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Idea McAllen College Preparatory

Q: Is Idea McAllen College Preparatory a good school?

Idea McAllen College Preparatory ranks 738 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-12

738^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 63% of Texas high schools

Summary

Idea McAllen College Preparatory is a public charter school in McAllen, TX, serving 820 students in grades 6-12 as part of the Idea Public Schools district, where about 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school has historically earned 4- and 5-star ratings, its most recent data shows a decline to a 3-star rating, ranking in the 63rd percentile statewide—a notable drop from its 86th percentile ranking just a few years prior. This contrasts sharply with nearby Achieve Early College High School (1.5 miles away), which holds a 5-star rating and ranks in the 96th percentile, and Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy (0.65 miles away), which ranks in the 86th percentile with a 4-star rating.

Despite the overall decline, Idea McAllen shines in specific areas. It ranks in the 96th percentile statewide for its work with Special Education students, earning a 5-star rating—a dramatic improvement from two years prior. The school also maintains an exceptional 99% graduation rate and a very low 0.4% dropout rate, on par with top traditional high schools like McAllen High School (97.5%) and Rowe High School (98.6%). However, performance is inconsistent: the school excels in 8th-grade reading and social studies but struggles significantly in 6th- and 7th-grade math, where scores fall below state averages. For a "college prep" school, Algebra I proficiency (55.48%) is only slightly above the state average and well below Achieve Early College (79.71%) and Sharyland Advanced Academy (85.71%).

Interestingly, the school’s spending of about $10,800–$11,600 per student is not the driver of its success—nearby Sharyland Advanced Academy achieves top-tier results with nearly half the per-pupil spending ($6,446). Meanwhile, the contrast with another charter, Premier H S Of Mission (3 miles away), is stark: both serve high-poverty populations, but Premier has a 46.3% graduation rate versus Idea McAllen’s 99%. This shows that Idea McAllen’s model is far more effective than some charter alternatives, though its recent academic dip suggests room for improvement in core subjects.

820

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,152

Per pupil spending ?

74.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

201 N Bentsen Rd
McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 429-4100

District: Idea Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.2%

White:

3.2%

Asian:

1.2%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Idea McAllen College Preparatory to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2019 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓99% graduate within 4 years

✓Above the Texas median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 32 percentile points since 2019

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg49%

Texas avg53%

Middle school

714^th of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Top 31%▼ down 25 pts since 2016

From top 6% (2016) to top 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

738^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 31 pts since 2019

From top 5% (2019) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th 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	61.5	714 of 2335	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.7	581 of 2344	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	296 of 2372	87.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.3	309 of 2330	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	83.9	249 of 2254	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	70.4	495 of 2252	78.0%	★★★★☆
2019	96.0	61 of 2193	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	93.9	83 of 2080	96.0%	★★★★★
2017	93.9	94 of 2027	95.4%	★★★★★
2016	87.2	117 of 1987	94.1%	★★★★★
2015	87.0	122 of 2043	94.0%	★★★★★
2014	86.5	127 of 1987	93.6%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	95.4	38 of 2182	98.3%	★★★★★
2021	93.1	47 of 2118	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	99.4	12 of 2058	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	29 of 2008	98.6%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	74.8	208 of 1428	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	85.4	144 of 1770	91.9%	★★★★★
2023	89.0	99 of 1720	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	93.1	54 of 1643	96.7%	★★★★★
2021	94.4	31 of 1592	98.1%	★★★★★
2019	99.2	10 of 1445	99.3%	★★★★★
2018	96.4	23 of 1376	98.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.2	756 of 2240	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.9	293 of 1825	83.9%	★★★★☆
2024	80.4	269 of 2242	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	79.9	309 of 2241	86.2%	★★★★☆
2022	78.5	336 of 2221	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	71.1	459 of 2151	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	94.5	63 of 2047	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	92.7	88 of 2008	95.6%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	448 of 2141	79.1%	★★★★☆
2025	75.7	237 of 1731	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	87.8	112 of 2119	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	87.5	138 of 2116	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	90.0	104 of 2077	95.0%	★★★★★
2021	77.0	269 of 2043	86.8%	★★★★☆
2019	97.6	25 of 1935	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	97.1	28 of 1895	98.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	65.3	535 of 2253	76.3%	★★★★☆
2025	72.7	294 of 1820	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	88.6	88 of 2235	96.1%	★★★★★
2023	88.4	109 of 2251	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	88.3	114 of 2220	94.9%	★★★★★
2021	78.8	224 of 2172	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	98.6	22 of 2073	98.9%	★★★★★
2018	98.3	17 of 2039	99.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	641 of 2253	71.5%	★★★★☆
2025	59.0	606 of 1818	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	79.0	299 of 2246	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	289 of 2245	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	86.9	178 of 2228	92.0%	★★★★★
2021	67.7	520 of 2168	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	94.8	73 of 2069	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	93.4	85 of 2030	95.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	92.5	58 of 1956	97.0%	★★★★★
2025	75.6	177 of 1568	88.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.6	90 of 1891	95.2%	★★★★★
2023	95.4	36 of 1815	98.0%	★★★★★
2019	96.6	18 of 1626	98.9%	★★★★★
2018	96.0	22 of 1597	98.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.8	949 of 1731	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	88.9	102 of 1684	93.9%	★★★★★

