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Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy

Public Grades 9-12

3^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 681 Pennsylvania High Schools

Better than 100% of Pennsylvania high schools

Summary

The Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy is a high-performing public high school located in Plains, Pennsylvania, serving just 84 students. Despite its small size, the school has consistently ranked among the top high schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for several consecutive years.

The school's academic performance is truly exceptional, with 94.4% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Keystone Exams/Algebra I, compared to just 24.3% in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District and 44.3% statewide. The school also maintains high graduation rates, ranging from 87.5% to 100% in recent years, while keeping dropout rates low, between 0% and 3.1%. Notably, the school serves a diverse population, with a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting it is providing educational opportunities to students from low-income backgrounds.

The Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy significantly outperforms the other high schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, as well as many of the nearby schools in other districts. For example, Wilkes-Barre Area High School, the largest high school in the district, has much lower proficiency rates on Keystone Exams compared to the STEM Academy. The school's small size, with a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio, may contribute to its ability to provide personalized attention and support to its students, leading to their strong academic performance.

Students ?

29.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$3,667

Per pupil spending ?

90.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2021 Wolfpack Way
Plains, PA 18705

(570) 826-7111

District: Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.3%

Hispanic:

15.1%

African American:

4.3%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 100th percentile in 2019 → 100th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Pennsylvania average (93% vs 52% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Pennsylvania high schools

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Pennsylvania average (89%)

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 29 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school93%

District avg33%

Pennsylvania avg52%

3^rd of 681

Pennsylvania public high schools ?

Top 1%▬ steady since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District

434^th of 606Wilkes-Barre Area 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	98.0	3 of 681	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	99.1	1 of 686	99.9%	★★★★★
2023	98.1	3 of 674	99.6%	★★★★★
2022	92.9	7 of 634	98.9%	★★★★★
2021	93.3	4 of 537	99.3%	★★★★★
2019	95.4	1 of 693	99.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	97.7	4 of 583	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	99.2	2 of 595	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	98.3	3 of 577	99.5%	★★★★★

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)

White (2025)99th percentile~ school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Literature100%+38 vs state

Algebra I94%+50 vs state

Biology83%+34 vs state

★

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Schools Near Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy

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 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	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
Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy	Public	9-12	2021 Wolfpack Way	Plains	18705	Luzerne County	Wilkes-Barre Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 826-7111	93	3	29.3	90.3%	70 (75.3%)	4 (4.3%)	14 (15.1%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	98	3^rd of 681 public high schools	99.6%		99.1	1^st of 686 public high schools	99.9%	2	94.4	83.3	100.0							$3,667	$00	$3,667
Wilkes-Barre Area High School	Public	9-12	2021 Wolfpack Way	Plains	18705	Luzerne County	Wilkes-Barre Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 826-7111	2,569	110	23.4	96.1%	666 (25.9%)	381 (14.8%)	1,323 (51.5%)	25 (1.0%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	169 (6.6%)	20.4	550^th of 681 public high schools	19.2%		24.2	541^st of 686 public high schools	21.1%	9	22.4	20.9	50.8							$11,678	$585	$11,094
West Side Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	75 Evans Street	Kingston	18704	Luzerne County	West Side Career & Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(570) 288-8493	437	30	14.5	111.2%	323 (73.9%)	44 (10.1%)	49 (11.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.3%)	6.7	616^th of 681 public high schools	9.5%		5.8	633^rd of 686 public high schools	7.7%	17	7.1	17.6	31.4
Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center	Public	9-12	Jumper Road Plains Township	Wilkes Barre	18705	Luzerne County	Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(570) 822-4131	30	35	.8	3,816.7%	11 (36.7%)	5 (16.7%)	13 (43.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Pittston Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	5 Stout Street Yatesville	Pittston	18640	Luzerne County	Pittston Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 654-2415	1,055	58	18.1	53.9%	794 (75.3%)	51 (4.8%)	169 (16.0%)	14 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	25 (2.4%)	40.9	450^th of 681 public high schools	33.9%		36.5	479^th of 686 public high schools	30.2%	29	31.5	47.0	54.7							$16,141	$504	$15,637
Wyoming Area Sec Center	Public	7-12	252 Memorial St	Exeter	18643	Luzerne County	Wyoming Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 655-2836	929	66	14.1	102.6%	757 (81.5%)	36 (3.9%)	89 (9.6%)	9 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	36 (3.9%)	55.8	331^st of 681 public high schools	51.4%		43	446^th of 686 public high schools	35.0%	115	39.2	45.4	71.8	29.2	8.2	18.8	43.6	34.0	38.7	$18,051	$705	$17,346
Wyoming Valley West Senior High School	Public	9-12	150 Wadham Street	Plymouth	18651	Luzerne County	Wyoming Valley West School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 779-5361	1,362	88	15.3	101.4%	729 (53.5%)	195 (14.3%)	316 (23.2%)	10 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	108 (7.9%)	27.6	511^th of 681 public high schools	25.0%		38.8	469^th of 686 public high schools	31.6%	42	25.8	34.4	50.9							$15,161	$2,529	$12,631
Hanover Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	1600 Sans Souci Pkwy	Hanover Township	18706	Luzerne County	Hanover Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 831-2300	977	59	16.4	97.9%	519 (53.1%)	136 (13.9%)	272 (27.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (4.9%)	15.3	573^rd of 681 public high schools	15.9%		20.6	554^th of 686 public high schools	19.2%	19	17.9	28.0	39.2	8.2	9.7	9.0	23.4	21.7	22.5	$18,452	$2,690	$15,762
Dallas Senior High School	Public	9-12	2030 Conyngham Avenue	Dallas	18612	Luzerne County	Dallas School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 674-7230	745	53	14.0	28.9%	673 (90.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.4%)	14 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.3%)	62.6	274^th of 681 public high schools	59.8%		84.4	85^th of 686 public high schools	87.6%	189	46.4	60.1	61.3							$15,363	$930	$14,433
Northeast Secure Treatment Unit	Public	7-12	701 Sathers Dr	Pittston Township	18640	Luzerne County	Northeast Secure Treatment Unit	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(570) 718-4611	37	7	5.2	70.3%	4 (10.8%)	23 (62.2%)	7 (18.9%)	1 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy

What is the racial makeup of Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy?

Students at Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy are 75% White, 15% Hispanic, 4% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 93 students attended Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy.

Is Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy a good school?

Yes! Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 3^rd of 681 Pennsylvania high schools.

What district is Wilkes-Barre Area School District STEM Academy in?

Wilkes-Barre Area School District

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Schools in Plains, PA

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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.