Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

University High School

Public Grades 9-12

1535^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,974 Texas High Schools

Better than 22% of Texas high schools

Summary

University High School is a public high school located in Waco, Texas, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,750 students. The school is part of the Waco Independent School District, which has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past 10 years, University High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Texas high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance compared to other Texas high schools.

The school's academic performance, as measured by STAAR EOC exam proficiency rates, is significantly below the state and district averages across all subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rate in Algebra I was 15.31%, compared to the district's 27.49% and the state's 47.01%. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 79.4% to 86.6% over the past few years, which is lower than the state average, and its dropout rate has been higher than the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby Paul and Jane Meyer Public High School and Harmony School of Innovation - Waco, which are charter schools, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance and graduation rates compared to University High School and other schools in the Waco Independent School District. This suggests that school choice and alternative educational models may be beneficial for students in the Waco area.

1,752

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,521

Per pupil spending ?

83.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3201 S New Rd
Waco, TX 76706

(254) 756-1843

District: Waco Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for University High School:

Elementary:	Alta Vista Elementary
	Bell's Hill Elementary
	Kendrick Elementary
	South Waco Elementary
Middle:	Cesar Chavez Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.9%

African American:

22.4%

White:

4.9%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare University High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 25th percentile in 2015 → 22nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (38% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Algebra I scores 32 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg34%

Texas avg56%

1,535^th of 1,974

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3High Schools in the Waco Independent School District (Isd)

896^th of 961Waco 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	24.2	1535 of 1974	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	1518 of 1990	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	1490 of 1961	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.5	1430 of 1876	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	1309 of 1861	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	1235 of 1857	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.0	1144 of 1797	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.9	1252 of 1777	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.3	1305 of 1762	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.2	1313 of 1743	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.8	1421 of 1734	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.7	1427 of 1652	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.1	1380 of 1603	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.9	1353 of 1672	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	43.1	1183 of 1568	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.1	1159 of 1539	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.2	1222 of 1510	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	30.6	1215 of 1497	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	20.7	1250 of 1430	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	17.1	1288 of 1429	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	19.1	1284 of 1427	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	29.4	571 of 834	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.3	677 of 1065	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.7	685 of 1069	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.3	805 of 1031	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	742 of 1020	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.3	654 of 1024	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	632 of 1013	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	27.8	1370 of 1837	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.0	1165 of 1829	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.3	1202 of 1810	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.8	1234 of 1784	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	24.8	871 of 1153	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	1115 of 1437	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	953 of 1371	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.2	1000 of 1278	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.7	743 of 1195	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.8	673 of 1136	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.0	830 of 1113	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	1238 of 1504	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	1497 of 1880	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	1519 of 1891	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.9	1430 of 1841	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	1311 of 1815	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.6	1228 of 1798	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	1210 of 1781	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	802 of 964	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	1073 of 1182	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	1038 of 1172	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.4	1015 of 1177	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.3	770 of 1145	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.5	1032 of 1137	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	26.3	1120 of 1453	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	1331 of 1805	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	1268 of 1820	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.7	1191 of 1762	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	1024 of 1743	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.9	931 of 1714	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.8	891 of 1691	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	26.3	1169 of 1513	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	1392 of 1884	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.0	1370 of 1897	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.7	1347 of 1847	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	1329 of 1848	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.7	1019 of 1818	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.0	943 of 1794	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	20.1	1230 of 1515	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	1472 of 1891	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.4	1394 of 1913	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.0	1435 of 1853	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.3	1335 of 1840	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	1286 of 1824	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	1253 of 1803	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	506 of 598	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.5	363 of 731	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.3	467 of 677	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	4.7	643 of 664	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	475 of 588	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	4.3	579 of 604	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	431 of 582	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	31.3	928 of 1299	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.0	789 of 1548	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.5	1186 of 1478	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	1116 of 1418	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.0	1093 of 1382	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	1043 of 1357	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	985 of 1347	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	1071 of 1294	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	1217 of 1556	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	1392 of 1576	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.0	1317 of 1525	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	1278 of 1510	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.3	1301 of 1526	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	1238 of 1539	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)32nd percentile+9 vs school

Special Education (2025)29th percentile+6 vs school

At Risk (2022)25th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)24th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)23rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)19th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)18th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)17th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)17th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)15th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2024-2025) ?

U.S. History56%-12 vs state

Biology43%-19 vs state

English II Reading38%-18 vs state

English I Reading37%-15 vs state

Algebra I15%-32 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate University High School and help other families decide.

Rate University High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near University 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
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%)	24.2	1535^th of 1974 public high schools	22.2%		25.2	1518^th of 1990 public high schools	23.7%	17	15.3	43.2	36.5	38.3	55.8									$9,521
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%)	33.8	1301^st of 1974 public high schools	34.1%		31.1	1385^th of 1990 public high schools	30.4%	84	37.5	34.7	40.7	52.2	66.2	30.8	35.4	40.7	25.0	8.6	34.3	39.8	8.3	$11,499
Challenge Academy	Public	12	3805 S 3rd St	Waco	76706	McLennan County	Midway Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(254) 754-0803	1				0 (0.0%)	1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$00
Robinson High School	Public	9-12	700 W Tate	Robinson	76706	McLennan County	Robinson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(254) 662-3840	725	56	12.9	36.7%	413 (57.0%)	18 (2.5%)	260 (35.9%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.0%)	68.6	452^nd of 1974 public high schools	77.1%		73.2	357^th of 1990 public high schools	82.1%	95	39.2	74.5	70.2	74.2	76.3									$10,538
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%)	14.6	1702^nd of 1974 public high schools	13.8%		17.3	1663^rd of 1990 public high schools	16.4%	39	29.4	31.2	21.0	28.6	46.4									$10,225
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%)	80.5	220^th of 1974 public high schools	88.9%		77.9	245^th of 1990 public high schools	87.7%	25	66.7	81.4	76.9	78.5	81.6									$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%)	63.9	576^th of 1974 public high schools	70.8%		60.4	677^th of 1990 public high schools	66.0%	101	52.1	70.9	70.2	63.5	69.1									$16,912
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%)	9.8	1789^th of 1974 public high schools	9.4%		12.2	1752^nd of 1990 public high schools	12.0%	37	11.1	18.2	21.1	10.5	50.0	14.3	30.0	23.1	0.0	10.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	$13,140
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%)	2.1	1959^th of 1974 public high schools	0.8%		2.5	1964^th of 1990 public high schools	1.3%	5	0.0	0.0	0.0	11.1	14.3	0.0			0.0					$19,933
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%)	2.8	1928^th of 1974 public high schools	2.3%		16.7	1675^th of 1990 public high schools	15.8%	253	0.0	0.0	6.7	6.7	27.3		12.5	16.7		0.0	0.0	9.1	0.0	$15,404

Frequently Asked Questions about University High School

What schools feed into University High School?

University High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alta Vista Elementary
Elementary : Bell's Hill Elementary
Elementary : Kendrick Elementary
Elementary : South Waco Elementary
Middle : Cesar Chavez Middle

What is the racial makeup of University High School?

Students at University High School are 71% Hispanic, 22% African American, 5% White, 1% Two or more races.

Is University High School a good school?

University High School ranks in the bottom 22.2% of Texas high schools.

How many students attend University High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,752 students attended University High School.

What district is University High School in?

Waco Independent School District (Isd)

Rate University High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

TXTexas High School Rankings

TXTexas District Rankings

Schools in Waco, TX

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for University High School!

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.