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Waco High School

Public Grades 9-12

1748^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 13% of Texas high schools

Summary

Waco High School is a large urban high school in Waco, TX, serving 1,885 students in grades 9-12 within the Waco Independent School District (Isd), where over 83% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 15-25% of Texas high schools over the past decade, with STAAR proficiency rates significantly below state averages—for instance, only 27.4% of students were proficient in Algebra I compared to 54% statewide, and 39.4% in Biology versus 70.5% statewide. This performance is similar to other high-poverty schools in the district, like University High School, but stands in stark contrast to nearby Midway High School, which achieved 65% proficiency in Algebra I and 82% in Biology in the same year.

A major concern is the school's volatile graduation rate, which dropped sharply from 88.1% in 2020-2021 to 75.4% in 2023-2024—a 12.7 percentage point decline over three years. This is notably lower than nearby schools like Bosqueville High School (97.9%) and even in-district University High School (88.3%). However, there are some bright spots: the school performs relatively well for its Special Education students, who ranked in the 43rd percentile statewide in 2023-2024, and Multi-racial students have shown an upward trend, improving from the 30th to the 48th percentile over two years. Additionally, Waco High consistently outperforms University High School in Algebra I, though it lags in other subjects.

The school spends about $10,886 per student, which is less than nearby high-performing Bosqueville High School ($12,665) and specialized schools like Paul And Jane Meyer Public High School ($17,037). A notable concern is the declining performance of Gifted and Talented students, who ranked in the bottom 9% of the state in 2025-2026, suggesting the school may struggle to challenge its highest-achieving students. While the school faces significant challenges, these specific areas of strength and weakness offer a more nuanced picture for parents exploring their options.

1,885

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,225

Per pupil spending ?

83.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2020 N 42nd St
Waco, TX 76710-3012

(254) 776-1150

District: Waco Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.5%

African American:

29.7%

White:

8.3%

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Compare Waco High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 15th percentile in 2016 → 13th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (34% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Biology scores 31 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg38%

Texas avg62%

1,748^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Waco Independent School District (Isd)

905^th of 951Waco 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
2026	13.7	1748 of 2009	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	1702 of 1974	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.3	1663 of 1990	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	1628 of 1961	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	1594 of 1876	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.4	1549 of 1861	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.7	1387 of 1857	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.3	1358 of 1797	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.1	1430 of 1777	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.0	1497 of 1762	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.4	1543 of 1743	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.7	1511 of 1734	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	12.5	1501 of 1652	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	21.7	1384 of 1603	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.9	1321 of 1672	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.0	1295 of 1568	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.5	1301 of 1539	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	35.5	1182 of 1510	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	30.4	1217 of 1497	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	27.8	1193 of 1430	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.7	1195 of 1429	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	28.2	1216 of 1427	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.9	947 of 1086	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.6	709 of 834	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	862 of 1065	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	899 of 1069	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	877 of 1031	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.3	871 of 1020	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	771 of 1024	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.9	767 of 1013	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	69.1	125 of 488	74.4%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	21.3	1561 of 1837	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.4	1525 of 1829	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	1111 of 1810	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.1	1267 of 1784	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	1002 of 1195	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.9	1016 of 1153	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	1238 of 1437	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	1060 of 1371	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.6	1020 of 1278	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.4	896 of 1195	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.9	644 of 1136	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.4	514 of 1113	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	1699 of 1936	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.4	1354 of 1504	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	1667 of 1880	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.6	1598 of 1891	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	1593 of 1841	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.3	1551 of 1815	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.1	1405 of 1798	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	1450 of 1781	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	20.1	1098 of 1206	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.9	888 of 964	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	1058 of 1182	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	1030 of 1172	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	1031 of 1177	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.7	1022 of 1145	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	997 of 1137	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	1602 of 1860	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.4	1289 of 1453	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	1518 of 1805	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	1442 of 1820	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.7	1432 of 1762	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.9	1352 of 1743	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.1	1158 of 1714	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	1147 of 1691	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	14.9	1696 of 1937	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	1366 of 1513	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	1606 of 1884	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	1580 of 1897	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	1551 of 1847	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.4	1558 of 1848	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.3	1480 of 1818	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.7	1389 of 1794	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	11.9	1728 of 1954	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.3	1359 of 1515	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	1587 of 1891	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.3	1591 of 1913	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.5	1575 of 1853	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	1516 of 1840	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	1430 of 1824	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.5	1428 of 1803	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	47.0	374 of 713	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.1	455 of 598	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	510 of 731	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.8	553 of 677	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.9	591 of 664	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	547 of 588	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.3	542 of 604	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	510 of 582	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	1049 of 1581	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.8	825 of 1299	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.6	885 of 1548	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.5	877 of 1478	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.3	1153 of 1418	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.4	1056 of 1382	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.5	1033 of 1357	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	1165 of 1347	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.9	1402 of 1584	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.2	1142 of 1294	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	1321 of 1556	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	1138 of 1576	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.4	1218 of 1525	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.6	1074 of 1510	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.2	904 of 1526	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	987 of 1539	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Asian (2021)74th percentile+58 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)48th percentile+35 vs school

Special Education (2026)34th percentile+21 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)16th percentile+3 vs school

At Risk (2022)15th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile~ school

African American (2026)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile~ school

Female (2026)12th percentile~ school

Male (2026)12th percentile~ school

White (2026)11th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)9th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History48%-23 vs state

