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

Paul Cuffee Upper School

Q: Is Paul Cuffee Upper School a good school?

Paul Cuffee Upper School ranks 38 th of 60 Rhode Island high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Paul Cuffee Upper School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 243 students attended Paul Cuffee Upper School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Paul Cuffee Upper School?

Students at Paul Cuffee Upper School are 73% Hispanic, 22% African American, 2% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

38^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 60 Rhode Island High Schools

Better than 37% of Rhode Island high schools

Summary

Paul Cuffee Upper School is a public charter high school in Providence, Rhode Island, serving 272 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Paul Cuffee Charter School District, which is ranked 48 out of 60 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past five years, Paul Cuffee Upper School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Rhode Island high schools, ranging from 37th to 47th out of 59-61 schools. Its academic performance, as measured by standardized test proficiency rates, is significantly below the state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 15% of 11th-grade students were proficient in SAT Mathematics, compared to the state average of 23.3%. The school's four-year graduation rate of around 83-84% is on par with the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Metropolitan Career Technical Center, Paul Cuffee Upper School generally performs worse on academic measures. However, the school's African American students perform better than the state average for that subgroup, suggesting the school may be providing effective support for this particular population. The school's relatively high per-student spending of $15,866 in the 2020-2021 school year, coupled with a low student-teacher ratio of 10.4, indicates a potential opportunity to leverage these resources more effectively to drive student learning and academic growth.

243

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,035

Per pupil spending ?

90.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

544 Elmwood Avenue
Providence, RI 02907

(401) 781-2727

District: Paul Cuffee Charter School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.8%

African American:

21.8%

White:

2.5%

See top rated Rhode Island high schools

Compare Paul Cuffee Upper School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 37th percentile in 2019 → 37th in 2025

Strengths

✓87% graduate in 4 years — above the Rhode Island average (84%)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Rhode Island average (23% vs 39% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts scores 20 pts below the Rhode Island average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg20%

Rhode Island avg39%

38^th of 60

Rhode Island public high schools ?

Bottom 37%▼ down 1 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Rhode Island High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

48^th of 60Paul Cuffee Charter School among Rhode Island 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	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	38 of 60	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.6	43 of 61	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	14.3	46 of 60	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.3	45 of 59	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.7	47 of 59	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.2	37 of 59	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	49.7	12 of 29	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	13 of 28	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.3	14 of 26	46.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.1	16 of 28	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	11 of 11	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	84.9	2 of 10	80.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	21.2	39 of 58	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.7	44 of 56	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.2	46 of 59	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	43 of 58	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	30 of 52	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.6	35 of 54	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.4	29 of 53	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.6	38 of 49	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	31.7	34 of 57	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.9	39 of 58	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.6	38 of 58	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.5	41 of 54	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	27.7	35 of 57	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.2	37 of 57	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.6	42 of 56	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.3	42 of 54	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	45.2	14 of 32	56.3%	★★★☆☆

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)59th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2025)56th percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2025)42nd percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)40th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)39th percentile~ school

Female (2025)33rd percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)<1st percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Rhode Island (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts34%-20 vs state

Science18%

Mathematics8%-19 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Paul Cuffee Upper School and help other families decide.

