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Idea College Preparatory San Benito

Q: Is Idea College Preparatory San Benito a good school?

Idea College Preparatory San Benito ranks 440 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

440^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 78% of Texas high schools

Summary

Idea College Preparatory San Benito is a high-performing charter school in San Benito, TX, serving 780 students in grades 6-12, and is part of the Idea Public Schools district.

This school stands out for its exceptional academic results, especially given that over 80% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch. It consistently earns 4-star ratings and ranks in the top 22% of Texas high schools, a stark contrast to nearby traditional schools. For example, San Benito High School ranks in the bottom 18% of the state, despite serving a similar demographic. Idea Prep’s graduation rate is nearly perfect at 98.8%, far exceeding the 90.6% rate at San Benito High and the 94.3% at Harlingen High School. The school also achieves high proficiency rates on state exams, often 30-40 percentage points higher than its local peers. However, it is not the top academic option in the area; selective magnet schools like Harlingen Collegiate High School and Harlingen School Of Health Professions outperform it on nearly every metric, though they serve a lower percentage of low-income students.

While Idea Prep excels overall, it has notable areas for improvement. The school struggles with middle school math, with only 27.9% of 6th graders proficient in 2025-2026, below the state average. Performance for special education students has been inconsistent, and results for its small white student population have fluctuated dramatically. Despite these challenges, the school operates with high efficiency, spending about $11,000 per student—less than nearby traditional high schools—and maintaining a student-teacher ratio of 16.5:1. Its success is particularly evident when compared to Triumph Public High Schools-San Benito, a charter school just 0.68 miles away that has a 1-star rating and a 56.8% graduation rate, highlighting that Idea Prep’s specific model is far more effective.

780

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,626

Per pupil spending ?

82.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2151 Russell Ln
San Benito, TX 78586

(956) 399-5252

District: Idea Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.3%

White:

2.8%

Asian:

0.5%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Idea College Preparatory San Benito to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 80th percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (59% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Texas high schools

✓99% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg49%

Texas avg53%

Middle school

737^th of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Top 32%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to top 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

440^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 39High Schools in the Idea Public Schools

546^th of 951Idea Public Schools among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.7	737 of 2335	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.1	510 of 2344	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	365 of 2372	84.6%	★★★★☆
2023	66.7	615 of 2330	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	518 of 2254	77.0%	★★★★☆
2021	58.5	778 of 2252	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	544 of 2193	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	436 of 2080	79.0%	★★★★☆
2017	62.4	605 of 2027	70.2%	★★★★☆
2016	63.2	731 of 1987	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.1	535 of 2043	73.8%	★★★★☆
2014	76.6	352 of 1987	82.3%	★★★★☆
2013	73.7	398 of 1973	79.8%	★★★★☆
2012	84.9	162 of 1951	91.7%	★★★★★
2011	79.0	136 of 1895	92.8%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	68.3	403 of 2182	81.5%	★★★★☆
2021	68.6	348 of 2118	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	74.8	252 of 2058	87.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.0	360 of 2008	82.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	79.3	162 of 1428	88.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.0	147 of 1770	91.7%	★★★★★
2023	73.3	268 of 1720	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	67.0	318 of 1643	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	70.3	225 of 1592	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	76.2	168 of 1445	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	81.3	109 of 1376	92.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.1	757 of 2240	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.5	396 of 1825	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	271 of 2242	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	66.2	572 of 2241	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	489 of 2221	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	56.9	802 of 2151	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.5	464 of 2047	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	276 of 2008	86.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	455 of 2141	78.7%	★★★★☆
2025	79.4	181 of 1731	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	85.4	151 of 2119	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	73.8	342 of 2116	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.4	278 of 2077	86.6%	★★★★☆
2021	65.9	491 of 2043	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	73.7	328 of 1935	83.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	258 of 1895	86.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.8	576 of 2253	74.4%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	153 of 1820	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	87.0	104 of 2235	95.3%	★★★★★
2023	75.7	317 of 2251	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	74.6	308 of 2220	86.1%	★★★★☆
2021	67.9	434 of 2172	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	77.0	251 of 2073	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	80.7	179 of 2039	91.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	712 of 2253	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.2	384 of 1818	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	73.8	403 of 2246	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	65.7	616 of 2245	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	63.8	635 of 2228	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	57.9	770 of 2168	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.8	581 of 2069	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	59.1	662 of 2030	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	896 of 1956	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.6	503 of 1568	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.1	454 of 1891	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	59.9	423 of 1815	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	27.2	1468 of 1757	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	54.5	512 of 1712	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	216 of 1597	86.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	902 of 1731	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	763 of 1684	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.1	415 of 1673	75.2%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.7	440 of 2009	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	69.4	433 of 1974	78.1%	★★★★☆
2024	72.3	373 of 1990	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.8	539 of 1961	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	494 of 1876	73.7%	★★★★☆
2021	53.5	801 of 1861	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.3	293 of 1857	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.4	331 of 1797	81.6%	★★★★☆
2017	70.9	335 of 1777	81.1%	★★★★☆
2016	70.9	359 of 1762	79.6%	★★★★☆
2015	76.9	194 of 1743	88.9%	★★★★☆
2014	69.9	381 of 1734	78.0%	★★★★☆
2013	70.9	338 of 1652	79.5%	★★★★☆
2012	70.2	280 of 1603	82.5%	★★★★☆
2011	71.0	367 of 1672	78.1%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	65.9	341 of 1837	81.4%	★★★★☆
2021	53.6	641 of 1829	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.0	165 of 1810	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	74.4	208 of 1784	88.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	72.6	157 of 1153	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	178 of 1437	87.6%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	126 of 1371	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	73.7	161 of 1278	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.2	264 of 1195	77.9%	★★★★☆
2019	93.5	47 of 1136	95.9%	★★★★★
2018	78.3	105 of 1113	90.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	528 of 1936	72.7%	★★★★☆
2025	63.4	418 of 1504	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	68.8	387 of 1880	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	64.8	541 of 1891	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.8	447 of 1841	75.7%	★★★★☆
2021	55.3	762 of 1815	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.1	310 of 1798	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.7	404 of 1781	77.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	73.9	265 of 1860	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	69.5	240 of 1453	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	71.9	280 of 1805	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	337 of 1820	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	324 of 1762	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	58.0	599 of 1743	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.2	214 of 1714	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	288 of 1691	83.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	72.0	270 of 1937	86.1%	★★★★☆
2025	71.3	203 of 1513	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.5	240 of 1884	87.3%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	386 of 1897	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	360 of 1847	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	60.5	533 of 1848	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	79.1	171 of 1818	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	73.8	238 of 1794	86.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	389 of 1954	80.1%	★★★★☆
2025	62.4	403 of 1515	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	64.2	479 of 1891	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	63.5	553 of 1913	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	61.0	556 of 1853	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	48.9	851 of 1840	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.4	338 of 1824	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	68.0	393 of 1803	78.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	731 of 1581	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.0	960 of 1299	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	1228 of 1548	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.5	491 of 1478	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.2	641 of 1418	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.6	272 of 1382	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	83.8	101 of 1357	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	21.0	1242 of 1347	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	1185 of 1584	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	82.1	99 of 1556	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	69.3	338 of 1576	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	1.7	1472 of 1510	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	69.1	355 of 1526	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	159 of 1539	89.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Middle school

