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Sterling High School

Q: Is Sterling High School a good school?

Sterling High School ranks 1402 nd of 1974 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

1402^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,974 Texas High Schools

Better than 29% of Texas high schools

Summary

Sterling High School is a public magnet high school in Houston, Texas, serving 1,341 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Houston Independent School District, which is ranked 505 out of 961 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being a magnet school, Sterling High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Texas high schools over the past 10 years, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, including African American, Hispanic, and White students, as well as English Language Learners and Special Education students. Sterling High School's 4-year graduation rate of 76-83% is lower than the state and district averages, and its dropout rate of 3.5% to 6.3% is higher. Across all subject areas, the school's STAAR EOC test scores are significantly below the state and district averages, typically 10-20 percentage points lower.

When compared to nearby schools in the Houston ISD district, Sterling High School performs significantly worse. For example, South Early College High School and Jones Futures Academy, both magnet schools, have much higher rankings, test scores, graduation rates, and lower dropout rates than Sterling High School. Some charter schools in the area, such as Yes Prep - Southside and KIPP Sunnyside High School, also outperform Sterling High School across several key metrics, suggesting that factors beyond just socioeconomic status may be contributing to the school's consistently low performance.

1,146

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,465

Per pupil spending ?

93.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

11625 Martindale Rd
Houston, TX 77048-2099

(713) 991-0510

District: Houston Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for Sterling High School:

Elementary:	Alcott Elementary
	Brookline Elementary
	Codwell Elementary
	Cornelius Elementary
	More...
	Deanda Elementary
	Frost Elementary
	Garden Villas Elementary
	Golfcrest Elementary
	Gregg Elementary
	Kelso Elementary
	Mading Elementary
	Mitchell Elementary
	Seguin Elementary
Middle:	Hartman Middle
	Thomas Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

55.1%

Hispanic:

41.9%

White:

1.2%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare Sterling High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2015 → 29th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (42% vs 56% meeting standards)

!English I Reading scores 20 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg55%

Texas avg56%

1,402^nd of 1,974

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 21 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

32^nd of 44High Schools in the Houston Independent School District (Isd)

505^th of 961Houston Independent School District (Isd) 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	29.8	1402 of 1974	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	1669 of 1990	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.7	1726 of 1961	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	1603 of 1876	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.0	1643 of 1861	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.5	1617 of 1857	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.9	1644 of 1797	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.0	1572 of 1777	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.5	1610 of 1762	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.1	1610 of 1743	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	8.6	1609 of 1734	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.3	1530 of 1652	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	11.6	1478 of 1603	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	35.8	1373 of 1672	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.7	1300 of 1568	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.0	1308 of 1539	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	28.9	1273 of 1510	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	19.0	1329 of 1497	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	14.8	1303 of 1430	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	18.0	1280 of 1429	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	23.2	1255 of 1427	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	25.9	764 of 1065	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	839 of 1069	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.9	728 of 1031	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.5	781 of 1020	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	777 of 1024	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.0	896 of 1013	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	24.0	1491 of 1837	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.0	1575 of 1829	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.7	1532 of 1810	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.0	1658 of 1784	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	29.6	980 of 1437	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.5	1182 of 1371	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	950 of 1278	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.6	911 of 1195	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.1	952 of 1136	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	1016 of 1113	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	15.9	1614 of 1880	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	1696 of 1891	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	1603 of 1841	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.6	1627 of 1815	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.7	1610 of 1798	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	1689 of 1781	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	1.2	1161 of 1182	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.8	1135 of 1172	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.3	1153 of 1177	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.9	1122 of 1145	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	1066 of 1137	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	20.5	1488 of 1805	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	1594 of 1820	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	1537 of 1762	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	1528 of 1743	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.1	1542 of 1714	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.9	1562 of 1691	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	20.2	1575 of 1884	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.0	1669 of 1897	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	1558 of 1847	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.1	1601 of 1848	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	1618 of 1818	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.8	1674 of 1794	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	14.9	1628 of 1891	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	1684 of 1913	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.8	1588 of 1853	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.4	1636 of 1840	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.1	1641 of 1824	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.3	1674 of 1803	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	6.7	639 of 677	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	43.1	809 of 1548	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.7	1182 of 1478	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.0	1014 of 1418	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.7	1069 of 1382	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	1113 of 1357	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	1132 of 1347	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	1.6	1474 of 1510	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	1406 of 1526	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.2	1467 of 1539	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2024)48th percentile+32 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)32nd percentile+16 vs school

African American (2024)28th percentile+12 vs school

At Risk (2022)19th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2024)18th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)16th percentile~ school

Female (2024)14th percentile~ school

Male (2024)14th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2023)6th percentile-6 vs school

White (2021)2nd percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)2nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2024-2025) ?

