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South Western Senior High School

Q: Is South Western Senior High School a good school?

South Western Senior High School ranks 305 th of 681 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

305^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 681 Pennsylvania High Schools

Better than 55% of Pennsylvania high schools

Summary

South Western Senior High School is a public high school in Hanover, Pennsylvania, serving 1,356 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the South Western School District, which is ranked 270 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Western Senior High School has consistently ranked in the top half of Pennsylvania high schools, with strong academic performance, particularly in Algebra I and Literature on the Keystone Exams. The school's four-year graduation rate has been around 87-95% in recent years, on par with the state average. Compared to nearby schools like Dover Area High School and West York Area High School, South Western Senior High School generally outperforms its peers in academic metrics.

While the school serves a diverse student population, including a significant number of low socioeconomic status students, it has shown strong performance for its African American, Hispanic, and low-income student subgroups, ranking in the top 25-134, 37-191, and 53-339 out of 252-287, 577-595, and 651-664 Pennsylvania high schools, respectively, in recent years. However, the school's White student subgroup has ranked lower, in the 140-329 range out of 577-595 Pennsylvania high schools. The school's per-student spending has increased from $14,640 in 2019-2020 to $16,872 in 2022-2023, which is higher than some nearby schools like Bermudian Springs High School and Littlestown Senior High School.

1,380

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,290

Per pupil spending ?

34.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Bowman Rd
Hanover, PA 17331-4212

(717) 633-4807

District: South Western School District

Feeder schools for South Western Senior High School:

Elementary:	Baresville Elementary School
	Manheim Elementary School
	Park Hills Elementary School
	West Manheim Elementary School
Middle:	Emory H Markle Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.9%

African American:

7.4%

Hispanic:

7.0%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare South Western Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2015 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Pennsylvania average (89%)

✓Above the Pennsylvania median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg53%

Pennsylvania avg52%

305^th of 681

Pennsylvania public high schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 25% (2015) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

270^th of 606South Western 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	58.5	305 of 681	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.0	224 of 686	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.6	122 of 674	81.9%	★★★★☆
2022	73.9	178 of 634	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	81.5	71 of 537	86.8%	★★★★☆
2019	79.2	127 of 693	81.7%	★★★★☆
2018	77.6	141 of 673	79.0%	★★★★☆
2017	80.5	105 of 663	84.2%	★★★★☆
2016	83.0	64 of 677	90.5%	★★★★★
2015	74.2	169 of 680	75.1%	★★★★☆
2014	77.2	93 of 580	84.0%	★★★★☆
2013	76.8	110 of 591	81.4%	★★★★☆
2012	56.4	357 of 664	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	72.4	178 of 660	73.0%	★★★★☆
2010	59.0	310 of 649	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.7	209 of 632	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.4	267 of 621	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.3	288 of 615	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.9	202 of 604	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.1	297 of 593	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	67.0	210 of 590	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2003	67.9	190 of 583	67.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	46.3	134 of 276	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.5	70 of 284	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	88.9	25 of 260	90.4%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	49.4	224 of 524	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.3	122 of 513	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	76.6	80 of 502	84.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	56.4	322 of 657	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	231 of 665	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	84.1	37 of 287	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	29.3	191 of 274	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	75.4	44 of 252	82.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	55.7	285 of 651	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	339 of 664	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	87.9	53 of 652	91.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	58.8	289 of 660	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.8	212 of 662	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	44.0	79 of 129	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	329 of 583	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.7	217 of 595	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.4	140 of 577	75.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)87th percentile+32 vs school

Disabled (2025)57th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile~ school

Male (2025)56th percentile~ school

African American (2025)51st percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)44th percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)39th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I58%+14 vs state

Literature56%-7 vs state

Biology49%~ state avg

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 10, 2011

The amount of programs offered for the kids is mind boggling! There is something for everyone. The rules are enforced so my children feel safe. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, February 10, 2011

The school goes to great lengths to communicate with parents and the community. They are open to suggestions and ways to improve the educational experience of students. Close Quote

