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Highlands High School

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

1698^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 15% of Texas high schools

Summary

Highlands High School in San Antonio, TX, is a large traditional public high school within the San Antonio Independent School District (Isd), serving approximately 1,478 students in grades 9-12 in a historically underserved area where over 88% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Highlands faces significant academic challenges, particularly in math. Only 13% of students scored proficient on the Algebra I EOC exam, a rate dramatically lower than the district average (42%) and far below nearby schools like Brackenridge High School (62%) and the top-performing St Philip's College Early College High School (94%). This persistent "Algebra I crisis" has been a multi-year issue, with proficiency rates in the single digits for three of the last four years. The school's overall state ranking (15th percentile) is well below Brackenridge (37th percentile) and far behind St. Philip's (97th percentile). The graduation rate has also declined sharply from 89% in 2019-2020 to 75.6% in 2023-2024, which is below the district average (85.5%) and significantly lower than Brackenridge (91.5%). The dropout rate of 4.9% is more than double the district average.

Despite these struggles, there are some relative strengths. In U.S. History, 51% of students were proficient, much closer to the district average (60%) than in other subjects. English II performance (44% proficient) was actually slightly above the district average (43%), suggesting effective strategies in the English department. Additionally, the school's Special Education students subgroup ranked in the 23rd percentile statewide in 2025-2026, indicating a potential area of relative effectiveness. The stark contrast between Highlands and St. Philip's College Early College High School—just 1.88 miles apart—highlights how a specialized academic model can produce vastly different outcomes, even in the same community.

1,478

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,136

Per pupil spending ?

88.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3118 Elgin Ave
San Antonio, TX 78210-5599

(210) 438-6800

District: San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.4%

African American:

7.0%

White:

2.2%

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Compare Highlands High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 16th percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (35% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Algebra I scores 41 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg46%

Texas avg62%

1,698^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 18High Schools in the San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)

776^th of 951San Antonio 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2018	7.4	2019 of 2080	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.4	1972 of 2027	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	1698 of 2009	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.9	1697 of 1974	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.2	1698 of 1990	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.6	1671 of 1961	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.8	1655 of 1876	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	1661 of 1861	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	1506 of 1857	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.5	1573 of 1797	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.7	1562 of 1777	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.0	1472 of 1762	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.2	1469 of 1743	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.7	1510 of 1734	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	16.7	1466 of 1652	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.4	1413 of 1603	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	44.1	1231 of 1672	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.4	1254 of 1568	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	33.4	1252 of 1539	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.7	1200 of 1510	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	44.0	1030 of 1497	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	41.1	1024 of 1430	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	36.4	1086 of 1429	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	32.1	1159 of 1427	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	17.4	909 of 1086	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.3	737 of 834	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.4	814 of 1065	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.6	781 of 1069	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.9	669 of 1020	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.3	732 of 1024	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.0	860 of 1013	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	17.6	1644 of 1837	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.5	1631 of 1829	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.4	962 of 1810	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.6	1475 of 1784	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	1072 of 1195	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.0	1034 of 1153	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	1248 of 1437	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.9	1205 of 1371	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	1107 of 1278	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	959 of 1195	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.8	553 of 1136	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.2	773 of 1113	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	14.5	1677 of 1936	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.9	1361 of 1504	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	1668 of 1880	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.1	1643 of 1891	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	1646 of 1841	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	1622 of 1815	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	1498 of 1798	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.0	1633 of 1781	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	1126 of 1206	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.7	815 of 964	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	1093 of 1182	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.1	1153 of 1172	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.4	1106 of 1177	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	1012 of 1145	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	3.5	1114 of 1137	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	1562 of 1860	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.4	1290 of 1453	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	1543 of 1805	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1523 of 1820	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	1556 of 1743	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.8	1396 of 1714	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.4	1506 of 1691	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.2	1638 of 1937	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	1356 of 1513	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	1610 of 1884	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	1604 of 1897	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	1608 of 1847	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	1650 of 1848	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	1471 of 1818	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	1610 of 1794	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	1667 of 1954	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.9	1366 of 1515	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.0	1598 of 1891	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	1606 of 1913	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	1629 of 1853	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	1679 of 1840	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	1542 of 1824	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	1623 of 1803	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	446 of 598	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	0.1	673 of 677	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	28.1	1223 of 1581	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	1132 of 1299	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.3	938 of 1548	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	940 of 1478	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	929 of 1418	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.0	1045 of 1382	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	1053 of 1357	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.9	1109 of 1347	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	1188 of 1584	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.0	1066 of 1294	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	1327 of 1556	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.9	1311 of 1576	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.5	1304 of 1510	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.6	1402 of 1526	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.3	1456 of 1539	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

High school

Multi-racial (2025)25th percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2026)23rd percentile+7 vs school

African American (2026)16th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)16th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile~ school

Male (2026)15th percentile~ school

Female (2026)13th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)11th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)10th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)7th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History51%-19 vs state

English II Reading44%-16 vs state

Biology41%-29 vs state

English I Reading25%-31 vs state

Algebra I13%-41 vs state

★

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Schools Near Highlands High School