U.S. History65%-3 vs state

Biology45%-17 vs state

English II Reading39%-18 vs state

Algebra I36%-11 vs state

English I Reading32%-20 vs state

2.0

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Schools Near Sterling High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2025)	STAAR EOC Biology (2025)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2025)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2025)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2025)	STAAR Reading (2025)			STAAR Mathematics (2025)			STAAR Science (2025)	STAAR Social Studies (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	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 Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Science 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Sterling High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	11625 Martindale Rd	Houston	77048	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 991-0510	1,146	87	13.1	93.7%	14 (1.2%)	631 (55.1%)	480 (41.9%)	5 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.0%)	29.8	1402^nd of 1974 public high schools	29.0%		17.1	1669^th of 1990 public high schools	16.1%	267	36.5	45.2	31.7	38.6	65.4									$12,465
Mount Carmel Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	7155 Ashburn St	Houston	77061	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 643-2008	194	6	30.4	88.7%	2 (1.0%)	14 (7.2%)	177 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)														$8,727
The Pro-Vision Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	4590 Wilmington	Houston	77051	Harris County	The Pro-Vision Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 748-0030	212	10	20.8	99.1%	0 (0.0%)	195 (92.0%)	13 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	5	1860^th of 1974 public high schools	5.8%		4.4	1902^nd of 1990 public high schools	4.4%	42	9.4	8.8	15.2	17.9	25.8									$9,296
KIPP Sunnyside High School	Public, Charter	9-12	11000 Scott St	Houston	77047	Harris County	KIPP Texas Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 230-0562	622	36	17.2	91.5%	2 (0.3%)	397 (63.8%)	205 (33.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (1.8%)	30.4	1385^th of 1974 public high schools	29.8%		22.9	1567^th of 1990 public high schools	21.3%	182	19.6	40.9	33.2	42.3	69.2									$9,582
Jones Futures Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	7414 St Lo Rd	Houston	77033	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 733-1111	298	25	11.8	94.3%	4 (1.3%)	83 (27.9%)	209 (70.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	34.1	1289^th of 1974 public high schools	34.7%		44.7	1056^th of 1990 public high schools	46.9%	233	39.3	40.0	32.3	54.4	62.2									$15,479
Worthing High School	Public	9-12	9215 Scott St	Houston	77051	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 733-3433	751	75	10.0	90.5%	15 (2.0%)	505 (67.2%)	212 (28.2%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.5%)	30	1397^th of 1974 public high schools	29.2%		15.9	1685^th of 1990 public high schools	15.3%	288	50.9	40.9	32.0	40.1	57.9									$14,195
Yes Prep - Southside	Public, Charter	6-12	5515 S Loop E	Houston	77033	Harris County	Yes Prep Public Schools Inc	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 924-5500	860	58	14.8	95.9%	7 (0.8%)	317 (36.9%)	524 (60.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.3%)	39.4	1177^th of 1974 public high schools	40.4%		31.8	1368^th of 1990 public high schools	31.3%	191	48.9	48.8	54.2	46.9	51.1	34.0	40.7	53.9	18.2	34.1	31.0	28.9	19.7	$14,087
Texans Can Academy - Houston Hobby	Public, Charter	9-12	9020 Gulf Fwy	Houston	77017	Harris County	Texans Can Academies	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(832) 379-4226	322	14	22.6	98.1%	5 (1.6%)	134 (41.6%)	183 (56.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3.7	1891^st of 1974 public high schools	4.2%		3	1943^rd of 1990 public high schools	2.4%	52	1.4	8.6	11.4	13.4	19.1									$11,382
South Early College High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1930 Airport Blvd	Houston	77051	Harris County	Houston Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 732-3623	452	22	20.4	81.0%	10 (2.2%)	145 (32.1%)	283 (62.6%)	5 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (1.1%)	71.2	387^th of 1974 public high schools	80.4%		73.7	341^st of 1990 public high schools	82.9%	46	44.3	87.6	77.7	72.5	64.7									$7,563
Premier H S - Houston - Hobby	Public, Charter	9-12	10222 Gulf Fwy	Houston	77034	Harris County	Premier High Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(713) 338-0020	97	4	22.3	90.7%	0 (0.0%)	22 (22.7%)	74 (76.3%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.5	1660^th of 1974 public high schools	15.9%		6.7	1852^nd of 1990 public high schools	6.9%	192	14.3	50.0	0.0	23.8	56.3									$10,195

Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling High School

How many students attend Sterling High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,146 students attended Sterling High School.

What schools feed into Sterling High School?

Is Sterling High School a good school?

Sterling High School ranks 1402^nd of 1974 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Sterling High School in?

Houston Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Sterling High School?

Students at Sterling High School are 55% African American, 42% Hispanic, 1% White.

Rate Sterling High School!

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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.