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Payson High

Q: Is Payson High a good school?

Payson High ranks in the bottom 23.2% of Utah high schools.

Q: How many students attend Payson High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,648 students attended Payson High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Payson High?

Students at Payson High are 78% White, 19% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Q: What schools feed into Payson High?

Payson High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Apple Valley School Elementary : Goshen School Elementary : Orchard Hills School Elementary : Park View School Elementary : Santaquin School Elementary : Spring Lake School Elementary : Wilson School Middle : Mt. Nebo Middle Middle : Payson Junior High

Public Grades 6-12

106^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 138 Utah High Schools

Better than 23% of Utah high schools

Summary

Payson High is a public high school in Payson, Utah, serving grades 6-12 with 1,601 students. It is part of the Nebo School District, which is ranked 50 out of 93 districts in the state. Payson High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Utah high schools over the past decade, typically between 98-118 out of around 130 schools.

Payson High significantly underperforms the state and district averages in proficiency rates for 10th grade students on the Utah Aspire Plus assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2024-2025, only 17% of 10th graders at Payson High were proficient in Math, compared to 29% for the state and district. The school also has higher-than-average dropout rates and chronic absenteeism. Payson High struggles to serve its Hispanic, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status student populations, with these subgroups ranking in the bottom half or quarter of Utah high schools.

Comparing Payson High to nearby schools, the other high schools in the Nebo School District generally outperform it across metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The Utah County Academy of Science, a public magnet charter school, significantly outperforms Payson High and all other nearby schools in academic achievement, highlighting the potential impact of school choice and specialized programs on student outcomes.

1,648

Students ?

23.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,484

Per pupil spending ?

26%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1050 S Main
Payson, UT 84651

(801) 465-6025

District: Nebo District

Feeder schools for Payson High:

Elementary:	Apple Valley School
	Goshen School
	Orchard Hills School
	Park View School
	More...
	Santaquin School
	Spring Lake School
	Wilson School
Middle:	Mt. Nebo Middle
	Payson Junior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

19.1%

Two or more races:

1.8%

See top rated Utah high schools

Compare Payson High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 18th percentile in 2015 → 23rd in 2025

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Utah average (90%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Utah average (31% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 24% Utah)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg37%

Utah avg39%

106^th of 138

Utah public high schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 18% (2015) to bottom 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Utah High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5High Schools in the Nebo District

50^th of 93Nebo District among Utah 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	Utah percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	106 of 138	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	105 of 138	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	109 of 139	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	109 of 131	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.5	115 of 129	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.7	118 of 136	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.9	98 of 123	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.2	116 of 125	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.7	116 of 129	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.3	108 of 131	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.2	100 of 120	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	36.4	119 of 167	28.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.7	110 of 166	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.1	114 of 164	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.7	108 of 153	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	32.6	111 of 148	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	42.6	95 of 142	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2025	21.2	59 of 69	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.0	22 of 72	69.4%	★★★★☆
2023	23.8	53 of 66	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.0	37 of 62	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	52 of 89	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.6	58 of 93	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	72.2	23 of 93	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	54.3	35 of 84	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2025	11.4	6 of 6	0.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	15 of 20	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2025	22.1	95 of 118	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	105 of 123	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	97 of 122	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	112 of 123	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile+18 vs school

White (2025)19th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)14th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2025)<1st percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Utah (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts49%~ state avg

