Central High School

Public 9-12

1700 W Olney Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19141-1105

(215) 400-3590

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
5^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,222

Student/teacher ratio: 20.3

Number of students: 2,364

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

35.4%

White:

28.0%

African American:

21.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Central High School ranks better than 99.3% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 2^nd among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.06. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Central High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Central High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (35.4%), White (28%), African American (21.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central High School is 20.3. 50 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Central High School employs 116.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central High School is $14,222. 48 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Central High School 5^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Philadelphia City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Philadelphia City School District 494^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Central High School

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Rank History for all students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	98.10	2^nd	583	99.7%
2004	97.62	3^rd	590	99.5%
2005	95.21	5^th	593	99.2%
2006	94.00	3^rd	604	99.5%
2007	94.17	2^nd	615	99.7%
2008	95.99	2^nd	621	99.7%
2009	96.43	2^nd	632	99.7%
2010	96.12	1^st	649	99.8%
2011	95.20	2^nd	660	99.7%
2012	94.35	3^rd	664	99.5%
2013	96.72	3^rd	591	99.5%
2014	95.90	3^rd	580	99.5%
2015	95.07	3^rd	680	99.6%
2016	93.13	3^rd	677	99.6%
2017	93.90	3^rd	663	99.5%
2018	94.41	3^rd	673	99.6%
2019	94.97	4^th	693	99.4%
2021	92.63	5^th	537	99.1%
2022	94.53	4^th	634	99.4%
2023	97.06	5^th	674	99.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	94.86	4^th	129	96.9%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	99.63	2^nd	652	99.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	81.25	22^nd	112	80.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	99.42	2^nd	260	99.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	99.67	1^st	252	99.6%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	97.39	7^th	577	98.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Central High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	900	714	349	60	2	n/a	n/a	-1	2024
1989	942	722	381	53	3	n/a	n/a	0	2101
1990	883	713	347	63	2	n/a	n/a	0	2008
1991	882	742	325	66	4	n/a	n/a	0	2019
1992	898	818	342	77	5	n/a	n/a	0	2140
1993	966	780	374	80	4	n/a	n/a	0	2204
1994	1024	756	404	82	6	n/a	n/a	0	2272
1995	1061	648	475	78	3	n/a	n/a	0	2265
1996	1061	648	475	78	3	n/a	n/a	0	2265
1997	1028	695	461	95	5	n/a	n/a	0	2284
1998	996	738	463	125	6	n/a	n/a	0	2328
1999	1019	770	486	124	9	n/a	n/a	0	2408
2000	1063	838	502	132	8	n/a	n/a	0	2543
2001	1017	834	552	132	6	n/a	n/a	0	2541
2002	942	782	574	133	5	n/a	n/a	0	2436
2003	942	782	574	133	5	n/a	n/a	0	2436
2004	894	774	563	151	3	n/a	n/a	0	2385
2005	854	740	555	160	5	n/a	n/a	0	2314
2006	785	744	562	158	4	n/a	n/a	0	2253
2007	739	723	572	184	5	n/a	n/a	0	2223
2008	719	684	613	176	6	n/a	n/a	22	2220
2009	699	682	636	168	3	n/a	n/a	24	2212
2010	676	756	697	166	5	n/a	n/a	31	2331
2011	678	764	719	179	7	0	37	0	2384
2012	626	768	723	178	6	0	59	0	2360
2013	584	721	746	203	9	0	66	0	2329
2014	590	710	716	204	8	0	83	0	2311
2015	532	669	729	192	4	0	101	0	2227
2016	531	602	772	193	5	0	138	0	2241
2017	551	611	824	187	7	0	136	0	2316
2018	593	564	875	185	7	0	147	0	2371
2019	634	499	925	174	7	1	157	0	2397
2020	683	472	934	182	6	1	134	0	2412
2021	732	435	938	187	3	2	119	0	2416
2022	744	427	910	191	4	2	103	0	2381
2023	662	517	836	240	8	2	99	0	2364