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	738 of 2009	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.3	794 of 1974	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	596 of 1990	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	76.5	279 of 1961	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.0	255 of 1876	86.4%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	519 of 1861	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	86.8	100 of 1857	94.6%	★★★★★

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	83.3	122 of 1837	93.4%	★★★★★
2021	74.8	212 of 1829	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	95.0	42 of 1810	97.7%	★★★★★
2018	87.7	86 of 1784	95.2%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.5	342 of 1195	71.4%	★★★★☆
2025	67.3	196 of 1153	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	176 of 1437	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	91 of 1371	93.4%	★★★★★
2022	89.8	65 of 1278	94.9%	★★★★★
2021	80.6	94 of 1195	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	97.7	26 of 1136	97.7%	★★★★★
2018	96.6	37 of 1113	96.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	698 of 1936	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.4	601 of 1504	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.1	533 of 1880	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	68.5	449 of 1891	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	74.7	276 of 1841	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	62.0	597 of 1815	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.4	123 of 1798	93.2%	★★★★★
2018	78.9	207 of 1781	88.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	486 of 1860	73.9%	★★★★☆
2025	60.6	387 of 1453	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	71.4	292 of 1805	83.8%	★★★★☆
2023	79.2	187 of 1820	89.7%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	164 of 1762	90.7%	★★★★★
2021	69.4	346 of 1743	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	88.6	81 of 1714	95.3%	★★★★★
2018	85.2	126 of 1691	92.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.9	543 of 1937	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	60.6	363 of 1513	76.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.5	266 of 1884	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.6	170 of 1897	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	79.8	159 of 1847	91.4%	★★★★★
2021	69.6	330 of 1848	82.1%	★★★★☆
2019	90.5	69 of 1818	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.0	111 of 1794	93.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.2	754 of 1954	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.9	497 of 1515	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.6	449 of 1891	76.3%	★★★★☆
2023	81.3	196 of 1913	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.1	245 of 1853	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	490 of 1840	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	87.8	94 of 1824	94.8%	★★★★★
2018	84.3	141 of 1803	92.2%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	95.6	56 of 1581	96.5%	★★★★★
2025	64.7	258 of 1299	80.1%	★★★★☆
2024	69.6	261 of 1548	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	99.7	14 of 1478	99.1%	★★★★★
2022	100.0	1 of 1418	99.9%	★★★★★
2021	99.9	9 of 1382	99.3%	★★★★★
2019	76.8	151 of 1357	88.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	1057 of 1584	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.7	376 of 1576	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	53.7	657 of 1510	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.6	218 of 1539	85.8%	★★★★☆

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

At Risk (2022)98th percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2026)97th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)85th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)79th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)76th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)72nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)66th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-24 vs school

High school

Special Education (2026)96th percentile+33 vs school

At Risk (2022)93rd percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)74th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile~ school

Male (2026)61st percentile~ school

White (2026)33rd percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Biology75%+4 vs state