English Language Learner (2025)89th percentile+10 vs school

At Risk (2022)82nd percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)79th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile~ school

Female (2026)66th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)54th percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)48th percentile-21 vs school

High school

English Language Learner (2025)86th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)86th percentile+8 vs school

At Risk (2022)81st percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)80th percentile~ school

Female (2026)73rd percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)54th percentile-24 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History81%+11 vs state

Biology75%+4 vs state

English I Reading73%+17 vs state

English II Reading72%+12 vs state

Algebra I69%+15 vs state

Reading63%+8 vs state

Mathematics35%~ state avg

Social Studies29%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Idea College Preparatory San Benito

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)		STAAR Social Studies (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Idea College Preparatory San Benito	Public, Charter	6-12	2151 Russell Ln	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 399-5252	780	47	16.5	82.4%	22 (2.8%)	2 (0.3%)	751 (96.3%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69.7	440^th of 2009 public high schools	78.1%		69.4	433^rd of 1974 public high schools	78.1%	7	69.2	74.6	72.7	72.2	80.9	60.0	58.6	70.5	27.9	42.6	28.9	$11,626
Cameron County J J A E P	Public	8-12	2330 W Bus Hwy 77	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 361-3509	9			66.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$58
Cameron County J J A E P	Public	8-12	2310 W Hwy 77	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	Brownsville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 361-4629	8				0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$48
Cameron County J J A E P	Public	8-12	2310 W Hwy 77	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 361-4629	6				0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Triumph Public High Schools-San Benito	Public, Charter	9-12	1785 W Business Hwy 77	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	Triumph Public High Schools-Rio Grande Valley	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 276-9930	108	6	16.7		1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (99.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20.8	1639^th of 2009 public high schools	18.4%		17.2	1662^nd of 1974 public high schools	15.8%	23	28.6	62.5	22.6	32.0	55.6							$12,967
Harlingen Collegiate High School	Public	9-12	2901 Medical Dr	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 430-9690	353	23	15.5	54.7%	26 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	320 (90.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	92.4	26^th of 2009 public high schools	98.7%		94.4	20^th of 1974 public high schools	99.0%	6	85.7	92.4	95.4	96.5	98.7							$7,467
San Benito High School	Public	9-12	450 S Williams Rd	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 361-6500	2,057	137	14.9	81.1%	18 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	2,034 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	19.3	1657^th of 2009 public high schools	17.5%					(n/a)	32.8	45.6	32.4	41.1	47.7							$11,128
Secondary Alter Center	Public	6-12	1310 Sam Houston	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 427-3210	59	5	11.2	91.5%	3 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$17,420
Positive Redirection Center	Public	6-12	450 S Dowling St	San Benito	78586	Cameron County	San Benito Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 361-6275	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Harlingen High School	Public	9-12	1201 E Marshall Ave	Harlingen	78550	Cameron County	Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 427-3600	2,433	168	14.4	77.8%	110 (4.5%)	7 (0.3%)	2,296 (94.4%)	7 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	12 (0.5%)	35.3	1351^st of 2009 public high schools	32.8%		36	1257^th of 1974 public high schools	36.3%	94	42.5	57.7	45.2	53.6	58.0							$11,626

Frequently Asked Questions about Idea College Preparatory San Benito

What district is Idea College Preparatory San Benito in?

Idea Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Idea College Preparatory San Benito?

Students at Idea College Preparatory San Benito are 96% Hispanic, 3% White.

Is Idea College Preparatory San Benito a good school?

Idea College Preparatory San Benito ranks 440^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Idea College Preparatory San Benito?

In the 2024-25 school year, 780 students attended Idea College Preparatory San Benito.

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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

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.