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2024	102.0	19.8	n/a
1989	2101	107.0	19.6	n/a
1990	2008	104.0	19.3	0
1991	2019	97.0	20.8	n/a
1992	2140	95.0	22.5	n/a
1993	2204	97.0	22.7	n/a
1994	2272	93.0	24.4	n/a
1995	2265	96.0	23.6	n/a
1996	2265	96.0	23.6	n/a
1997	2284	95.0	24.0	n/a
1998	2328	91.0	25.6	n/a
1999	2408	100.0	24.1	n/a
2000	2543	114.0	22.3	18.6
2001	2541	117.0	21.7	16.8
2002	2436	110.0	22.1	16.4
2003	2436	110.0	22.1	16.4
2004	2385	106.7	22.4	16.4
2005	2314	104.9	22.1	17.2
2006	2253	104.9	21.5	37
2007	2223	107.1	20.8	29
2008	2220	102.7	21.6	35.9
2009	2212	100.5	22.0	33
2010	2331	107.9	21.6	37.8
2011	2384	111.7	21.3	33.8
2012	2360	102.3	23.0	34.2
2013	2329	98.9	23.5	n/a
2014	2311	95.0	24.3	49.1
2015	2227	94.0	23.6	50.1
2016	2241	56.0	40.0	100
2017	2316	101.1	22.8	100
2018	2371	90.8	26.1	100
2019	2397	97.3	24.6	100
2020	2412	99.8	24.1	100
2021	2416	98.8	24.4	99.9
2022	2381	98.8	24.0	99.9
2023	2364	116.1	20.3	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2024	102.0	19.8	n/a
1989	2101	107.0	19.6	n/a
1990	2008	104.0	19.3	0
1991	2019	97.0	20.8	n/a
1992	2140	95.0	22.5	n/a
1993	2204	97.0	22.7	n/a
1994	2272	93.0	24.4	n/a
1995	2265	96.0	23.6	n/a
1996	2265	96.0	23.6	n/a
1997	2284	95.0	24.0	n/a
1998	2328	91.0	25.6	n/a
1999	2408	100.0	24.1	n/a
2000	2543	114.0	22.3	18.6
2001	2541	117.0	21.7	16.8
2002	2436	110.0	22.1	16.4
2003	2436	110.0	22.1	16.4
2004	2385	106.7	22.4	16.4
2005	2314	104.9	22.1	17.2
2006	2253	104.9	21.5	37
2007	2223	107.1	20.8	29
2008	2220	102.7	21.6	35.9
2009	2212	100.5	22.0	33
2010	2331	107.9	21.6	37.8
2011	2384	111.7	21.3	33.8
2012	2360	102.3	23.0	34.2
2013	2329	98.9	23.5	n/a
2014	2311	95.0	24.3	49.1
2015	2227	94.0	23.6	50.1
2016	2241	56.0	40.0	100
2017	2316	101.1	22.8	100
2018	2371	90.8	26.1	100
2019	2397	97.3	24.6	100
2020	2412	99.8	24.1	100
2021	2416	98.8	24.4	99.9
2022	2381	98.8	24.0	99.9
2023	2364	116.1	20.3	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Central High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,004 (9.1%)	$10,060 (90.9%)	$11,064
2020	$967 (8.4%)	$10,485 (91.6%)	$11,452
2021	$2,365 (19.6%)	$9,694 (80.4%)	$12,059
2022	$7,333 (51.6%)	$6,889 (48.4%)	$14,222