U.S. History75%+4 vs state

English II Reading69%+9 vs state

Social Studies62%+30 vs state

Reading58%+3 vs state

Algebra I55%~ state avg

English I Reading54%~ state avg

Mathematics34%~ state avg

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, June 4, 2020

Excellent School with an excellent IB program. Best decision I’ve made as a parent was sending our kids to this school! Close Quote

Schools Near Idea McAllen College Preparatory

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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 McAllen College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-12	201 N Bentsen Rd	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 429-4100	820	49	16.8	74.8%	26 (3.2%)	3 (0.4%)	781 (95.2%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58.1	738^th of 2009 public high schools	63.3%		54.3	794^th of 1974 public high schools	59.8%	56	55.5	74.7	54.0	69.2	74.6	47.1	48.1	80.3	34.6	33.8	61.8	$11,152
Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy	Public	9-12	1106 N Shary Rd Bldg A	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	Sharyland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 584-6467	481	55	8.6	66.1%	18 (3.7%)	4 (0.8%)	452 (94.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	76.4	291^st of 2009 public high schools	85.5%		85.7	128^th of 1974 public high schools	93.5%	163	85.7	61.5	66.7	84.1	94.4							$5,644
Sharyland High School	Public	9-12	1106 N Shary Rd	Mission	78572	Hidalgo County	Sharyland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 580-5300	1,527	84	18.0	55.6%	50 (3.3%)	8 (0.5%)	1,429 (93.6%)	32 (2.1%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	59.1	709^th of 2009 public high schools	64.7%		55.8	770^th of 1974 public high schools	61.0%	61	53.9	76.2	63.0	49.8	82.1							$12,353
Rowe High School	Public	9-12	2101 N Ware Rd	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 632-5100	1,905	150	12.6	70.2%	50 (2.6%)	9 (0.5%)	1,814 (95.2%)	24 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (0.4%)	61.1	662^nd of 2009 public high schools	67.0%		60.3	662^nd of 1974 public high schools	66.5%		56.2	78.3	65.7	67.2	67.4							$11,722
Achieve Early College High School	Public	9-12	1601 N 27th St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 971-4200	428	33	12.9	68.2%	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	415 (97.0%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	88.3	81^st of 2009 public high schools	96.0%		89.9	66^th of 1974 public high schools	96.7%	15	79.7	90.9	90.8	92.4	92.5							$16,182
Triumph Public High Schools-McAllen	Public, Charter	9-12	200 N 17th St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	Triumph Public High Schools-Rio Grande Valley	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 618-2308	118	7	16.8		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	118 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18.4	1671^st of 2009 public high schools	16.8%		12.5	1738^th of 1974 public high schools	12.0%	67	53.3	61.5	21.4	27.0	47.4							$10,821
McAllen High School	Public	9-12	2021 La Vista Ave	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 632-3100	2,134	149	14.3	63.2%	119 (5.6%)	16 (0.7%)	1,965 (92.1%)	16 (0.7%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (0.7%)	58.2	737^th of 2009 public high schools	63.3%		53.2	828^th of 1974 public high schools	58.1%	91	59.2	67.0	61.9	65.5	74.0							$11,498
Lamar Academy	Public	10-12	1009 N 10th St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	McAllen Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(956) 632-3222	47	8	5.8	87.2%	2 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					50.0							$59,047
Hidalgo County J J A E P	Public	7-12	3900 N 23rd	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	Donna Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(956) 688-6123	7				0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Hidalgo County J J A E P	Public	7-12	3900 N 23rd St	McAllen	78501	Hidalgo County	Weslaco Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(956) 688-6123	14				1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2.1	1973^rd of 2009 public high schools	1.8%					(n/a)	0.0		0.0									$01

Frequently Asked Questions about Idea McAllen College Preparatory

Is Idea McAllen College Preparatory a good school?

Idea McAllen College Preparatory ranks 738^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Idea McAllen College Preparatory?

Students at Idea McAllen College Preparatory are 95% Hispanic, 3% White, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Idea McAllen College Preparatory?

In the 2024-25 school year, 820 students attended Idea McAllen College Preparatory.

What district is Idea McAllen College Preparatory in?

Idea Public Schools

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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.