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South Salem High School

Q: Is South Salem High School a good school?

South Salem High School ranks 149 th of 271 Oregon high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend South Salem High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,195 students attended South Salem High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of South Salem High School?

Students at South Salem High School are 45% White, 38% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 1% Not Specified.

Q: What schools feed into South Salem High School?

South Salem High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bush Elementary School Elementary : Candalaria Elementary School Elementary : Hoover Elementary School Elementary : Lee Elementary School Elementary : McKinley Elementary School Elementary : Morningside Elementary School Elementary : Pringle Elementary School Elementary : Richmond Elementary School Middle : Judson Middle School Middle : Leslie Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

149^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 271 Oregon High Schools

Better than 45% of Oregon high schools

Summary

South Salem High School is a large comprehensive high school serving grades 9–12 in Salem, Oregon, with 2,195 students, making it the second-largest enrollment among its peers in Salem-Keizer School District 24J. The school’s statewide rank has been volatile: after falling to the 24th percentile in 2024-25, it rebounded to the 45th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-26, its best standing since 2022-23, though still far below its mid-2010s peak in the low 80s. Its intake is high-need, with 89.48% of students economically disadvantaged (though reporting has been erratic) and a student-teacher ratio of 23.5.

Academically, science is South Salem’s standout strength: 34.2% proficiency beats the district and state and ranks first among the district’s six comprehensive high schools, ahead of West Salem High School (25.2%) and North Salem High School (13.8%). Math is the defining weakness at 18.2%—roughly half the state rate—but it is still the second-best among those same comprehensive peers, behind only West Salem (24.4%). English language arts is solidly mid-pack at 41.5%, above the district and just below the state. The graduation rate is a relative strength: 86.7% in 2024-25, exceeding both district and state for five straight years.

Chronic absenteeism remains a serious, persistent problem, with 51.0% of students chronically absent in 2024-25—roughly half the student body and well above district and state rates. Among peers, South Salem has lower absenteeism than McKay High School (65.6%) and Roberts High School (78.0%), but higher than McNary High School (48.5%) and West Salem (41.8%). By contrast, Early College High School—small, selective, and in the same district—posts 100% graduation and 13.2% absenteeism, showing what a different model can achieve. Special education students remain the school’s most consistent subgroup weakness, ranking in the bottom quartile for three years. Overall, South Salem outperforms its district in ELA and science, graduates students above state norms, but struggles with math mastery and attendance.

2,195

Students ?

23.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,565

Per pupil spending ?

89.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

94.7%

Students (K-12) with all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 4.5% (any vaccine)

1910 Church St SE
Salem, OR 97302-3018

(503) 399-3252

District: Salem-Keizer School District 24J

Feeder schools for South Salem High School:

Elementary:	Bush Elementary School
	Candalaria Elementary School
	Hoover Elementary School
	Lee Elementary School
	More...
	McKinley Elementary School
	Morningside Elementary School
	Pringle Elementary School
	Richmond Elementary School
Middle:	Judson Middle School
	Leslie Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.9%

Hispanic:

38.4%

Two or more races:

7.5%

See top rated Oregon high schools

Compare South Salem High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2015 → 45th in 2026

Strengths

✓87% graduate in 4 years — above the Oregon average (83%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Oregon average (31% vs 37% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (51% vs 34% Oregon)

!Ranking has slipped — down 38 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg28%

Oregon avg37%

149^th of 271

Oregon public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 37 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Oregon High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7High Schools in the Salem-Keizer School District 24J

