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

Universal Institute Charter School

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-9

1180^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Alternative Schools

Better than 22% of Pennsylvania alternative schools

Summary

Universal Institute Charter School is an alternative public charter school in Philadelphia, PA that serves 563 students in grades KG-9. The school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 78.27% to 100.18% over the past few years.

While Universal Institute has relatively low dropout rates compared to nearby charter schools, its academic performance is significantly below state and local averages. In 2024-2025, only 19.2% of students were proficient or better in Math compared to the state average of 41.7%, and 31.5% were proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 48.5%. This trend has been declining over the past few years. When compared to nearby charter schools like Esperanza Academy Charter School and Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, Universal Institute's proficiency rates are much lower in both Math and English Language Arts.

Despite spending between $16,338 to $23,101 per student, which is higher than the state average and most of the nearby charter schools, Universal Institute's academic performance remains significantly below state and local averages. The school's student-teacher ratio has also been higher than the nearby charter schools, ranging from 15.5 to 21.5 over the past few years. These factors suggest that Universal Institute Charter School may be facing significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students, and the school's leadership and the local community may need to closely examine the factors contributing to these performance issues and implement targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.

597

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,937

Per pupil spending ?

94.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

800 S 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146

(215) 732-7988

District: Universal Institute Charter School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.1%

Hispanic:

4.7%

Two or more races:

1.2%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Universal Institute Charter School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 10th percentile in 2021 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2021

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (25% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

Pennsylvania avg45%

Elementary school

1,180^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

590^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	21.3	1180 of 1511	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.6	1249 of 1526	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.0	1227 of 1534	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	1241 of 1534	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.8	1285 of 1433	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	1322 of 1544	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	1335 of 1530	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	9.3	1374 of 1547	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	8.0	1408 of 1554	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.3	1276 of 1474	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.6	1420 of 1599	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	20.9	1391 of 1597	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	10.1	1474 of 1579	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	26.5	1309 of 1549	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.7	1226 of 1551	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	23.7	1325 of 1555	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	18.9	1347 of 1545	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	10.9	1173 of 1299	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	3.2	1224 of 1308	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	5.3	1206 of 1302	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	60.7	111 of 413	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	57.1	156 of 437	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.1	118 of 437	73.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	19.8	883 of 1030	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.2	879 of 1084	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.0	1023 of 1043	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	22.9	1128 of 1466	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	1217 of 1488	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	47.1	754 of 1369	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.9	1066 of 1432	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	1024 of 1414	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	1169 of 1475	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.4	1232 of 1495	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	30.5	590 of 873	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.0	618 of 891	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	592 of 893	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.1	651 of 883	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	663 of 797	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.2	719 of 891	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	663 of 861	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.6	657 of 877	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.0	653 of 870	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	29.8	589 of 835	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.2	609 of 834	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.1	613 of 825	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.9	598 of 805	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	46.1	515 of 770	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	41.1	524 of 753	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.9	512 of 749	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	39.3	522 of 736	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	19.1	587 of 687	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	91 of 393	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	63.7	107 of 408	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	85 of 421	79.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	18.1	603 of 643	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	33.2	435 of 672	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	430 of 660	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	545 of 835	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	582 of 860	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	55.0	349 of 843	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	491 of 877	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.2	425 of 874	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	25.4	618 of 839	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	643 of 870	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

African American (2025)73rd percentile+51 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)45th percentile+23 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)21st percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)14th percentile-8 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)77th percentile+44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)59th percentile+26 vs school

Female (2025)35th percentile~ school

Male (2025)26th percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2025)6th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts32%-17 vs state

Math19%-22 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Universal Institute Charter School

