing80%+25 vs state

Mathematics51%+24 vs state

Social Studies36%-6 vs state

Science33%~ state avg

1.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Saturday, November 21, 2020

I wish zero stars was an option. Here, the prison-like atmosphere is high.

Just by looking at the building alone, you know you gotta do it all again. At Central, the classes are bone dry, and it gives off a 1920s teaching vibe. In some classes, if you turn in an assignment late, despite getting all the questions right, you get an AUTOMATIC C- (70). In the remote situation, you're expected to have cameras on at ALL times, which is strange. I get that teachers have to see if people are actually there, but why is the necessary?

You also get triple the homework in Remote in my perspective, unless you get it done early. Even if you don't have your camera on for a few classes, you get yourself thrown to the wolves with a phone call or an email to your parents about you being absent, or not having your camera on. All in all, even if this (place?) is high ranked in the State of Michigan, don't send your children here if any parents are reading this, they will come home complaining of the homework later, plus remote situation... Remote: unless they're an up and coming streamer, then they won't have issues with the camera expectations. Close Quote

Schools Near Central High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)		M-Step Math (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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th 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
Central High School	Public	8-12	1150 Milliken Dr	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-6500	1,326	56	23.6	20.3%	1,191 (89.8%)	38 (2.9%)	41 (3.1%)	33 (2.5%)	22 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	70.9	178^th of 739 public high schools	75.9%		77.1	136^th of 743 public high schools	81.7%	42			80.2	51.1						33.0		36.4	$13,659	$1,499	$12,160
North EdCareer Technical	Public	11-12	880 Parsons Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Northwest Education Services	No	No	No	No	(231) 922-6260	0	38	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Traverse City High School	Public	9-12	3962 3 Mile Rd N	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-5860	171	10	16.3	59.6%	139 (81.3%)	10 (5.8%)	11 (6.4%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	30.6	503^rd of 739 public high schools	31.9%		8.8	675^th of 743 public high schools	9.2%	172			37.8							24.2		33.3	$19,494	$1,520	$17,974
The Greenspire High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2200 Dendrinos Drive	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	The Greenspire School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 421-5905	176	10	17.6	39.8%	151 (85.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.5%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.7%)	2 (1.1%)	11 (6.3%)	87.2	64^th of 739 public high schools	91.3%		82.5	98^th of 743 public high schools	86.8%	34			70.3	37.8						58.3		69.4	$9,372	$2,733	$6,639
The Greenspire School	Public, Charter	6-12	1026 Red Dr	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	The Greenspire School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 421-5905	93	9	10.3	37.6%	77 (82.8%)	3 (3.2%)	1 (1.1%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (10.8%)								(n/a)	60.5	7.9			29.6	24.1	29.6	27.6	38.5		48.7		$15,175	$1,688	$13,487
West Senior High	Public	9-12	5376 N Long Lake Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-7502	1,384	56	24.6	21.2%	1,245 (90.0%)	27 (2.0%)	50 (3.6%)	22 (1.6%)	35 (2.5%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	84.5	77^th of 739 public high schools	89.6%		76.4	140^th of 743 public high schools	81.2%	63			75.3	50.9						52.9		45.2	$13,292	$1,513	$11,779
Sunrise Academy	Public	9-12	308 Meguzee Pt	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 264-8108	21	1	15.5	47.6%	17 (81.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)								(n/a)													$00	$00	$00
Elk Rapids High School	Public	9-12	308 Meguzee Pt	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 264-8108	360	18	20.3	18.9%	329 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.9%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.2%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.7%)	93.5	40^th of 739 public high schools	94.6%		96.4	18^th of 743 public high schools	97.6%	22			72.0	47.6						72.0		72.8	$00	$00	$00
Kingsley Area High School	Public	9-12	7475 Kingsley Rd	Kingsley	49649	Grand Traverse County	Kingsley Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 263-5262	401	26	15.6	37.7%	379 (94.5%)	7 (1.7%)	9 (2.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	90.3	50^th of 739 public high schools	93.2%		66.4	201^st of 743 public high schools	72.9%	151			75.3	40.4						64.8		65.9	$13,446	$1,077	$12,369
Suttons Bay Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 S Elm St	Suttons Bay	49682	Leelanau County	Suttons Bay Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 271-8604	125	9	13.8	61.6%	56 (44.8%)	1 (0.8%)	29 (23.2%)	1 (0.8%)	24 (19.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (11.2%)	53.1	340^th of 739 public high schools	54.0%		35.7	464^th of 743 public high schools	37.6%	124			42.1							44.4		38.9	$22,436	$1,676	$20,759

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks 178^th of 739 Michigan high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Central High School in?

Traverse City Area Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 90% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% Asian, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,326 students attended Central High School.

What schools feed into Central High School?

Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Blair Elementary School
Elementary : Cherry Knoll Elementary School
Elementary : Courtade Elementary School
Elementary : Eastern Elementary School
Elementary : Traverse Heights Elementary School
Middle : East Middle School

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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.