105^th of 141Salem-Keizer School District 24J among Oregon 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	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	42.0	149 of 271	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.9	204 of 270	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	187 of 268	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	118 of 258	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.7	160 of 241	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.2	47 of 266	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	58.6	117 of 283	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.1	92 of 283	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	74.1	52 of 292	82.2%	★★★★☆
2015	75.3	50 of 292	82.9%	★★★★☆
2014	66.2	103 of 301	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.6	105 of 303	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	45.4	200 of 308	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	56.4	162 of 299	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	67.7	92 of 285	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.8	144 of 263	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.0	113 of 249	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.1	81 of 244	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	37.1	164 of 235	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.7	169 of 231	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	35.1	163 of 225	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	21 of 24	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.7	7 of 15	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.4	8 of 31	74.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	56.1	15 of 39	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	13.6	35 of 35	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	25 of 37	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.0	17 of 20	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	92.2	2 of 34	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	37.5	30 of 43	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	12 of 23	47.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	123 of 214	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.9	164 of 211	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.8	150 of 213	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.9	96 of 200	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	24.7	152 of 194	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	71.2	50 of 199	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.1	88 of 251	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	50.0	44 of 75	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	19.8	66 of 74	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.2	43 of 69	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	43 of 75	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	80.1	6 of 46	87.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	17 of 43	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	85 of 134	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.8	83 of 138	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.9	106 of 132	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	87 of 134	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.6	108 of 123	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	76.5	18 of 144	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	42.3	95 of 156	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2025	16.5	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	36.3	93 of 152	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.1	143 of 166	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	127 of 170	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.2	65 of 224	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	34.9	159 of 241	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.3	55 of 229	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	44.5	139 of 254	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	40.2	129 of 226	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.1	178 of 237	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.8	151 of 216	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.4	107 of 214	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.5	108 of 200	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	81.1	32 of 206	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	50.1	123 of 250	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2023	30.7	15 of 20	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	48 of 78	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.7	44 of 69	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.1	40 of 68	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	32 of 69	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.4	38 of 47	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	47 of 66	28.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.6	55 of 98	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2018	71.0	4 of 14	71.4%	★★★★☆

Non-Binary

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2023	53.3	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2023	55.7	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆
2018	18.4	10 of 12	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	67 of 93	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.2	75 of 94	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	56 of 69	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.4	34 of 80	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.1	18 of 53	66.0%	★★★★☆
2019	66.3	18 of 98	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	61.6	33 of 132	75.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Oregon percentile	Rating
2026	54.9	105 of 251	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.1	171 of 250	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	131 of 244	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.3	64 of 237	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	46.3	123 of 228	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	78.6	38 of 245	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	91 of 266	65.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Native American (2018)71st percentile+13 vs school

Asian (2026)62nd percentile+17 vs school

White (2026)58th percentile+13 vs school

Pacific Islander (2023)50th percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)48th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)43rd percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)41st percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)38th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)37th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)28th percentile-17 vs school

Migrant (2023)25th percentile-29 vs school

African American (2026)12th percentile-33 vs school

Homeless (2025)7th percentile-18 vs school

Non-Binary (2023)<1st percentile-54 vs school

By subject vs Oregon (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Science34%+4 vs state

