Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

University City Senior High

Q: Is University City Senior High a good school?

University City Senior High ranks 246 th of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

246^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 367 Missouri High Schools

Better than 33% of Missouri high schools

Summary

University City Senior High is a public high school serving 811 students in grades 9-12 in University City, Missouri, which is part of the University City School District. While the school has seen some improvements in recent years, such as a rise in its four-year graduation rate, it continues to face significant challenges, particularly in academic performance and student attendance.

University City Senior High has consistently underperformed compared to the state and nearby schools on standardized test scores, with proficiency rates in Algebra I, Biology I, and English II falling well below state averages. The school's performance has also been declining over time, with English II proficiency dropping from 54.3% in 2020-2021 to 39.9% in 2024-2025. In contrast, nearby schools like Maplewood-Richmond Heights High, Ladue Horton Watkins High, and Brentwood High have significantly higher proficiency rates, often exceeding the state averages.

Another area of concern is the school's high chronic absenteeism rate, which has ranged from 40.1% to 55.2% in recent years, significantly higher than the rates of nearby schools. This high chronic absenteeism may be contributing to the school's academic underperformance and lower graduation rates. Additionally, the school's student subgroup performance has been mixed, with White students ranking highly but African American, Special Education, and Gifted and Talented students consistently ranking in the bottom half or quarter of the state.

874

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,509

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7401 Balson Ave
University City, MO 63130-2911

(314) 290-4100

District: University City

Feeder schools for University City Senior High:

Elementary:	Barbara Jordan Elementary
	Flynn Park Elementary
	Jackson Park Elementary
	Pershing Elementary
Middle:	Brittany Woods

Racial breakdown:

African American:

79.5%

Hispanic:

8.7%

White:

6.6%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare University City Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 5th percentile in 2015 → 33rd in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (33% vs 44% meeting standards)

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

!Biology I scores 20 pts below the Missouri average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg34%

Missouri avg44%

246^th of 367

Missouri public high schools ?

Bottom 33%▲ up 28 pts since 2015

From bottom 5% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

278^th of 367University City 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	32.8	246 of 367	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.6	316 of 378	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	291 of 352	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	278 of 361	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	248 of 358	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.5	389 of 460	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	452 of 468	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.3	394 of 404	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.5	380 of 401	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	11.8	477 of 504	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	13.9	484 of 521	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	16.0	482 of 523	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	10.5	490 of 522	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	4.6	501 of 528	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	5.8	495 of 516	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	5.5	488 of 507	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	15.2	495 of 539	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	15.5	492 of 538	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	22.5	467 of 534	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	50.1	51 of 105	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.7	68 of 105	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	64 of 99	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	57 of 105	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.2	90 of 96	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.2	73 of 106	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.7	98 of 111	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2022	21.4	100 of 111	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.7	68 of 95	28.4%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2022	15.8	42 of 45	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	44.7	68 of 96	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	10.9	96 of 100	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	58.3	91 of 279	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.0	155 of 274	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	151 of 268	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.3	109 of 250	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.4	102 of 255	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.0	255 of 368	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.9	341 of 382	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	71 of 138	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.8	96 of 135	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.1	109 of 127	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	88.8	15 of 430	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	89.2	10 of 440	97.7%	★★★★★

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)

White (2019)97th percentile+81 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+34 vs school

African American (2025)51st percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2025)49th percentile+16 vs school

Disabled (2022)10th percentile-13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2022)7th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I42%-3 vs state

English II40%-13 vs state

Government38%-3 vs state

Biology I18%-20 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate University City Senior High and help other families decide.

