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University Academy-Upper

Q: Is University Academy-Upper a good school?

University Academy-Upper ranks 184 th of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

184^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 367 Missouri High Schools

Better than 50% of Missouri high schools

Summary

University Academy-Upper is a public charter high school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving 209 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the University Academy district, which is ranked 252 out of 367 districts in the state.

University Academy-Upper stands out for its consistently high graduation rates, ranging from 88.8% to 100% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average and many nearby schools. The school also outperforms the state in the percentage of students proficient or better in Algebra I and Biology I end-of-course exams. However, University Academy-Upper serves a predominantly low-socioeconomic student population, with 57.02% to 100% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to nearby schools like DeLaSalle Charter High School and Hogan Preparatory Academy, University Academy-Upper generally performs better in terms of graduation rates, test scores, and student-teacher ratios. While the school's ranking has fluctuated over the years, reaching as high as 1st in the state in 2015-2016, its current ranking of 184 out of 367 Missouri high schools suggests it continues to face challenges in maintaining its academic excellence, including a steady increase in chronic absenteeism rates.

237

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,450

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6801 Holmes Rd
Kansas City, MO 64131-1382

(816) 412-5930

District: University Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.1%

White:

2.5%

Hispanic:

2.1%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare University Academy-Upper to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 52nd percentile in 2011 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Biology I scores 19 pts below the Missouri average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Missouri avg41%

184^th of 367

Missouri public high schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 44 pts since 2015

From top 6% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

252^nd of 367University Academy among Missouri 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	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	44.3	184 of 367	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.9	139 of 460	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.6	18 of 468	96.2%	★★★★★
2017	87.6	26 of 404	93.6%	★★★★★
2016	91.5	1 of 401	99.8%	★★★★★
2015	78.5	32 of 504	93.7%	★★★★★
2014	73.9	47 of 521	91.0%	★★★★★
2013	77.0	29 of 523	94.5%	★★★★★
2012	73.8	52 of 522	90.0%	★★★★★
2011	51.2	256 of 528	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	56.8	192 of 516	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	42.9	310 of 507	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	74.0	21 of 105	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	94.2	4 of 106	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	84.1	5 of 111	95.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	64 of 279	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	55.4	118 of 368	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.0	19 of 382	95.0%	★★★★★

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)

African American (2025)80th percentile+30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)77th percentile+27 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I54%+9 vs state

Biology I18%-19 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, October 31, 2016

I love this school. the admin. and teachers are wonderful people. I'm glad it's the choice I made for my child. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 13, 2015

my son was bullied at this school last year. he was in middle school. I do NOT like this school it should be shut down Close Quote

Schools Near University Academy-Upper

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)		MAP Science (2025)	MAP English Language Arts (2025)		MAP Algebra I (2025)	MAP Biology I (2025)	MAP English II (2025)	MAP Government (2025)	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	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	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Academy-Upper	Public, Charter	9-12	6801 Holmes Rd	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	University Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 412-5930	237	18	13.1	100.0%	6 (2.5%)	223 (94.1%)	5 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.3	184^th of 367 public high schools	49.9%					(n/a)						54.3	18.3			$18,450	$829	$17,621
Hogan Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	1331 E. Meyer Blvd.	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	Hogan Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 444-3464	318	36	8.9	100.0%	3 (0.9%)	296 (93.1%)	10 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	4.3	362^nd of 367 public high schools	1.4%		4.5	372^nd of 378 public high schools	1.6%	10						4.7		15.1	6.0	$21,573	$1,770	$19,803
Ewing Marion Kauffman High	Public, Charter	9-12	6401 Paseo Boulevard	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	Ewing Marion Kauffman School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-5660	402	40	10.0	100.0%	7 (1.7%)	315 (78.4%)	54 (13.4%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (5.0%)	48.9	164^th of 367 public high schools	55.3%		34.5	237^th of 378 public high schools	37.3%	73						42.3	33.8			$27,224	$1,411	$25,813
Frontier School Of Excellence-U	Public, Charter	9-12	5605 Troost Ave	Kansas City	64110	Jackson County	Frontier Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 822-1331	160	21	7.7	100.0%	5 (3.1%)	81 (50.6%)	71 (44.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	48.1	171^st of 367 public high schools	53.4%		39.7	216^th of 378 public high schools	42.9%	45						41.6	34.0			$24,360	$2,666	$21,694
Southeast High School	Public	9-12	3500 E Meyer Blvd	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-1075	498	32	15.3	100.0%	27 (5.4%)	405 (81.3%)	42 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	5 (1.0%)	15 (3.0%)	4.8	356^th of 367 public high schools	3.0%		5.6	363^rd of 378 public high schools	4.0%	7						5.8	3.6	14.8	8.7	$19,188	$1,917	$17,271
Center Academy For Success	Public	7-12	8434 Paseo Blvd	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	Center 58	No	No	No	No	(816) 349-3662	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)									18.8
Center Senior High	Public	9-12	8715 Holmes Rd	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	Center 58	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 349-3330	679	61	11.1	63.9%	103 (15.2%)	418 (61.6%)	84 (12.4%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	65 (9.6%)	18.3	308^th of 367 public high schools	16.1%		29.2	266^th of 378 public high schools	29.6%	42						11.9	24.7	29.1		$20,460	$1,701	$18,759
Paseo Acad. Of Performing Arts	Public, Magnet	7-12	4747 Flora Ave	Kansas City	64110	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	Yes	No	Yes	(816) 418-3525	669	58	11.4	100.0%	78 (11.7%)	285 (42.6%)	269 (40.2%)	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.7%)	20 (3.0%)	38.8	211^th of 367 public high schools	42.5%		16	324^th of 378 public high schools	14.3%	113	15.0	2.2	14.4	18.8	18.0	40.6	15.6	54.3		$21,488	$2,432	$19,056
Allen Village High School	Public, Charter	9-12	706 West 42nd Street	Kansas City	64111	Jackson County	Allen Village	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 931-0177	130	11	11.7	82.3%	5 (3.8%)	26 (20.0%)	93 (71.5%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	30.3	263^rd of 367 public high schools	28.3%					(n/a)						38.8	18.9			$26,500	$434	$26,066
DeLaSalle Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3737 Troost Ave	Kansas City	64109	Jackson County	Delasalle Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 561-4445	196	12	16.3	100.0%	6 (3.1%)	170 (86.7%)	12 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	5.9	349^th of 367 public high schools	4.9%		3.4	377^th of 378 public high schools	0.3%	28						9.0	11.7	14.6	8.0	$22,307	$1,710	$20,597

Frequently Asked Questions about University Academy-Upper

What is the racial makeup of University Academy-Upper?

Students at University Academy-Upper are 94% African American, 3% White, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend University Academy-Upper?

In the 2024-25 school year, 237 students attended University Academy-Upper.

What district is University Academy-Upper in?

University Academy

Is University Academy-Upper a good school?

University Academy-Upper ranks 184^th of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate University Academy-Upper!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.