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Central High School

Q: Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks in the bottom 5.0% of Rhode Island high schools.

Q: How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,050 students attended Central High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 76% Hispanic, 12% African American, 4% Asian, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

Public Grades 9-12

57^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 60 Rhode Island High Schools

Better than 5% of Rhode Island high schools

Summary

Central High School is a public high school in Providence, Rhode Island, serving 1,019 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Providence School District, which is ranked 50 out of 60 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Central High School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Rhode Island high schools, ranking 57th out of 60 in the 2024-2025 school year. The school's performance is significantly lower than the state and district averages across various standardized tests, with only 6.8% of students proficient or better in NGSA/Science, compared to 13.7% in the Providence district and 51.6% statewide. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has been around 80%, which is lower than the state average.

Interestingly, nearby schools like Classical High School and Providence Career Technical consistently outperform Central High School academically, with over 90% of their students proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts and SAT/Mathematics. The high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds at Central High School, at 87.73%, may be a significant factor contributing to its lower academic performance compared to more affluent nearby schools.

1,050

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,274

Per pupil spending ?

82.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

70 Fricker Street
Providence, RI 02903

(401) 456-9111

District: Providence

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.4%

African American:

12.1%

Asian:

4.0%

See top rated Rhode Island high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Rhode Island average (10% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school10%

District avg20%

Rhode Island avg44%

57^th of 60

Rhode Island public high schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Rhode Island High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 10High Schools in the Providence

50^th of 60Providence 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	7.2	57 of 60	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.8	58 of 61	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.1	59 of 60	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.2	51 of 59	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.0	53 of 59	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.8	51 of 59	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	51 of 57	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.8	51 of 56	8.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.9	42 of 57	26.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	23.1	47 of 56	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	6.7	44 of 47	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.1	41 of 45	8.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	7.4	42 of 45	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	9.5	40 of 45	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	9.2	46 of 50	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.0	47 of 49	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	22.5	24 of 29	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	27 of 28	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	25 of 26	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	22 of 28	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	9.7	11 of 11	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	11 of 11	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.0	10 of 10	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	6.3	57 of 58	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	55 of 56	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.9	57 of 59	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	51 of 58	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	8.8	51 of 52	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	52 of 54	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	53 of 53	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.4	44 of 49	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	8.2	55 of 57	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.6	55 of 58	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.8	57 of 58	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	49 of 54	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Rhode Island percentile	Rating
2025	7.7	52 of 57	8.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	6.8	55 of 57	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.5	56 of 56	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.1	52 of 54	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)17th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2025)9th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)4th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)2nd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)2nd percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2025)<1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Rhode Island (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts14%-37 vs state

Science7%

Mathematics5%-21 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, June 3, 2009

As a student at Central High School, I would have to say i like this school. Since they have renovated the building the school looks like an actual school.(Had to be at Central previous to the renovation to know what i am talking about) The teachers a cool and most are funny and are there to help you. Close Quote

Schools Near Central High 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)	RICAS English Language Arts (2025)				RICAS Mathematics (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	RICAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	RICAS English Language Arts All Grades	RICAS Mathematics 5th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 7th Grade	RICAS Mathematics 8th Grade	RICAS Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
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
Charette Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	335 Westminster St.	Providence	02903	Providence County	Charette Charter	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 270-1183	168	10	16.8	88.1%	1 (0.6%)	54 (32.1%)	109 (64.9%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	21.2	42^nd of 60 public high schools	30.0%		8.7	55^th of 61 public high schools	9.8%	13	36.8		25.0											$15,322	$2,007	$13,315
RINI Middle College	Public, Charter	9-12	150 Washington Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 680-4900	462	38	12.1	84.2%	19 (4.1%)	101 (21.9%)	309 (66.9%)	7 (1.5%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.3%)	21.1	43^rd of 60 public high schools	28.3%		15.8	46^th of 61 public high schools	24.6%	3	51.1	8.5	26.6	5.3	13.8									$15,522	$1,756	$13,766
Sheila Skip Nowell	Public	9-12	150 Washington Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 751-0405	187	15	12.4	99.5%	21 (11.2%)	29 (15.5%)	125 (66.8%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)								(n/a)	6.7													$24,004	$7,386	$16,618
Trinity Academy Performing Art	Public, Charter	5-12	275 Westminster Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(401) 432-7881	234	25	9.3	81.2%	8 (3.4%)	34 (14.5%)	178 (76.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.8%)	23.2	39^th of 60 public high schools	35.0%		28.9	37^th of 61 public high schools	39.3%	2	32.4		41.2	11.8	17.3	26.3	10.3	10.5	16.2	18.9	6.5	7.5	11.1	$17,003	$1,738	$15,265
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
YouthBuild Preparatory Academy	Public	9-12	217 Westminister Street	Providence	02903	Providence County	YouthBuild Preparatory Academy	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(401) 273-7528	115	4	28.7	79.1%	1 (0.9%)	36 (31.3%)	74 (64.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.5%)	6.4	58^th of 60 public high schools	3.3%		11.3	51^st of 61 public high schools	16.4%	7			9.1		7.1									$14,877		$14,877

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 76% Hispanic, 12% African American, 4% Asian, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

Is Central High School a good school?

Central High School ranks in the bottom 5.0% of Rhode Island high schools.

What schools feed into Central High School?

What district is Central High School in?

Providence

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,050 students attended Central High School.

Rate Central High School!

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Schools in Providence, RI

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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.