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 4^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 5^th of 674 High schools	0.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Central High School)	99.5	88.2	11.3%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Central High School)	98.3	80.2	18.1%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Central High School)	99.5	98.4	1.1%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2397	2364	1.4%
African American	499	517	3.6%
American Indian	7	8	14.3%
Asian	925	836	9.6%
Hispanic	174	240	37.9%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	634	662	4.4%
Two or More Races	157	99	36.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Central High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	PSSA Math (2023)				PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science 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 High School	Public	9-12	1700 W Olney Ave	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-3590	2,364	116	20.3	100.0%	662 (28.0%)	517 (21.9%)	240 (10.2%)	836 (35.4%)	8 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	99 (4.2%)	97.1	5^th of 674 public high schools	99.3%		94.5	4^th of 634 public high schools	99.4%	1	88.2	80.2	98.4											$14,222	$7,333	$6,889
Girls High School	Public	9-12	1400 W Olney Ave	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-3700	894	46	19.4	100.0%	43 (4.8%)	618 (69.1%)	93 (10.4%)	107 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.7%)	44.7	425^th of 674 public high schools	36.9%		76.6	148^th of 634 public high schools	76.7%	277	25.1	35.8	70.6											$15,995	$8,504	$7,491
Imhotep Institute Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	6201 N. 21st Street	Philadelphia	19138	Philadelphia County	Imhotep Institute Charter High School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 438-4140	597	29	20.5		0 (0.0%)	578 (96.8%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.8%)	9.4	606^th of 674 public high schools	10.1%		1.9	632^nd of 634 public high schools	0.3%	26	7.3	5.6	40.2											$17,188	$5,247	$11,941
Building 21	Public	9-12	6501 Limekiln Pike	Philadelphia	19138	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-7450	388	20	19.2	100.0%	2 (0.5%)	340 (87.6%)	31 (8.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	3	668^th of 674 public high schools	0.9%		4.6	600^th of 634 public high schools	5.4%	68	0.0	0.0	19.7											$19,436	$10,686	$8,750
King Martin Luther High School	Public	9-12	6100 Stenton Ave	Philadelphia	19138	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-3500	498	44	11.2	100.0%	3 (0.6%)	468 (94.0%)	19 (3.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	2.9	669^th of 674 public high schools	0.7%		3.3	616^th of 634 public high schools	2.8%	53	0.0	6.1	14.3											$20,995	$10,700	$10,295
Parkway Northwest	Public	9-12	6200 Crittenden St.	Philadelphia	19138	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-3390	258	18	14.6	100.0%	2 (0.8%)	233 (90.3%)	8 (3.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.4%)	16.5	568^th of 674 public high schools	15.7%		10.2	567^th of 634 public high schools	10.6%	1	1.8	5.3	55.7											$20,615	$10,848	$9,767
Olney High School	Public	9-12	100 W Duncannon Ave	Philadelphia	19120	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-4000	1,196	23	51.5	99.7%	13 (1.1%)	412 (34.4%)	661 (55.3%)	67 (5.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.5%)	5.8	632^nd of 674 public high schools	6.2%					(n/a)	6.1	8.2	25.0
Mastery Cs-Pickett Campus	Public, Charter	6-12	5700 Wayne Avenue	Philadelphia	19144	Philadelphia County	Mastery CS-Pickett Campus	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 866-9000	938	62	15.1		0 (0.0%)	879 (93.7%)	39 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.7%)	9	607^th of 674 public high schools	9.9%		4.5	603^rd of 634 public high schools	4.9%	4	4.0	13.0	39.2	8.7	8.2	7.8	8.2	11.8	11.8	29.6	27.0	21.5	25.9	$22,415	$5,415	$17,000
Mastery Cs-Gratz Campus	Public, Charter	7-12	1798 West Hunting Park Avenue	Philadelphia	19140	Philadelphia County	Mastery CS-Gratz Campus	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 227-4408	1,160	67	17.2		5 (0.4%)	1,020 (87.9%)	102 (8.8%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.2%)	5.1	640^th of 674 public high schools	5.0%		2.2	630^th of 634 public high schools	0.6%	10	4.7	8.6	22.0		12.9	11.8	12.3	14.9	14.9		30.0	29.1	29.5	$21,794	$4,913	$16,881
Multicultural Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	3821 N. Broad St.	Philadelphia	19140	Philadelphia County	Multicultural Academy Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 227-0513	250	17	14.4		1 (0.4%)	214 (85.6%)	19 (7.6%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.4%)	48.3	394^th of 674 public high schools	41.5%					(n/a)	22.8	52.2	61.4											$18,350	$3,330	$15,021

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

What district is Central High School in?

Philadelphia City School District

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,364 students attended Central High School.

Is Central High School a good school?

Yes! Central High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 5^th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 35% Asian, 28% White, 22% African American, 10% Hispanic, 4% 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.

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