Science26%-10 vs state

Mathematics17%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Payson High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts (2025)		Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics (2025)		Utah Aspire Plus Science (2025)		RISE Mathematics (2025)		RISE Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 10th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 10th Grade	RISE Mathematics 7th Grade	RISE Mathematics 8th Grade	RISE Science 7th Grade	RISE Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Payson High	Public	6-12	1050 S Main	Payson	84651	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 465-6025	1,648	70	23.6	26.0%	1,279 (77.6%)	10 (0.6%)	315 (19.1%)	3 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	6 (0.4%)	30 (1.8%)	26.9	106^th of 138 public high schools	23.2%		25.2	105^th of 138 public high schools	23.9%	1		49.4		17.0		25.6					$8,484	$386	$8,098
Salem Hills High	Public	9-12	150 N Skyhawk Blvd	Salem	84653	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 423-3200	1,593	65	24.6	16.7%	1,319 (82.8%)	10 (0.6%)	200 (12.6%)	9 (0.6%)	3 (0.2%)	4 (0.3%)	48 (3.0%)	55.8	54^th of 138 public high schools	60.9%		62.1	41^st of 138 public high schools	70.3%	13		53.0		36.1		35.2					$8,456	$522	$7,934
Spanish Fork High	Public	9-12	158 N 630 West	Spanish Fork	84660	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 798-4060	1,640	69	23.6	19.8%	1,296 (79.0%)	14 (0.9%)	250 (15.2%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	19 (1.2%)	55 (3.4%)	31.8	98^th of 138 public high schools	29.0%		34.1	92^nd of 138 public high schools	33.3%	6		42.2		20.7		35.0					$8,293	$382	$7,910
Maple Mountain High	Public	7-12	51 N Spanish Fork Pkwy	Spanish Fork	84660	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 794-6740	1,902	74	25.7	11.6%	1,552 (81.6%)	7 (0.4%)	245 (12.9%)	7 (0.4%)	6 (0.3%)	9 (0.5%)	76 (4.0%)	44	80^th of 138 public high schools	42.0%		47.6	74^th of 138 public high schools	46.4%	6		52.6		27.1		31.9					$8,236	$502	$7,734
Merit College Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	1440 W Center Street	Springville	84663	Utah County	Merit College Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(801) 491-7600	456	33	13.9	32.0%	325 (71.3%)	2 (0.4%)	104 (22.8%)	7 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (1.1%)	11 (2.4%)	34.1	95^th of 138 public high schools	31.2%		25	106^th of 138 public high schools	23.2%	11	50.0	45.1	36.1	10.6	47.9	22.0	35.0	28.8	36.6	47.8	$7,734	$551	$7,183
Springville High	Public	6-12	1205 E 900 S	Springville	84663	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 489-2870	1,665	74	22.6	22.9%	1,201 (72.1%)	12 (0.7%)	338 (20.3%)	9 (0.5%)	11 (0.7%)	16 (1.0%)	78 (4.7%)	60.6	41^st of 138 public high schools	70.3%		57	53^rd of 138 public high schools	61.6%	12		47.6		44.3		39.7					$7,954	$375	$7,579
Independence High	Public	5-12	636 N Independence Ave	Provo	84601	Utah County	Provo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 374-4920	276	20	13.9	54.7%	105 (38.0%)	1 (0.4%)	145 (52.5%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.2%)	9 (3.3%)	9 (3.3%)	1.9	138^th of 138 public high schools	0.0%					(n/a)		18.4		0.0		12.5					$15,106	$779	$14,327
Provo Adult Education	Public	9-12	636 N Independence Ave	Provo	84601	Utah County	Provo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 374-4840	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Provo High	Public	7-12	1199 North Lakeshore Dr	Provo	84601	Utah County	Provo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 373-6550	2,023	79	25.5	34.9%	1,005 (49.7%)	13 (0.6%)	826 (40.8%)	27 (1.3%)	19 (0.9%)	61 (3.0%)	71 (3.5%)	17.6	118^th of 138 public high schools	14.5%		22.4	113^th of 138 public high schools	18.1%	5	32.7	41.7	25.2	19.3	28.1	25.8					$9,806	$484	$9,322
Utah County Academy of Science	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	940 W 800 S	Orem	84058	Utah County	Utah County Academy of Science	Yes	Yes	No	No	(801) 863-2222	510	21	24.3	19.6%	300 (58.8%)	4 (0.8%)	155 (30.4%)	26 (5.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	21 (4.1%)	99.8	1^st of 138 public high schools	99.3%		99.2	2^nd of 138 public high schools	98.6%	1	88.7	87.3	81.5	75.4	87.6	74.8					$8,825	$919	$7,906

Frequently Asked Questions about Payson High

What district is Payson High in?

Nebo District

What schools feed into Payson High?

Payson High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Apple Valley School
Elementary : Goshen School
Elementary : Orchard Hills School
Elementary : Park View School
Elementary : Santaquin School
Elementary : Spring Lake School
Elementary : Wilson School
Middle : Mt. Nebo Middle
Middle : Payson Junior High

What is the racial makeup of Payson High?

Students at Payson High are 78% White, 19% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Payson High a good school?

Payson High ranks in the bottom 23.2% of Utah high schools.

How many students attend Payson High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,648 students attended Payson High.

Rate Payson High!

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UTUtah District Rankings

Schools in Payson, UT

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Utah State Board of Education.

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.