Arlington College And Career High School

Arlington College And Career High School is a small, specialized high school in the Arlington Independent School District (Isd) serving 340 students in grades 9-12, and it stands out as a top performer in a district that ranks in the bottom third of Texas. This school has earned a 5-star rating from Schooldigger and ranks in the 91st percentile statewide, far outperforming nearby comprehensive high schools. For example, its English II Reading proficiency rate is 93.42%, compared to just 39.77% at Lamar High School and 68.15% at Martin High School. Even more impressive, the school has maintained a 0.0% dropout rate for the last two years, while the district average is around 2.1%.

What makes this school particularly remarkable is its effectiveness with all students, including those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite over 78% of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school ranks in the 93rd percentile for serving low socio-economic status students and in the 95th percentile for special education students. This success is likely driven by its small size, which allows for a personalized learning environment that contrasts sharply with the massive, traditional high schools in the district—Martin High School, for instance, has over 3,500 students. The school's focused college and career readiness mission clearly pays off, as it achieves test scores that exceed both district and state averages in every core subject.

However, there are a couple of nuances to consider. The school's statewide ranking has seen a slight dip from the 96th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 91st percentile in 2025-2026, and Algebra I proficiency dropped from 90% to 62.5% over the same period. Additionally, the school's only relative weakness is in serving its Gifted and Talented students, where it ranks in the 66th percentile—a notable drop from the previous year. This suggests that while the school excels for most students, its career-oriented curriculum may not be as challenging for its highest achievers. Overall, Arlington College And Career High School is a beacon of high performance in its district, proving that a focused, small-school model can deliver exceptional results even when serving a more disadvantaged population.