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Central Dauphin Middle School

Q: Is Central Dauphin Middle School a good school?

Central Dauphin Middle School ranks 196 th of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

196^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 78% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Central Dauphin Middle School is a public middle school serving 855 students in grades 6-8 in the Central Dauphin School District in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) test scores for Math and English Language Arts across all grade levels, ranking 196 out of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Dauphin Middle School excels in the performance of specific student subgroups, particularly African American students and English Language Learners. In 2024-2025, the school ranked 30th out of 393 Pennsylvania middle schools for African American students and 15th out of 145 Pennsylvania middle schools for English Language Learners, both with a 5-star rating. Additionally, the school has consistently low dropout rates, ranging from 0.0% to 1.7% over the past few years, which are lower than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, New Cumberland Middle School and Lower Dauphin Middle School, Central Dauphin Middle School maintains a higher academic performance and overall ranking. The school also outperforms the other middle schools in the Central Dauphin School District, such as Swatara Middle School and Central Dauphin East Middle School, in academic performance and student group rankings.

834

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,471

Per pupil spending ?

36.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4600 Locust Lane
Harrisburg, PA 17109

(717) 540-4606

District: Central Dauphin School District

Students who attend Central Dauphin Middle School usually attend:

High:

Central Dauphin Senior High School

Feeder schools for Central Dauphin Middle School:

Elementary:	Middle Paxton Elementary School
	Paxtonia Elementary School
	West Hanover Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.4%

African American:

10.2%

Asian:

10.0%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Central Dauphin Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Pennsylvania middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Central Dauphin School District

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg41%

Pennsylvania avg45%

196^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 15% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Middle Schools in the Central Dauphin School District

362^nd of 606Central Dauphin School District among Pennsylvania 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	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	73.0	196 of 873	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.7	189 of 891	78.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	197 of 893	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	74.0	199 of 883	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	74.0	162 of 797	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	75.1	201 of 891	77.4%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	217 of 861	74.8%	★★★★☆
2017	76.6	190 of 877	78.3%	★★★★☆
2016	73.4	217 of 870	75.1%	★★★★☆
2015	80.9	124 of 835	85.1%	★★★★☆
2014	73.9	176 of 728	75.8%	★★★★☆
2013	69.7	244 of 758	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	73.2	233 of 834	72.1%	★★★★☆
2011	66.6	316 of 825	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.8	223 of 805	72.3%	★★★★☆
2009	74.9	168 of 770	78.2%	★★★★☆
2008	74.2	168 of 753	77.7%	★★★★☆
2007	74.8	162 of 749	78.4%	★★★★☆
2006	78.5	125 of 736	83.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	85.4	30 of 393	92.4%	★★★★★
2024	86.9	25 of 408	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	84.3	39 of 421	90.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	115 of 138	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.3	103 of 145	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	105 of 144	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	50.9	230 of 643	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	227 of 672	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.3	210 of 660	68.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	72.4	15 of 145	89.7%	★★★★★
2024	75.6	16 of 150	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	22 of 143	84.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	70.4	211 of 835	74.7%	★★★★☆
2024	74.6	186 of 860	78.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	61.4	97 of 348	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	57.1	126 of 362	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.2	162 of 362	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	79.2	106 of 843	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.4	202 of 877	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	69.7	202 of 874	76.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	72.8	178 of 839	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	187 of 870	78.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	62.3	71 of 199	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.6	81 of 187	56.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	64.8	186 of 649	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	68.7	165 of 673	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	68.2	177 of 681	74.0%	★★★★☆

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)92nd percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)90th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)87th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)79th percentile~ school

Female (2025)75th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)71st percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)64th percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2025)64th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2025)17th percentile-61 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts58%+9 vs state

Math41%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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by a student
Friday, May 5, 2017