Rate Paul Cuffee Upper School

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Paul Cuffee Upper School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT10 English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2025)	SAT English Language Arts (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	NGSA Science (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	PSAT10 English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	NGSA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Paul Cuffee Upper School	Public, Charter	9-12	544 Elmwood Avenue	Providence	02907	Providence County	Paul Cuffee Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 781-2727	243	26	9.3	90.5%	6 (2.5%)	53 (21.8%)	177 (72.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	23.2	38^th of 60 public high schools	36.7%		19.6	43^rd of 61 public high schools	29.5%	5	34.4	7.8	40.0	15.0	18.0	$19,035	$2,311	$16,723
Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School	Public	9-12	375 Adelaide Avenue	Providence	02907	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-0676	447	31	14.4	79.6%	16 (3.6%)	60 (13.4%)	329 (73.6%)	16 (3.6%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	18 (4.0%)	7.7	56^th of 60 public high schools	6.7%		6.8	59^th of 61 public high schools	3.3%	3	16.5		16.7			$19,984	$2,912	$17,072
Achievement First Providence H	Public, Charter	9-12	206 Elmwood Ave	Providence	02907	Providence County	Achievement First Rhode Island	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 347-1126	458	36	12.7	82.3%	7 (1.5%)	85 (18.6%)	350 (76.4%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)								(n/a)	50.0	6.9	49.3	15.1	36.8	$15,870	$791	$15,079
Metropolitan Career Technical Center	Public	9-12	325 Public Street	Providence	02905	Providence County	MET Career and Technical	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 752-2600	817	70	11.6	71.8%	194 (23.7%)	142 (17.4%)	450 (55.1%)	14 (1.7%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.9%)	22.3	40^th of 60 public high schools	33.3%		23.4	39^th of 61 public high schools	36.1%	1	43.2	5.5	38.2		10.8	$23,551	$2,726	$20,825
W B Cooley & Academy Internationa	Public	9-12	182 Thurbers Avenue	Providence	02905	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-1781	685	51	13.4	82.9%	36 (5.3%)	86 (12.6%)	526 (76.8%)	9 (1.3%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	19 (2.8%)	8	55^th of 60 public high schools	8.3%		12.9	49^th of 61 public high schools	19.7%	6	13.9		17.6	5.0	5.2	$28,874	$4,344	$24,530
Bridge Academy	Public	10-12	91 Fricker Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(401) 455-3406	117	7	16.7	65.0%	1 (0.9%)	6 (5.1%)	107 (91.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						$20,601	$9,581	$11,020
Providence Career Technical	Public	9-12	41 Fricker street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9136	759	62	12.2	86.8%	43 (5.7%)	83 (10.9%)	582 (76.7%)	23 (3.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.8%)	17.2	46^th of 60 public high schools	23.3%		17	45^th of 61 public high schools	26.2%	1	34.7	9.5	27.7	8.9	13.5	$26,142	$4,690	$21,452
Central High School	Public	9-12	70 Fricker Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9111	1,050	63	16.6	82.7%	35 (3.3%)	127 (12.1%)	802 (76.4%)	42 (4.0%)	9 (0.9%)	7 (0.7%)	26 (2.5%)	7.2	57^th of 60 public high schools	5.0%		6.8	58^th of 61 public high schools	4.9%	1	14.3	5.3	14.1		6.8	$20,274	$3,698	$16,577
Cranston High School East	Public	9-12	899 Park Avenue	Cranston	02910	Providence County	Cranston	No	(n/a)	No	No	(401) 270-8126	1,525	116	13.1	73.9%	317 (20.8%)	111 (7.3%)	798 (52.3%)	176 (11.5%)	21 (1.4%)	5 (0.3%)	94 (6.2%)	24.5	37^th of 60 public high schools	38.3%		25.3	38^th of 61 public high schools	37.7%	1	40.6	15.2	37.9	8.9	17.3	$17,318	$503	$16,815
Classical High School	Public	9-12	770 Westminster Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Providence	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 456-9145	1,116	65	17.1	60.9%	222 (19.9%)	176 (15.8%)	559 (50.1%)	94 (8.4%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	50 (4.5%)	96.8	2^nd of 60 public high schools	96.7%		95.9	3^rd of 61 public high schools	95.1%	1	89.6	69.2	90.9	68.1	59.6	$15,035	$1,884	$13,150

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul Cuffee Upper School

What district is Paul Cuffee Upper School in?

Paul Cuffee Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Paul Cuffee Upper School?

Students at Paul Cuffee Upper School are 73% Hispanic, 22% African American, 2% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Paul Cuffee Upper School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 243 students attended Paul Cuffee Upper School.

Is Paul Cuffee Upper School a good school?

Paul Cuffee Upper School ranks 38^th of 60 Rhode Island high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Paul Cuffee Upper School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

RIRhode Island High School Rankings

RIRhode Island District Rankings

Schools in Providence, RI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Paul Cuffee Upper School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Rhode Island 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.