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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 Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Highlands High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3118 Elgin Ave	San Antonio	78210	Bexar County	San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 438-6800	1,478	99	14.9	88.6%	33 (2.2%)	104 (7.0%)	1,321 (89.4%)	5 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (0.7%)	16.6	1698^th of 2009 public high schools	15.5%		14.9	1697^th of 1974 public high schools	14.0%	1	13.2	41.0	24.7	43.9	50.8								$13,136
Idea Eastside College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-12	2519 Martin Luther King Dr	San Antonio	78203	Bexar County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 239-4800	469	35	13.2	88.7%	13 (2.8%)	79 (16.8%)	375 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	17.6	1686^th of 2009 public high schools	16.1%		27.1	1465^th of 1974 public high schools	25.8%	221	20.2	38.6	32.6	49.2	50.0	31.3	47.3	36.2	17.3	43.2		21.7	$12,592
St Philip's College Early College High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1801 Martin Luther King Dr Rm	San Antonio	78203	Bexar County	San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 486-2406	305	16	19.0	78.0%	6 (2.0%)	44 (14.4%)	251 (82.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	90.4	55^th of 2009 public high schools	97.3%		88.8	81^st of 1974 public high schools	95.9%	26	93.9	94.3	82.7	95.2	93.9								$9,546
Idea Carver College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-12	217 Robinson Pl	San Antonio	78202	Bexar County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 223-8885	661	37	17.8	75.8%	38 (5.7%)	55 (8.3%)	557 (84.3%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	61.7	639^th of 2009 public high schools	68.2%		55.9	769^th of 1974 public high schools	61.0%	130	74.0	67.0	64.3	62.2	78.6	52.7	59.4	66.3	25.0	35.4		22.8	$12,781
Compass Rose Legacy	Public, Charter	6-12	3300 Sidney Brooks	San Antonio	78235	Bexar County	Compass Rose Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 890-8448	530	35	15.2	84.5%	42 (7.9%)	40 (7.5%)	433 (81.7%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	9.8	1795^th of 2009 public high schools	10.7%		14.6	1703^rd of 1974 public high schools	13.7%	92	17.1	42.7	22.8	23.8	41.5	27.3	30.4	39.3	7.1	15.2		11.1	$13,481
Por Vida Academy Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1135 Mission Rd	San Antonio	78210	Bexar County	Por Vida Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 775-1132	104	6	17.5		2 (1.9%)	3 (2.9%)	98 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13	1760^th of 2009 public high schools	12.4%		5.4	1851^st of 1974 public high schools	6.2%	91	0.0	29.4	19.4	32.4	57.7								$18,750
Idea Najim College Preparatory	Public, Charter	6-12	926 S Ww White Rd	San Antonio	78220	Bexar County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 239-4900	474	33	14.4	89.7%	9 (1.9%)	132 (27.8%)	321 (67.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (1.1%)	19.9	1650^th of 2009 public high schools	17.9%		27.1	1466^th of 1974 public high schools	25.7%	184	28.6	45.4	33.8	51.5	40.6	43.9	54.6	52.8	34.7	42.7		21.1	$11,180
Brackenridge High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	400 Eagleland St	San Antonio	78210	Bexar County	San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 228-1200	1,593	105	15.1	84.7%	36 (2.3%)	52 (3.3%)	1,487 (93.3%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (0.7%)	39	1260^th of 2009 public high schools	37.3%		30.7	1377^th of 1974 public high schools	30.2%	117	62.2	63.7	43.5	46.0	62.0								$11,317
Juvenile Detent Center	Public	6-12	600 Mission Rd	San Antonio	78210	Bexar County	San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(210) 335-7865	118	14	8.3		9 (7.6%)	22 (18.6%)	85 (72.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	2.7	1945^th of 2009 public high schools	3.2%		3.3	1903^rd of 1974 public high schools	3.6%	42	0.0	9.3	9.7	15.9	30.8			8.3	0.0		6.3	0.0	$16,611
Young Men's Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	415 Gabriel St	San Antonio	78202	Bexar County	San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 354-9652	242	20	12.3	59.9%	6 (2.5%)	45 (18.6%)	179 (74.0%)	4 (1.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	28.4	1509^th of 2009 public high schools	24.9%		48.4	952^nd of 1974 public high schools	51.8%	557	22.9	60.9	52.8	34.6	53.3	45.5	32.6		30.3		23.3	28.6	$15,192

Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands High School

What schools feed into Highlands High School?

Highlands High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Charles C Ball Elementary
Elementary : Democracy Prep At Stewart Academy
Elementary : Eloise Japhet Elementary
Elementary : Highland Hills Elementary
Elementary : Mission Academy
Elementary : Schenck Elementary
Elementary : Smith Elementary
Middle : Hot Wells Middle
Middle : Rogers Middle

How many students attend Highlands High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,478 students attended Highlands High School.

What district is Highlands High School in?

San Antonio Independent School District (Isd)

Is Highlands High School a good school?

Highlands High School ranks in the bottom 15.5% of Texas high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands High School?

Students at Highlands High School are 89% Hispanic, 7% African American, 2% White.

Rate Highlands High School!

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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.