Rate University City Senior High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near University City Senior High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Algebra I (2025)	MAP Biology I (2025)	MAP English II (2025)	MAP Algebra 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 Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra 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 City Senior High	Public	9-12	7401 Balson Ave	University City	63130	St. Louis County	University City	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 290-4100	874	61	14.2	100.0%	58 (6.6%)	695 (79.5%)	76 (8.7%)	6 (0.7%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.9%)	32.8	246^th of 367 public high schools	33.0%		18.6	316^th of 378 public high schools	16.4%	70	42.0	17.8	39.9		37.6	$19,509	$941	$18,568
Clayton High	Public	9-12	#1 Mark Twain Circle	Clayton	63105	St. Louis County	Clayton	No	No	No	No	(314) 854-6600	788	80	9.8	8.0%	462 (58.6%)	118 (15.0%)	34 (4.3%)	100 (12.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (9.3%)	92.8	6^th of 367 public high schools	98.4%		87.3	14^th of 378 public high schools	96.3%	8	73.9	72.9	83.0	90.2		$26,879	$251	$26,628
Juvenile Detention Center	Public	6-12	501 S Brentwood Blvd	Clayton	63105	St. Louis County	Specl. School Dst. St. Louis County	No	No	No	No	(314) 615-2974	44	10	4.4	40.9%	1 (2.3%)	43 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						$105,952	$44,052	$61,900
Met Day Treatment Center	Public	6-12	6347 Plymouth Ave.	Saint Louis	63133	St. Louis County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(314) 746-0850	11	2	5.5	72.7%	0 (0.0%)	11 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Normandy High	Public	9-12	6701 St Charles Rock Rd	Saint Louis	63133	St. Louis County	Normandy Schools Collaborative	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 493-0600	688	68	10.1	100.0%	10 (1.5%)	627 (91.1%)	45 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	3.6	364^th of 367 public high schools	0.8%		4.4	373^rd of 378 public high schools	1.3%	9	2.5	1.8	11.7		3.1	$25,537	$5,176	$20,361
Soldan International Studies	Public, Magnet	9-12	918 N Union Blvd	Saint Louis	63108	St. Louis city	St. Louis City	No	Yes	No	Yes	(314) 367-9222	337	39	8.6	100.0%	3 (0.9%)	301 (89.3%)	28 (8.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4.7	357^th of 367 public high schools	2.7%		5.4	366^th of 378 public high schools	3.2%	9		4.3	18.9		11.9	$25,443	$486	$24,957
Brentwood High	Public	9-12	2221 High School Dr	Brentwood	63144	St. Louis County	Brentwood	No	No	No	No	(314) 962-3837	195	23	8.6	25.6%	106 (54.4%)	32 (16.4%)	19 (9.7%)	15 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (11.8%)	87.8	12^th of 367 public high schools	96.7%		79.5	27^th of 378 public high schools	92.9%	15	67.5	73.2				$30,067	$638	$29,430
Ritenour Senior High	Public	9-12	9100 St Charles Rock Rd	Saint Louis	63114	St. Louis County	Ritenour	No	No	No	No	(314) 493-6105	2,041	103	19.9	100.0%	341 (16.7%)	857 (42.0%)	648 (31.7%)	26 (1.3%)	3 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	163 (8.0%)	9.2	336^th of 367 public high schools	8.4%		19.2	312^th of 378 public high schools	17.5%	24	6.7	12.3	27.6	13.4	14.1	$12,969	$371	$12,597
Maplewood-Richmond Heights High	Public	9-12	7500 Lohmeyer Ave	Maplewood	63143	St. Louis County	Maplewood-Richmond Heights	No	No	No	No	(314) 644-4401	439	33	13.2	31.7%	251 (57.2%)	83 (18.9%)	36 (8.2%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (14.1%)	83.1	24^th of 367 public high schools	93.5%		68	66^th of 378 public high schools	82.5%	42	51.0	63.6	69.3		56.0	$18,362	$39	$18,323
Ladue Horton Watkins High	Public	9-12	1201 S Warson Rd	Saint Louis	63124	St. Louis County	Ladue	No	No	No	No	(314) 993-6447	1,395	95	14.7	11.5%	715 (51.3%)	238 (17.1%)	75 (5.4%)	255 (18.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (8.0%)	80.1	36^th of 367 public high schools	90.2%		70.1	57^th of 378 public high schools	84.9%	21	37.4	61.7	74.3	56.2	56.6	$15,940	$17	$15,922

Frequently Asked Questions about University City Senior High

How many students attend University City Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 874 students attended University City Senior High.

What schools feed into University City Senior High?

University City Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Barbara Jordan Elementary
Elementary : Flynn Park Elementary
Elementary : Jackson Park Elementary
Elementary : Pershing Elementary
Middle : Brittany Woods

What is the racial makeup of University City Senior High?

Students at University City Senior High are 80% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% White, 4% Two or more races.

What district is University City Senior High in?

University City

Is University City Senior High a good school?

University City Senior High ranks 246^th of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate University City Senior High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MOMissouri High School Rankings

MOMissouri District Rankings

Schools in University City, MO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for University City Senior High!

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.