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University Academy-Lower

Q: Is University Academy-Lower a good school?

University Academy-Lower ranks 665 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-5

665^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

University Academy-Lower is an elementary public charter school located in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 605 students. The school is part of the University Academy district, which is ranked 252 out of 367 districts in Missouri and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

University Academy-Lower has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Missouri elementary schools, with its performance on state assessments (MAP) significantly below the state averages across all grade levels and subjects. The school's proficiency rates in Math and ELA for 3rd-5th grades ranged from 18.1% to 41.1% in 2024-2025, compared to the state averages of 41.4% to 44.8%. The school's performance is particularly poor in Mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 21.5% to 30%, compared to the state average of 38.2% to 43.8%. Additionally, the school's 5th-grade Science proficiency rate of 25.7% is much lower than the state average of 42.2%.

While University Academy-Lower serves a high-needs student population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school performs exceptionally well in serving its African American student population, ranking in the top 5-14 schools in Missouri for this subgroup over the past 3 years. However, the school's performance for low socioeconomic status students is more average, ranking in the 216-231 range out of 611-638 Missouri elementary schools in this subgroup. The school's high chronic absenteeism rate, which has increased from 11.5% in 2021-2022 to 19.7% in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, is a significant challenge that may be contributing to its academic struggles.

609

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,066

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6801 Holmes Rd
Kansas City, MO 64131-1382

(816) 412-5973

District: University Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.6%

White:

3.0%

Hispanic:

2.5%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare University Academy-Lower to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 13th percentile in 2021 → 26th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 26th (2025) from a 13th-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (29% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Science scores 17 pts below the Missouri average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg29%

Missouri avg42%

665^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 21 pts since 2015

From bottom 47% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary 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	29.5	665 of 900	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	679 of 906	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	694 of 898	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.8	775 of 908	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.7	782 of 901	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.5	647 of 1052	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.6	339 of 1045	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	71.9	272 of 1032	73.6%	★★★★☆
2016	76.6	184 of 865	78.7%	★★★★☆
2015	50.3	564 of 1058	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.1	790 of 1089	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	50.4	603 of 1108	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.3	553 of 1085	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.2	689 of 1088	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.8	674 of 1066	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.6	630 of 1053	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	80.6	14 of 190	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	89.1	6 of 191	96.9%	★★★★★
2023	87.9	4 of 185	97.8%	★★★★★
2022	67.1	33 of 184	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.9	32 of 163	80.4%	★★★★☆
2019	82.3	23 of 250	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	93.6	6 of 243	97.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	57.1	231 of 638	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	222 of 625	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.3	216 of 611	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.0	367 of 532	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.2	416 of 574	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.0	284 of 907	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.1	89 of 887	90.0%	★★★★★

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)93rd percentile+67 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile+38 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics31%-10 vs state

English Language Arts29%-15 vs state

Science26%-17 vs state

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Schools Near University Academy-Lower

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)				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 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Academy-Lower	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	6801 Holmes Rd	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	University Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 412-5973	609	39	15.5	100.0%	18 (3.0%)	570 (93.6%)	15 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29.5	665^th of 900 public elementary schools	26.1%		27.1	679^th of 906 public elementary schools	25.1%	14	21.5	41.1	30.0			25.7		18.1	33.2	34.3		$16,066	$892	$15,174
Academie Lafayette Oak Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	6903 Oak Street	Kansas City	64113	Jackson County	Academie Lafayette	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 361-7735	520	39	13.4	26.9%	312 (60.0%)	102 (19.6%)	41 (7.9%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (11.3%)	79.1	165^th of 900 public elementary schools	81.7%		90.6	61^st of 906 public elementary schools	93.3%	104	48.7	65.7				63.5		40.2	72.1	68.1		$12,346	$180	$12,166
Border Star Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	6321 Wornall Rd	Kansas City	64113	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	Yes	No	No	(816) 418-5150	251	17	14.6	100.0%	124 (49.4%)	89 (35.5%)	15 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)	17 (6.8%)	77.5	183^rd of 900 public elementary schools	79.7%					(n/a)	56.6		52.1			47.7		56.6				$22,229	$2,478	$19,751
Brookside Charter Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1815 East 63rd Street	Kansas City	64130	Jackson County	Brookside Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 531-2192	575	56	10.1	100.0%	12 (2.1%)	474 (82.4%)	49 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.6%)	18.7	745^th of 900 public elementary schools	17.2%		16.5	765^th of 906 public elementary schools	15.6%	20	21.4	23.8	16.0			22.0		28.9	21.5	26.7		$16,486	$1,691	$14,795
Hale Cook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	7302 Pennsylvania	Kansas City	64114	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	No	(816) 418-1601	344	26	13.3	100.0%	197 (57.3%)	70 (20.3%)	32 (9.3%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.3%)	31 (9.0%)	47.6	492^nd of 900 public elementary schools	45.3%		61.1	340^th of 906 public elementary schools	62.5%	152	28.0	35.7	33.3	14.9		55.5		43.0	56.5		26.0	$19,062	$2,735	$16,327
Academy For Integrated Arts	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	7910 Troost Ave	Kansas City	64131	Jackson County	Academy For Integrated Arts	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 444-1720	244	26	9.3	100.0%	29 (11.9%)	184 (75.4%)	16 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.9%)	12.7	798^th of 900 public elementary schools	11.3%		14.7	786^th of 906 public elementary schools	13.2%	12	6.6	17.7	15.5					19.5	23.7	23.2		$22,307	$1,114	$21,193
John T. Hartman Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	8111 Oak	Kansas City	64114	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	Yes	No	Yes	(816) 418-1750	360	23	15.9	100.0%	29 (8.1%)	260 (72.2%)	50 (13.9%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.1%)	3 (0.8%)	12 (3.3%)	73.2	216^th of 900 public elementary schools	76.0%		41.7	546^th of 906 public elementary schools	39.7%	330	70.0	48.2		53.7		65.6		64.6	37.8			$19,599	$2,799	$16,800
B. Banneker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	7050 Askew	Kansas City	64132	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-1850	487	33	14.9	100.0%	22 (4.5%)	375 (77.0%)	74 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.7%)	5.3	875^th of 900 public elementary schools	2.8%		3.5	899^th of 906 public elementary schools	0.8%	24	6.3	11.0	10.2	4.5		6.9		12.6	9.4	8.6	11.7	$18,216	$2,478	$15,738
Ac Prep Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	6410 Swope Parkway	Kansas City	64132	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-7704	366	29	12.5	100.0%	3 (0.8%)	324 (88.5%)	21 (5.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	13 (3.6%)	12.8	793^rd of 900 public elementary schools	11.9%		10.2	829^th of 906 public elementary schools	8.5%	36	21.7	20.7	3.6		36.5	10.8	31.9		23.2	17.9		$21,923	$2,478	$19,444
Center Elementary	Public	K-5	8401 Euclid Ave	Kansas City	64132	Jackson County	Center 58	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 349-3444	314	26	12.2	100.0%	20 (6.4%)	206 (65.6%)	53 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.8%)	6.7	859^th of 900 public elementary schools	4.6%		4.6	887^th of 906 public elementary schools	2.1%	28	12.4		7.9			12.6		11.0	2.1	15.7		$15,231	$1,211	$14,019

Frequently Asked Questions about University Academy-Lower

How many students attend University Academy-Lower?

In the 2024-25 school year, 609 students attended University Academy-Lower.

What district is University Academy-Lower in?

University Academy

What is the racial makeup of University Academy-Lower?

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

Is University Academy-Lower a good school?

University Academy-Lower ranks 665^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate University Academy-Lower!

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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.