Biology39%-31 vs state

English II Reading32%-27 vs state

English I Reading28%-28 vs state

Algebra I27%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Waco 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
Waco High School	Public	9-12	2020 N 42nd St	Waco	76710	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 776-1150	1,885	140	13.4	83.7%	156 (8.3%)	559 (29.7%)	1,121 (59.5%)	7 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (2.1%)	13.7	1748^th of 2009 public high schools	13.0%		14.6	1702^nd of 1974 public high schools	13.8%	46	27.4	39.4	27.5	32.4	47.6								$10,225
Challenge Academy	Public	7-12	2015 Alexander Ave	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 754-0803	52	4	13.4	92.3%	3 (5.8%)	22 (42.3%)	27 (51.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.6	1895^th of 2009 public high schools	5.7%		2.1	1959^th of 1974 public high schools	0.8%	64	0.0	23.5	14.3	26.3	20.0		0.0			0.0			$19,933
Harmony School Of Innovation - Waco	Public, Charter	6-12	1100 S Valley Mills Dr	Beverly Hills	76711	McLennan County	Harmony Public Schools - North Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 235-0321	614	38	16.1	86.2%	77 (12.5%)	55 (9.0%)	461 (75.1%)	9 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.5%)	42.3	1182^nd of 2009 public high schools	41.2%		33.8	1301^st of 1974 public high schools	34.1%	119	46.0	63.2	48.2	53.0	71.8	30.9	31.0	42.3	31.8	2.7	44.0	9.4	$11,499
Methodist Children's Home	Public, Charter	6-12	1111 Herring Ave	Waco	76708	McLennan County	University Of Texas University Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 498-8738	96	11	8.7		28 (29.2%)	31 (32.3%)	33 (34.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	2 (2.1%)	7	1840^th of 2009 public high schools	8.4%		9.8	1789^th of 1974 public high schools	9.4%	51	10.5	21.4	18.8	33.3	31.8	40.0	25.0	30.8		0.0	8.3	0.0	$13,140
Waco Center For Youth	Public	7-12	3501 N 19th St	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Axtell Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 745-5339	69	7	9.8	47.8%	43 (62.3%)	11 (15.9%)	12 (17.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.3%)	11.2	1777^th of 2009 public high schools	11.5%		2.8	1928^th of 1974 public high schools	2.3%	151	0.0	27.8	16.7	36.4	57.1		20.0	5.9			6.7	0.0	$15,404
Premier H S Of Waco	Public, Charter	9-12	4720 N 19th St	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Premier High Schools	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 752-0441	128	6	20.1	84.4%	31 (24.2%)	25 (19.5%)	70 (54.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	16.5	1701^st of 2009 public high schools	15.3%		14.6	1701^st of 1974 public high schools	13.8%		19.1	20.0	15.4	23.3	58.1								$8,276
University High School	Public	9-12	3201 S New Rd	Waco	76706	McLennan County	Waco Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 756-1843	1,752	123	14.1	83.9%	85 (4.9%)	393 (22.4%)	1,243 (70.9%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	24 (1.4%)	21	1636^th of 2009 public high schools	18.6%		24.2	1535^th of 1974 public high schools	22.2%	101	18.1	42.1	33.5	44.3	60.2								$9,521
Midway High School	Public	9-12	8200 Mars Dr	Waco	76712	McLennan County	Midway Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(254) 761-5650	2,687	166	16.2	30.3%	1,407 (52.4%)	329 (12.2%)	688 (25.6%)	126 (4.7%)	5 (0.2%)	7 (0.3%)	125 (4.7%)	77.9	261^st of 2009 public high schools	87.0%		80.5	220^th of 1974 public high schools	88.9%	41	65.0	81.8	76.2	85.1	84.3								$7,248
Paul And Jane Meyer Public High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1020 Elm Ave Bld 500	Waco	76704	McLennan County	Rapoport Academy Public School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 754-2288	233	26	9.0	56.2%	48 (20.6%)	53 (22.7%)	122 (52.4%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	62.3	617^th of 2009 public high schools	69.3%		63.9	576^th of 1974 public high schools	70.8%	41	54.4	78.3	68.1	66.0	69.8								$16,912
Bosqueville High School	Public	9-12	7636 Rock Creek Rd	Waco	76708	McLennan County	Bosqueville Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 757-3113	227	19	11.8	29.1%	157 (69.2%)	7 (3.1%)	56 (24.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	50.7	927^th of 2009 public high schools	53.9%		67.3	488^th of 1974 public high schools	75.3%	439	7.1	58.6	60.3	70.0	81.5								$13,273

Frequently Asked Questions about Waco High School

Is Waco High School a good school?

Waco High School ranks in the bottom 13.0% of Texas high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Waco High School?

Students at Waco High School are 59% Hispanic, 30% African American, 8% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Waco High School?

Waco High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brook Avenue Elementary
Elementary : Cedar Ridge Elementary
Elementary : Crestview Elementary
Elementary : Dean Highland Elementary
Elementary : J H Hines Elementary
Elementary : Mountainview Elementary
Elementary : Parkdale Elementary
Elementary : Provident Heights Elementary
Elementary : West Avenue Elementary
Middle : G W Carver Middle
Middle : Tennyson Middle

How many students attend Waco High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,885 students attended Waco High School.

What district is Waco High School in?

Waco Independent School District (Isd)

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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.