Best High Schools in Zip Code 48160

Zip code 48160 in Milan, MI is served by two high schools within the Milan Area Schools district, which together educate students in grades 9 through 12: the traditional Milan High School with 526 students, and the much smaller Milan Alternative Education program serving just 29 students.

For parents, the clear choice for a traditional high school experience is Milan High School, which stands out as the academic anchor of the area. It boasts a strong 91.9% graduation rate and an exceptionally low 1.4% dropout rate, both significantly better than state averages. Academically, the school shows a notable strength in literacy, scoring 7 points above the state average in SAT Reading/Writing, but struggles with math, scoring 7.6 points below the state average in SAT Math. A concerning trend is the sharp one-year decline in SAT Math proficiency, dropping from 24.8% to 18.9%. In contrast, Milan Alternative Education serves a higher-need population (62% low-income vs. 30%) but reports a critically low 22.2% graduation rate and a 44.4% dropout rate, despite spending 56% more per student ($27,829 vs. $17,778). This alternative program also has a higher student-teacher ratio (23.9:1) than the main high school (16.8:1), raising questions about how its additional funds are utilized.

Overall, Milan High School provides a stable, middle-of-the-pack education with a consistent 3-star state rating, performing well in graduation rates and verbal skills while needing improvement in math. The district’s overall statistics are skewed by the poor performance of its small alternative school, which masks the traditional high school’s above-average success. Parents should also note that Milan High School reports an anomalously high 92.4% chronic absenteeism rate, a figure that contradicts its strong graduation and test participation rates and likely warrants verification. The data suggests that while the main high school offers a solid foundation, the alternative program faces significant challenges in achieving positive outcomes for its students.