Schools Near South Western Senior 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2025)	Keystone Exams Biology (2025)	Keystone Exams Literature (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 (2025)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Western Senior High School	Public	9-12	200 Bowman Rd	Hanover	17331	York County	South Western School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 633-4807	1,380	92	14.9	34.8%	1,117 (80.9%)	102 (7.4%)	97 (7.0%)	24 (1.7%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	36 (2.6%)	58.5	305^th of 681 public high schools	55.2%		68	224^th of 686 public high schools	67.3%	81	58.1	49.0	55.6	$17,290	$00	$17,290
Hanover Senior High School	Public	9-12	401 Moul Ave	Hanover	17331	York County	Hanover Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 637-9000	578	39	14.7	66.6%	355 (61.4%)	36 (6.2%)	133 (23.0%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.1%)	56	329^th of 681 public high schools	51.7%		54.2	351^st of 686 public high schools	48.8%	22	41.0	50.9	64.5	$14,958	$882	$14,076
Littlestown Senior High School	Public	9-12	200 E Myrtle St	Littlestown	17340	Adams County	Littlestown Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 359-4146	532	47	11.2	34.0%	486 (91.4%)	5 (0.9%)	25 (4.7%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	85	80^th of 681 public high schools	88.3%		82.2	98^th of 686 public high schools	85.7%	18	71.2	75.2	70.0	$19,390	$256	$19,134
New Oxford Senior High School	Public	9-12	130 Berlin Road	New Oxford	17350	Adams County	Conewago Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 624-2157	1,229	85	14.4	46.9%	918 (74.7%)	24 (2.0%)	243 (19.8%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (2.8%)	58.2	311^th of 681 public high schools	54.3%		53	364^th of 686 public high schools	46.9%	53	47.1	51.7	61.4	$17,034	$787	$16,247
Spring Grove Area High School	Public	9-12	1490 Roth Church Road	Spring Grove	17362	York County	Spring Grove Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 225-4731	1,163	81	14.3	38.9%	933 (80.2%)	64 (5.5%)	102 (8.8%)	8 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (4.6%)	68	230^th of 681 public high schools	66.2%		77.4	135^th of 686 public high schools	80.3%	95	48.2	58.0	69.7	$18,188	$682	$17,506
Susquehannock High School	Public	9-12	3280 Fissels Church Rd	Glen Rock	17327	York County	Southern York County School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 235-4811	857	66	12.9	27.9%	747 (87.2%)	46 (5.4%)	32 (3.7%)	10 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (2.2%)	83.2	88^th of 681 public high schools	87.1%		72.8	178^th of 686 public high schools	74.1%	90	60.7	67.4	77.8	$18,369	$245	$18,123
Gettysburg Area High School	Public	9-12	1130 Old Harrisburg Rd	Gettysburg	17325	Adams County	Gettysburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 334-6254	1,069	74	14.4	44.2%	762 (71.3%)	50 (4.7%)	189 (17.7%)	21 (2.0%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (4.0%)	72.6	186^th of 681 public high schools	72.7%		73.4	170^th of 686 public high schools	75.2%	16	56.7	63.0	65.6	$20,994	$896	$20,098
Adams County Technical Institute	Public	11-12	1126 Old Harrisburg RD	Gettysburg	17325	Adams County	Adams County Technical Institute	No	No	No	No	(717) 398-3178	5	8	.6		5 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Bermudian Springs High School	Public	9-12	7335 Carlisle Pike	York Springs	17372	Adams County	Bermudian Springs School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 528-4113	576	41	14.0	35.2%	454 (78.8%)	3 (0.5%)	99 (17.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.3%)	60.1	290^th of 681 public high schools	57.4%		44.1	439^th of 686 public high schools	36.0%	149	42.8	52.7	67.3	$16,061	$38	$16,023
Dover Area High School	Public	9-12	4500 Intermediate Ave	Dover	17315	York County	Dover Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 292-8066	979	62	15.7	98.7%	705 (72.0%)	65 (6.6%)	151 (15.4%)	11 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.5%)	70.2	210^th of 681 public high schools	69.2%		58.5	312^th of 686 public high schools	54.5%	102	57.8	54.6	67.9	$17,369	$308	$17,061

Frequently Asked Questions about South Western Senior High School

What district is South Western Senior High School in?

South Western School District

Is South Western Senior High School a good school?

South Western Senior High School ranks 305^th of 681 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South Western Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,380 students attended South Western Senior High School.

What schools feed into South Western Senior High School?

South Western Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Baresville Elementary School
Elementary : Manheim Elementary School
Elementary : Park Hills Elementary School
Elementary : West Manheim Elementary School
Middle : Emory H Markle Middle School

What is the racial makeup of South Western Senior High School?

Students at South Western Senior High School are 81% White, 7% African American, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest Pennsylvania data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 29, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesMar 27, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataJan 29, 2026

2024–25 Keystone Exams & PSSA scoresNov 13, 2025

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.