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Sterling High School

Public Grades 7-12

Summary

Sterling High School is a public high school located in Sterling, Nebraska, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 89 students. The school has a predominantly white student population, with 91.01% of students identifying as white in the 2022-2023 school year. Sterling High School is part of the Norris School District 160, which is ranked 82 out of 212 districts in Nebraska and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sterling High School has consistently performed well academically, ranking 26th out of 215 Nebraska high schools in the 2022-2023 school year and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's 11th-grade students outperformed the state averages in ACT/English Language Arts, ACT/Mathematics, and ACT/Science. However, the school's racial diversity is significantly lower compared to nearby schools, with only 8.99% Hispanic students and no other racial/ethnic groups represented. Additionally, Sterling High School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 9.4 students per teacher and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (34.83%) compared to nearby schools.

While Sterling High School's overall performance is strong, the school's ranking has fluctuated significantly over the years, ranging from 26th in 2022-2023 to 190th in 2020-2021. This suggests that the school's performance may be influenced by factors that can change from year to year. Additionally, the ranking for white students has declined from 47th in 2022-2023 to 191st in 2020-2021, indicating that the school may need to focus on addressing the needs of this subgroup to maintain its high academic standards. Nonetheless, the school's high academic performance, low student-teacher ratio, and higher spending per student ($20,395 in 2022-2023) suggest that it is a strong educational option for families in the area.

Students ?

9.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,198

Per pupil spending ?

35.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

250 Main St
Sterling, NE 68443-0039

(402) 866-4761

District: Sterling Public Schools

Feeder schools for Sterling High School:

Elementary:

Sterling Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.7%

Hispanic:

12.3%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 77th percentile in 2011 → 88th in 2023

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (52% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Nebraska average (88%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2011

Students meeting standards (2022-2023) ?

This school52%

District avg52%

Nebraska avg41%

Not ranked this year

Sterling High School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2019	75.0	46 of 247	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	61.5	88 of 225	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	75.0	47 of 236	80.1%	★★★★☆
2016	77.1	36 of 255	85.9%	★★★★☆
2015	69.0	55 of 256	78.5%	★★★★☆
2007	16.6	209 of 227	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	39.0	174 of 226	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2019	60.4	74 of 222	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.4	95 of 203	53.2%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	85.2	26 of 215	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	34.0	136 of 202	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	13.5	190 of 209	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	53.8	102 of 219	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	85.9	20 of 246	91.9%	★★★★★
2015	72.2	48 of 242	80.2%	★★★★☆
2014	79.4	32 of 247	87.0%	★★★★☆
2013	47.9	135 of 247	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	74.1	39 of 245	84.1%	★★★★☆
2011	71.7	59 of 252	76.6%	★★★★☆
2010	23.3	224 of 249	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	64.3	85 of 251	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.5	143 of 252	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	71.1	47 of 247	81.0%	★★★★☆
2006	79.5	17 of 249	93.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	82.1	21 of 136	84.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	71.3	47 of 206	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	26.1	153 of 196	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.6	191 of 200	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	45.2	114 of 205	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

White (2019)67th percentile-15 vs school

High school

Female (2023)85th percentile-3 vs school

White (2023)77th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2022-2023) ?

English Language Arts53%+19 vs state

Science47%+22 vs state

Mathematics42%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sterling High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NSCAS English Language Arts (2025)		ACT English Language Arts (2025)	ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (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	NSCAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts All Grades	ACT English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sterling High School	Public	7-12	250 Main St	Sterling	68443	Johnson County	Sterling Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 866-4761	81	9	9.5	35.8%	71 (87.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						$23,198	$261	$21,257
Freeman High School	Public	7-12	415 Eighth St	Adams	68301	Gage County	Freeman Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 988-2525	220	18	12.4	13.2%	212 (96.4%)	5 (2.3%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27.1	114^th of 146 public high schools	21.9%		56.4	77^th of 168 public high schools	54.2%	37	75.6	81.8	47.5	30.0	45.0	$17,710	$141	$15,850
Johnson County Central High School	Public	9-12	358 N 6th	Tecumseh	68450	Johnson County	Johnson County Central Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 335-3328	166	16	10.1	45.2%	125 (75.3%)	4 (2.4%)	29 (17.5%)	2 (1.2%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.8%)	46.2	89^th of 146 public high schools	39.0%		35.7	114^th of 168 public high schools	32.1%	25			48.8	60.5	39.5	$25,142	$1,163	$20,713
Lewiston High School	Public	7-12	306 Tiger Ave	Lewiston	68380	Pawnee County	Lewiston Consolidated Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 865-4675	74	12	6.2		66 (89.2%)	1 (1.4%)	6 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)						$32,279	$366	$27,705
Norris High School	Public	9-12	25211 S 68th St	Firth	68358	Lancaster County	Norris School District 160	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 791-0010	736	49	15.0	6.0%	670 (91.0%)	2 (0.3%)	40 (5.4%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.4%)	69.8	46^th of 146 public high schools	68.5%		67.3	57^th of 168 public high schools	66.1%	11			49.7	62.4	66.7	$14,169	$106	$11,990
Junior-Senior High School At Palmyra	Public	9-12	425 F St	Palmyra	68418	Otoe County	Palmyra District O R 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 780-5327	181	24	7.4	18.2%	171 (94.5%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.2%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	87.7	14^th of 146 public high schools	90.4%		66.9	60^th of 168 public high schools	64.3%	46				65.0	75.0	$24,310	$439	$19,955
High School At Syracuse	Public	9-12	1500 Education Dr	Syracuse	68446	Otoe County	Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 269-2381	228	20	11.5	19.7%	213 (93.4%)	2 (0.9%)	6 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	88.2	13^th of 146 public high schools	91.1%		61.3	69^th of 168 public high schools	58.9%	56			76.3	67.8	67.8	$21,304	$649	$17,349

Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling High School

What district is Sterling High School in?

Sterling Public Schools

How many students attend Sterling High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 81 students attended Sterling High School.

What schools feed into Sterling High School?

Sterling High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Sterling Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Sterling High School?

Students at Sterling High School are 88% White, 12% Hispanic.

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Schools in Sterling, NE

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