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

The U School: Innovative Lab

Q: Is The U School: Innovative Lab a good school?

The U School: Innovative Lab ranks in the bottom 0.4% of Pennsylvania high schools.

Q: How many students attend The U School: Innovative Lab?

In the 2024-25 school year, 195 students attended The U School: Innovative Lab.

Q: What is the racial makeup of The U School: Innovative Lab?

Students at The U School: Innovative Lab are 78% African American, 16% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% White.

Public Grades 9-12

678^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 681 Pennsylvania High Schools

Better than 0% of Pennsylvania high schools

Summary

The U School: Innovative Lab is a public high school in Philadelphia, PA, serving 203 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 473 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The U School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Pennsylvania high schools over the past several years, with rankings ranging from 528 out of 537 in 2020-2021 to 678 out of 681 in 2024-2025. It has received a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger during this time period, indicating poor overall performance. The school significantly underperforms the district and state in Keystone Exam proficiency rates, with only 10% of 11th graders proficient or better in Literature in 2024-2025, compared to 49.1% for the district and 62.1% for the state. The U School's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 71.9% to 87.9%, lower than the district and state averages, and its dropout rate has been between 1.4% and 5.5%, higher than the averages.

Interestingly, the U School's performance is significantly lower than that of nearby high-performing schools like the High School of Engineering & Science and Bodine William W High School, which are also part of the Philadelphia City School District. These nearby schools have much higher proficiency rates, graduation rates, and overall rankings, despite serving similar student populations. The U School's higher per-student spending, ranging from $15,818 to $26,306, does not seem to translate into improved academic outcomes for the students.

195

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,084

Per pupil spending ?

104.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2000 N 7th St
Philadelphia, PA 19122

(215) 400-7450

District: Philadelphia City School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

77.9%

Hispanic:

16.4%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare The U School: Innovative Lab to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2019 → <1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (3% vs 52% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!Literature scores 52 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school3%

District avg35%

Pennsylvania avg52%

678^th of 681

Pennsylvania public high schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

53^rd of 54High Schools in the Philadelphia City School District

473^rd of 606Philadelphia City 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	1.4	678 of 681	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	608 of 686	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	618 of 674	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.2	629 of 634	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	1.4	528 of 537	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.7	689 of 693	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	7.8	271 of 276	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.8	205 of 284	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	212 of 260	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	44.9	239 of 513	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	5.9	614 of 665	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	12.9	253 of 274	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	2.2	646 of 651	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	589 of 664	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.4	586 of 652	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	14.6	567 of 662	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2024)53rd percentile+42 vs school

Male (2024)14th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2024)8th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2024)8th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Literature10%-52 vs state

Algebra I0%-44 vs state

Biology0%-49 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate The U School: Innovative Lab

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

What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, October 1, 2020

This school expects a lot from students, and the staff really cares about students. I have seen my son really grow there! Close Quote

Schools Near The U School: Innovative Lab

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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 (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	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 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
The U School: Innovative Lab	Public	9-12	2000 N 7th St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7450	195	14	14.3	104.1%	2 (1.0%)	152 (77.9%)	32 (16.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	1.4	678^th of 681 public high schools	0.4%		9	608^th of 686 public high schools	11.4%	70	0.0	0.0	10.0									$27,084	$7,288	$19,795
Philadelphia Military Academy at Elverson	Public, Magnet	9-12	2118-2160 N 13th Street	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7420	273	20	13.3	116.1%	7 (2.6%)	178 (65.2%)	69 (25.3%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.5%)	3.4	653^rd of 681 public high schools	4.1%		5.9	631^st of 686 public high schools	8.0%	22	3.6	7.3	25.9									$21,483	$8,070	$13,413
Technical Freire Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	2221 North Broad Street	Philadelphia	19132	Philadelphia County	Technical Freire Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 507-1111	541	33	16.3	90.8%	1 (0.2%)	498 (92.1%)	29 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.2%)	23.3	537^th of 681 public high schools	21.1%		17.1	570^th of 686 public high schools	16.9%	33	16.3	17.4	59.8									$24,291	$7,118	$17,172
YouthBuild Phila Charter School	Public, Charter	12	2309 N Broad St	Philadelphia	19132	Philadelphia County	Youth Build Phila Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(215) 627-8671	271	12	22.5	94.5%	6 (2.2%)	236 (87.1%)	16 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.8%)								(n/a)												$34,189	$11,613	$22,576
Kensington Creative & Performing Arts High School	Public	9-12	1901 N. Front St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7400	510	31	16.6	97.8%	28 (5.5%)	177 (34.7%)	280 (54.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.1%)	6.6	617^th of 681 public high schools	9.4%		5.9	630^th of 686 public high schools	8.2%	13	7.6	7.8	36.5									$21,887	$9,305	$12,582
High School of Engineering & Science	Public, Magnet	7-12	1600 W Norris St	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7380	851	31	27.8	99.1%	69 (8.1%)	477 (56.1%)	116 (13.6%)	141 (16.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (5.4%)	84.9	81^st of 681 public high schools	88.1%		78.4	125^th of 686 public high schools	81.8%	44	59.1	64.7	88.2		77.5	65.9	70.6		93.6	88.6	90.7	$18,455	$6,901	$11,555
Kensington Health Sciences	Public	9-12	2463 Emerald St	Philadelphia	19125	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3609	457	29	16.0	98.2%	37 (8.1%)	89 (19.5%)	311 (68.1%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.1%)	25.1	524^th of 681 public high schools	23.1%		14.8	580^th of 686 public high schools	15.5%	56	14.4	19.5	62.2									$21,544	$9,321	$12,223
Bodine William W High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1101 N 4th St	Philadelphia	19123	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7630	489	19	25.1	94.9%	61 (12.5%)	193 (39.5%)	136 (27.8%)	58 (11.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (8.0%)	57.5	317^th of 681 public high schools	53.5%		82.5	95^th of 686 public high schools	86.2%	222	39.6	47.7	72.0									$19,561	$7,698	$11,863
Kensington High School	Public	9-12	2501 Coral St	Philadelphia	19125	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7700	458	42	10.8	100.7%	33 (7.2%)	136 (29.7%)	258 (56.3%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.7%)	4.4	640^th of 681 public high schools	6.0%		5.9	632^nd of 686 public high schools	7.9%	8	9.0	9.0	25.4									$26,643	$11,068	$15,575
Penn Treaty School	Public	6-12	600 E Thompson St	Philadelphia	19125	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3800	398	41	9.8	107.0%	85 (21.4%)	160 (40.2%)	131 (32.9%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.5%)	6.3	622^nd of 681 public high schools	8.7%		3.6	658^th of 686 public high schools	4.1%	36	9.7	21.6	18.0	10.3	6.3	10.3	8.9	20.0	20.0	25.9	21.9	$26,007	$10,894	$15,113

Frequently Asked Questions about The U School: Innovative Lab

What district is The U School: Innovative Lab in?

Philadelphia City School District

How many students attend The U School: Innovative Lab?

In the 2024-25 school year, 195 students attended The U School: Innovative Lab.

Is The U School: Innovative Lab a good school?

The U School: Innovative Lab ranks in the bottom 0.4% of Pennsylvania high schools.

What is the racial makeup of The U School: Innovative Lab?

Students at The U School: Innovative Lab are 78% African American, 16% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% White.

Rate The U School: Innovative Lab!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania High School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Philadelphia, PA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for The U School: Innovative Lab!

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.