Mathematics18%-15 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near South Salem High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				OSAS English Language Arts (2026)				OSAS Mathematics (2026)				OSAS Science (2026)			Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	OSAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts 11th Grade	OSAS English Language Arts All Grades	OSAS Mathematics 7th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 8th Grade	OSAS Mathematics 11th Grade	OSAS Mathematics All Grades	OSAS Science 8th Grade	OSAS Science 11th Grade	OSAS Science All Grades	Vaccination: Students (K-12) with all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Salem High School	Public	9-12	1910 Church St SE	Salem	97302	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3252	2,195	93	23.5	89.5%	985 (44.9%)	37 (1.7%)	843 (38.4%)	69 (3.1%)	13 (0.6%)	56 (2.6%)	165 (7.5%)	42	149^th of 271 public high schools	45.0%		26.9	204^th of 270 public high schools	24.4%	55			41.5	41.5			18.2	18.2		34.2	34.2	94.7%	4.5%	$19,565	$1,178	$18,387
North Salem High School	Public	9-12	765 14th St NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 399-3241	2,107	105	20.1	89.3%	421 (20.0%)	67 (3.2%)	1,357 (64.4%)	42 (2.0%)	15 (0.7%)	85 (4.0%)	109 (5.2%)	13	247^th of 271 public high schools	8.9%		15.6	237^th of 270 public high schools	12.2%	10			24.8	24.8			8.2	8.2		13.8	13.8	95.7%	3.2%	$20,587	$1,383	$19,203
Roberts High School	Public	7-12	3620 State St SE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 391-4075	515	42	12.3	—	193 (37.5%)	8 (1.6%)	248 (48.2%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.2%)	6 (1.2%)	44 (8.5%)								(n/a)	16.0	24.1	< 5%	13.3	12.0	10.7	< 5%	7.3	34.5	6.3	16.9			$43,117	$984	$42,133
Sprague High School	Public	9-12	2373 Kuebler Blvd S	Salem	97302	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3261	1,712	70	24.4	88.8%	1,056 (61.7%)	36 (2.1%)	333 (19.5%)	56 (3.3%)	14 (0.8%)	34 (2.0%)	165 (9.6%)	31.6	185^th of 271 public high schools	31.7%		29.7	193^rd of 270 public high schools	28.5%	8			38.2	38.2			12.0	12.0		29.4	29.4	92.8%	7%	$19,497	$1,070	$18,427
Willamette Career Academy	Public	11-12	1200 Lancaster Dr NE	Salem	97301	Marion County	Willamette Education Service District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 370-5000	0	7	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)														$00	$00	$00
West Salem High School	Public	9-12	1776 Titan Way	Salem	97304	Polk County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-5533	1,606	64	25.0	89.5%	903 (56.2%)	39 (2.4%)	426 (26.5%)	40 (2.5%)	14 (0.9%)	22 (1.4%)	148 (9.2%)	45.4	132^nd of 271 public high schools	51.3%		37.7	162^nd of 270 public high schools	40.0%	30			46.3	46.3			24.4	24.4		25.2	25.2	94.8%	5.1%	$20,199	$1,103	$19,096
McKay High School	Public	9-12	2440 Lancaster Dr NE	Salem	97305	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(503) 399-3080	2,380	96	24.6	90.2%	352 (14.8%)	23 (1.0%)	1,751 (73.6%)	69 (2.9%)	11 (0.5%)	108 (4.5%)	61 (2.6%)	16.8	236^th of 271 public high schools	12.9%		6.1	266^th of 270 public high schools	1.5%	30			29.6	29.6			10.2	10.2		15.8	15.8	96.5%	2.1%	$19,282	$1,190	$18,091
Early College High School	Public	9-12	4071 Winema Pl Bldg 50	Salem	97305	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 365-4800	193	10	18.6	—	66 (34.2%)	4 (2.1%)	85 (44.0%)	9 (4.7%)	2 (1.0%)	5 (2.6%)	18 (9.3%)	99.6	1^st of 271 public high schools	99.6%		99.7	2^nd of 270 public high schools	99.3%	1			89.7	89.7			74.4	74.4		82.1	82.1	96%	3.4%	$28,660	$1,993	$26,668
McNary High School	Public	9-12	595 Chemawa Rd N	Keizer	97303	Marion County	Salem-Keizer School District 24J	No	(n/a)	No	No	(503) 399-3233	1,995	82	24.2	89.9%	890 (44.6%)	20 (1.0%)	850 (42.6%)	26 (1.3%)	8 (0.4%)	44 (2.2%)	136 (6.8%)	37.9	165^th of 271 public high schools	39.1%		37.1	166^th of 270 public high schools	38.5%	1			43.3	43.3			17.3	17.3		27.7	27.7	95.8%	4%	$19,445	$1,113	$18,331
Chemawa Indian School	Public	9-12	3700 Chemawa Rd NE	Salem	97305	Marion County	Chemawa Indian School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(503) 919-2706	198	16	12.3	—	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	198 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												100%	0%

Frequently Asked Questions about South Salem High School

Is South Salem High School a good school?

South Salem High School ranks 149^th of 271 Oregon high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is South Salem High School in?

Salem-Keizer School District 24J

How many students attend South Salem High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,195 students attended South Salem High School.

What is the racial makeup of South Salem High School?

Students at South Salem High School are 45% White, 38% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 1% Not Specified.

What schools feed into South Salem High School?

South Salem High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bush Elementary School
Elementary : Candalaria Elementary School
Elementary : Hoover Elementary School
Elementary : Lee Elementary School
Elementary : McKinley Elementary School
Elementary : Morningside Elementary School
Elementary : Pringle Elementary School
Elementary : Richmond Elementary School
Middle : Judson Middle School
Middle : Leslie Middle School

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Latest Oregon data All new data »

2015–16 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2014–15 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 OSAS test scoresSep 25, 2026

2023–24 through 2024–25 school spending dataAug 24, 2026

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