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 Universal Institute Charter School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2025)	Keystone Exams Biology (2025)	Keystone Exams Literature (2025)	PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Universal Institute Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-9	800 S 15th Street	Philadelphia	19146	Philadelphia County	Universal Institute Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 732-7988	597	33	18.0	94.5%	2 (0.3%)	556 (93.1%)	28 (4.7%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)								(n/a)				29.1	28.6	9.7	25.0	1.8	19.0	19.2	25.4	28.6	23.0	41.6	29.9	39.7	31.5	$19,937	$7,816	$12,122
The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Magnet, Alternative	K-12	440 North Broad St	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	(215) 400-3110	913	15	59.0	76.3%	101 (11.1%)	552 (60.5%)	185 (20.3%)	30 (3.3%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (4.3%)								(n/a)	6.0	12.3	30.1	27.3			0.0	0.0	7.1	6.1	27.3			29.2	23.5	13.3	23.1	$9,841	$4,484	$5,357
Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2600 S Broad Street	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 551-4000	2,572	169	15.2	71.0%	717 (27.9%)	883 (34.3%)	375 (14.6%)	385 (15.0%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	208 (8.1%)								(n/a)	34.0	52.3	60.9	59.2	49.3	35.7	22.1	31.0	20.2	36.4	55.5	54.5	55.0	50.8	54.0	40.8	51.6	$18,131	$4,879	$13,252
Mastery Charter School -Thomas Campus	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	927 Johnston St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Mastery CS-Thomas Campus	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 236-0036	1,314	79	16.5	99.8%	116 (8.8%)	375 (28.5%)	526 (40.0%)	212 (16.1%)	30 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (4.2%)								(n/a)	37.4	31.3	58.8	44.4	45.7	39.0	57.0	19.6	36.1	39.5	43.3	55.5	37.5	53.5	40.6	49.3	46.5	$17,782	$5,672	$12,111
Belmont Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4030 Brown Street	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Belmont Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 823-8208	959	79	12.0	89.8%	4 (0.4%)	912 (95.1%)	36 (3.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)								(n/a)	1.6	8.3	17.7	15.2	14.8	3.0	0.0	3.0	4.5	6.9	19.0	16.4	14.9	16.2	19.7	17.2	17.2	$23,663	$6,257	$17,406
Mastery Cs-Hardy Williams	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	5400 Warrington Street	Philadelphia	19143	Philadelphia County	Mastery CS-Hardy Williams	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 724-2343	1,253	66	18.9	95.1%	2 (0.2%)	1,186 (94.7%)	35 (2.8%)	3 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	20 (1.6%)								(n/a)	25.0	18.2	52.4	27.6	18.5	14.1	9.8	15.4	18.3	17.2	22.1	21.3	26.7	25.9	28.5	34.0	26.9	$22,988	$5,454	$17,534
Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2501 Kensington Avenue	Philadelphia	19124	Philadelphia County	Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 288-2001	673	32	21.0	98.4%	0 (0.0%)	628 (93.3%)	27 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.9%)								(n/a)	26.7	17.8	53.3	28.3	22.2	16.7	14.8	9.3	7.2	16.3	39.7	27.8	26.4	38.9	20.4	34.0	31.2	$22,593	$5,315	$17,278
Penn Wood 9th Grade Academy	Public, Alternative	9	600 Cypress St	Yeadon	19050	Delaware County	William Penn School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(610) 284-8000	379	8	47.3	102.6%	17 (4.5%)	317 (83.6%)	21 (5.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.0%)								(n/a)																		$20,832	$1,025	$19,807
Esperanza Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	301 W Hunting Park Avenue	Philadelphia	19140	Philadelphia County	Esperanza Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 457-3667	1,637	126	12.9	89.8%	2 (0.1%)	77 (4.7%)	1,510 (92.2%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (2.8%)								(n/a)	30.4	29.4	48.5	19.2			3.5	6.2	2.8	5.2	31.9			18.4	28.9	22.8	23.9	$24,591	$6,922	$17,669
Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1100 East Erie Ave	Philadelphia	19124	Philadelphia County	Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 533-6700	1,237	92	13.3	100.5%	11 (0.9%)	107 (8.6%)	1,088 (88.0%)	24 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.6%)								(n/a)	26.4	37.1	50.5	21.7	16.3	5.0	5.0	8.0	6.9	10.5	25.0	24.7	16.7	43.3	24.1	35.6	28.2	$19,805	$6,696	$13,109

Frequently Asked Questions about Universal Institute Charter School

What district is Universal Institute Charter School in?

Universal Institute Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Universal Institute Charter School?

Students at Universal Institute Charter School are 93% African American, 5% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Is Universal Institute Charter School a good school?

Universal Institute Charter School ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Pennsylvania alternative schools.

How many students attend Universal Institute Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 597 students attended Universal Institute Charter School.

Rate Universal Institute Charter School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania Alternative School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Philadelphia, PA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Universal Institute Charter School!

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