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Schools Near Central Dauphin Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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 (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	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	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
Central Dauphin Middle School	Public	6-8	4600 Locust Lane	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 540-4606	834	57	14.6	36.7%	554 (66.4%)	85 (10.2%)	64 (7.7%)	83 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.8%)	73	196^th of 873 public middle schools	77.5%		75.7	189^th of 891 public middle schools	78.8%	7	46.3	42.2	35.1	41.1	55.3	60.3	57.8	57.9	$15,471	$570	$14,901
Central Dauphin East Middle School	Public	6-8	628 Rutherford Rd	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 545-4709	702	56	12.4	94.4%	132 (18.8%)	209 (29.8%)	142 (20.2%)	154 (21.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (8.7%)	26.6	625^th of 873 public middle schools	28.4%		30.5	616^th of 891 public middle schools	30.9%	9	21.1	8.4	15.9	15.4	38.8	23.8	38.8	33.9	$18,082	$1,043	$17,039
Susquehanna Township Middle School	Public	6-8	801 Wood St	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Susquehanna Township School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 657-5125	820	47	17.4	63.0%	142 (17.3%)	262 (32.0%)	146 (17.8%)	166 (20.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	100 (12.2%)	23.7	649^th of 873 public middle schools	25.7%		25.8	645^th of 891 public middle schools	27.6%	4	14.2	15.5	13.8	14.5	26.4	35.3	32.7	31.3	$18,782	$873	$17,909
Marshall Math Science Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	301 Hale Avenue	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(717) 703-1200	408	24	17.0	93.1%	20 (4.9%)	203 (49.8%)	154 (37.7%)	12 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.7%)	29.9	595^th of 873 public middle schools	31.8%		44.6	517^th of 891 public middle schools	42.0%	78	12.0	11.9	7.8	10.7	29.0	47.0	46.6	40.9	$24,599	$82	$24,516
Linglestown Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 N Mountain Rd	Harrisburg	17112	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 657-3060	841	57	14.7	96.9%	439 (52.2%)	134 (15.9%)	91 (10.8%)	117 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.1%)	49.1	444^th of 873 public middle schools	49.1%		62.9	331^st of 891 public middle schools	62.9%	113	32.1	25.6	25.2	27.6	45.6	38.7	54.4	46.1	$15,575	$547	$15,027
Rowland Academy	Public	7-8	1842 Derry Street	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4500	353	15	23.4	163.5%	5 (1.4%)	132 (37.4%)	203 (57.5%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	4.7	873^rd of 873 public middle schools	0.0%		4.5	884^th of 891 public middle schools	0.8%	11		0.0	0.0	0.0		3.0	4.4	3.7	$23,402	$78	$23,324
Swatara Middle School	Public	6-8	1101 Highland St	Steelton	17113	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 939-9363	611	53	11.5	105.4%	116 (19.0%)	195 (31.9%)	141 (23.1%)	92 (15.1%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (10.1%)	24.9	641^st of 873 public middle schools	26.6%		26.7	639^th of 891 public middle schools	28.3%	2	16.5	15.9	15.6	16.0	31.2	31.2	32.3	31.5	$16,674	$1,001	$15,673
Camp Curtin Academy	Public	6-8	2900 N 6th Street	Harrisburg	17110	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4200	724	50	14.5	64.9%	24 (3.3%)	346 (47.8%)	311 (43.0%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.0%)	5.6	863^rd of 873 public middle schools	1.1%		5.1	878^th of 891 public middle schools	1.5%	15	1.0	1.7	0.9	1.1	8.3	9.9	13.9	9.8	$22,717	$76	$22,641
New Cumberland Middle School	Public	7-8	331 8th St	New Cumberland	17070	Cumberland County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 774-0162	389	35	11.0	65.6%	229 (58.9%)	38 (9.8%)	76 (19.5%)	21 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.9%)	61	324^th of 873 public middle schools	62.9%		58.5	380^th of 891 public middle schools	57.4%	56		44.2	24.5	34.4		48.1	49.5	48.7	$21,076	$1,179	$19,897
Lower Dauphin Middle School	Public	6-8	251 Quarry Rd	Hummelstown	17036	Dauphin County	Lower Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 566-5310	781	68	11.5	32.9%	622 (79.6%)	18 (2.3%)	72 (9.2%)	26 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.5%)	58.5	353^rd of 873 public middle schools	59.6%		72.9	220^th of 891 public middle schools	75.3%	133	33.7	33.9	32.3	33.2	52.2	55.0	42.6	49.5	$18,182	$309	$17,873

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Dauphin Middle School

What district is Central Dauphin Middle School in?

Central Dauphin School District

Is Central Dauphin Middle School a good school?

Central Dauphin Middle School ranks 196^th of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Dauphin Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 834 students attended Central Dauphin Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Central Dauphin Middle School attend?

Students who attend Central Dauphin Middle School usually go on to attend Central Dauphin Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Central Dauphin Middle School?

Students at Central Dauphin Middle School are 66% White, 10% African American, 10% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

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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.