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Custer High School - 01

Q: Is Custer High School - 01 a good school?

Custer High School - 01 ranks 24 th of 166 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

24^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 86% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

Custer High School - 01 is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Custer, South Dakota, with a total enrollment of 262 students. The school is part of the Custer School District 16-1, which is ranked 58 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Custer High School - 01 has consistently performed well academically, ranking among the top 25-50 high schools in South Dakota in recent years. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school ranked 24th out of 166 high schools in the state, with 78.72% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 46.8% in Mathematics, and 57.45% in Science. The school has also maintained high graduation rates, with a 4-year graduation rate of 93.5% in the 2024-2025 school year, and a low dropout rate of 1.9%.

When compared to the nearby A.C.E. High Academy - 06, also part of the Custer School District 16-1, Custer High School - 01 significantly outperforms its counterpart in academic measures. The school has also shown a consistent trend of improvement in its academic performance and overall ranking over the years, climbing from 121st out of 133 high schools in 2014-2015 to 24th out of 166 high schools in 2024-2025.

272

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,649

Per pupil spending ?

27.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1645 Wildcat Ln
Custer, SD 57730

(605) 673-4473

District: Custer School District 16-1

Feeder schools for Custer High School - 01:

Elementary:	Custer Elementary - 02
	Hermosa Elementary - 04
Middle:	Custer Junior High - 05

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.6%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare Custer High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 9th percentile in 2015 → 86th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (61% vs 50% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of South Dakota high schools

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the South Dakota average (86%)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg56%

South Dakota avg50%

24^th of 166

South Dakota public high schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 77 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to top 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Custer School District 16-1

58^th of 147Custer School District 16-1 among South Dakota 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	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	24 of 166	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	77.5	26 of 141	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	63.3	47 of 138	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.8	48 of 134	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.6	95 of 140	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.7	87 of 135	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	75.2	21 of 138	84.8%	★★★★☆
2017	45.9	85 of 137	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.0	110 of 141	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.1	121 of 133	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	14.9	129 of 144	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.9	103 of 143	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	64.7	54 of 141	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	41.5	109 of 150	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	55.2	75 of 144	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.2	66 of 135	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	84.7	13 of 141	90.8%	★★★★★
2006	41.0	93 of 136	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	30.8	111 of 137	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	53.9	66 of 132	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2003	45.1	86 of 133	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	54.0	83 of 164	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	91.7	1 of 93	98.9%	★★★★★
2023	66.2	27 of 95	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	60.7	34 of 84	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.9	58 of 89	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.1	77 of 83	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	72.4	20 of 82	75.6%	★★★★☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	72.9	2 of 23	91.3%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	63.1	26 of 81	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	81 of 154	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	97.4	1 of 48	97.9%	★★★★★
2023	63.2	12 of 46	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	21.7	24 of 25	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	24.3	29 of 37	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.5	22 of 44	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	90.9	3 of 53	94.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	85.5	16 of 162	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	61.0	39 of 107	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.8	50 of 96	47.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	32 of 87	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	58 of 89	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.1	22 of 88	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	76.2	11 of 90	87.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	40.6	53 of 89	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.4	54 of 140	61.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	80.0	19 of 158	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	72.8	28 of 125	77.6%	★★★★☆
2023	52.5	59 of 121	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.8	47 of 123	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.1	85 of 129	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	93 of 123	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	75.9	16 of 123	87.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Foster Care (2025)91st percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)90th percentile+5 vs school

White (2025)88th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)68th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2025)61st percentile-24 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile-36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile-38 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)40th percentile-45 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts79%+15 vs state

Science57%+9 vs state

Mathematics47%+11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Custer High School - 01

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Custer High School - 01	Public	9-12	1645 Wildcat Ln	Custer	57730	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 673-4473	272	20	13.7	27.2%	230 (84.6%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)	77.7	24^th of 166 public high schools	85.5%		77.5	26^th of 141 public high schools	81.6%	2	78.7	46.8	57.5	$15,649	$693	$14,956
A.C.E. High Academy - 06	Public, Virtual	9-12	527 Montgomery St	Custer	57730	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(605) 673-4473	16	1	16.0	25.0%	13 (81.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (12.5%)	3.5	165^th of 166 public high schools	0.6%					(n/a)	20.0	0.0	0.0
Hill City High School - 01	Public	9-12	488 Main St	Hill City	57745	Pennington County	Hill City School District 51-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 574-3000	158	12	13.0	19.0%	113 (71.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (17.7%)	3 (1.9%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.3%)	91.8	6^th of 166 public high schools	96.4%		78.2	25^th of 141 public high schools	82.3%	19	80.6	66.7	80.6	$13,444	$316	$13,128

Frequently Asked Questions about Custer High School - 01

How many students attend Custer High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 272 students attended Custer High School - 01.

What district is Custer High School - 01 in?

Custer School District 16-1

What is the racial makeup of Custer High School - 01?

Students at Custer High School - 01 are 85% White, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What schools feed into Custer High School - 01?

Custer High School - 01 is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Custer Elementary - 02
Elementary : Hermosa Elementary - 04
Middle : Custer Junior High - 05

Is Custer High School - 01 a good school?

Custer High School - 01 ranks 24^th of 166 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Custer High School - 01!

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