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Kelso High School

Q: Is Kelso High School a good school?

Kelso High School ranks 287 th of 396 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

287^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 396 Washington High Schools

Better than 28% of Washington high schools

Summary

Kelso High School is a public grades 9–12 school serving about 1,390 students in Kelso, Washington, a larger community high school in the Kelso School District. The school ranked in the 28th percentile statewide most recently, with a 1-star rating, although this was a small improvement from the 26th percentile the year before. About 54.17% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, and the student-teacher ratio was 18.8:1. Kelso is considerably larger than nearby traditional high schools such as Kalama High School, Castle Rock High School, R A Long High School, and Mark Morris High School.

English Language Arts is Kelso’s clearest academic strength. About 54.93% of students were proficient, slightly above the statewide rate of 52.81% and about 8 percentage points higher than the district result. Performance has remained fairly steady over the past four reported years. Mathematics is the most urgent concern: only 15.20% of students were proficient, compared with 33.93% in the district and 43.11% statewide. Kelso’s math result was also below each nearby traditional comparison school, including Castle Rock at 16.67% and Kalama at 27.03%. Science has also become a concern after declining from 55.13% proficiency in 2022–23 to 36.43% most recently, below both district and state results.

Kelso’s completion outcomes are much stronger than its test scores. The 2024–25 graduation rate was 90.2%, above Washington’s 82.6%, while the dropout rate was 4.7%, well below the state’s 9.8%. These results suggest that the school generally keeps students connected through graduation, even though many are not yet meeting academic standards—especially in math. Kelso’s graduation rate is competitive with nearby schools, though slightly below R A Long, Mark Morris, and Kalama. Overall, the latest ranking may indicate stabilization rather than a full recovery: maintaining solid graduation and ELA results while improving math and reversing the recent science decline would be the school’s most important priorities.

1,390

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,958

Per pupil spending ?

54.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1904 Allen St
Kelso, WA 98626

(360) 501-1842

District: Kelso School District

Feeder schools for Kelso High School:

Elementary:	Barnes Elementary
	Butler Acres Elementary
	Carrolls Elementary
	Lexington Elementary
	More...
	Rose Valley Elementary
	Wallace Elementary
Middle:	Coweeman Middle School
	Huntington Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.6%

Hispanic:

19.6%

Two or more races:

6.3%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare Kelso High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 59th percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026

Strengths

✓90% graduate in 4 years — above the Washington average (83%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (36% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2016

!Math scores 28 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg41%

Washington avg48%

287^th of 396

Washington public high schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 32 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

160^th of 238Kelso School District among Washington 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	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	287 of 396	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.3	325 of 438	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.7	310 of 437	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.9	285 of 442	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.7	200 of 434	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.8	262 of 455	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.0	248 of 417	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.6	188 of 315	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	54.7	156 of 301	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	61.8	125 of 306	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.5	110 of 341	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.9	195 of 454	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	48.9	257 of 450	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.4	265 of 440	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.5	220 of 423	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.7	238 of 402	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.7	245 of 396	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.3	191 of 399	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.9	205 of 395	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	61.4	171 of 394	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	69.8	104 of 390	73.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	47.1	33 of 70	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	226 of 309	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.0	283 of 350	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.4	251 of 347	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.7	247 of 357	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.9	189 of 368	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.9	238 of 390	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.7	206 of 358	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	203 of 236	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.2	216 of 249	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.5	175 of 248	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.5	171 of 249	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.0	106 of 261	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.4	165 of 278	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.1	176 of 241	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	73.4	8 of 36	77.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	31.6	239 of 325	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.0	260 of 355	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	283 of 356	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.9	247 of 362	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	181 of 370	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.1	218 of 392	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	205 of 344	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	242 of 326	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.0	256 of 359	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	291 of 362	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.1	240 of 358	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	175 of 363	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.1	222 of 395	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	240 of 355	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	144 of 170	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	120 of 161	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.2	123 of 166	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.6	112 of 179	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.3	175 of 195	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.4	104 of 163	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	20.1	119 of 144	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.4	109 of 110	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.4	161 of 212	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	24.2	261 of 319	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	318 of 373	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	318 of 374	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	297 of 379	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.8	219 of 390	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.2	272 of 413	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.2	255 of 382	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)78th percentile+52 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)53rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)27th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)26th percentile~ school

Male (2026)26th percentile~ school

White (2026)18th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)17th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)15th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts55%~ state avg

Science36%-15 vs state

Math15%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kelso 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)				WCAS Science (2026)			SBAC English Language Arts (2026)					SBAC Math (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kelso High School	Public	9-12	1904 Allen St	Kelso	98626	Cowlitz County	Kelso School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 501-1842	1,390	74	18.8	54.2%	954 (68.6%)	5 (0.4%)	273 (19.6%)	15 (1.1%)	21 (1.5%)	34 (2.4%)	88 (6.3%)	30.7	287^th of 396 public high schools	27.5%		28.3	325^th of 438 public high schools	25.8%	38		36.4	36.4				54.9	54.9				15.2	15.2	$16,958	$670	$16,287
Loowit High School	Public	6-12	1904 Allen St	Kelso	98626	Cowlitz County	Kelso School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 501-1424	14	1	28.0	78.6%	11 (78.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	2 (14.3%)								(n/a)														$10,053	$254	$9,799
Kelso Goal Oriented Learning Design	Public	9-12	1904 Allen St	Kelso	98626	Cowlitz County	Kelso School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 501-1424	12	1	24.0	66.7%	7 (58.3%)	1 (8.3%)	2 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)								(n/a)														$5,963	$237	$5,727
Cowlitz County Youth Services Center	Public	6-12	1725 1st Ave.	Longview	98632	Cowlitz County	Educational Service District 112	No	No	No	No	(360) 577-3100	14	0		21.4%	9 (64.3%)	1 (7.1%)	3 (21.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Mark Morris High School	Public	9-12	1602 Mark Morris Court	Longview	98632	Cowlitz County	Longview School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 575-7663	912	45	20.3	53.4%	617 (67.7%)	8 (0.9%)	191 (20.9%)	14 (1.5%)	9 (1.0%)	13 (1.4%)	59 (6.5%)	32.8	275^th of 396 public high schools	30.6%		31.4	307^th of 438 public high schools	29.9%	32		33.3	33.3				56.4	56.4				20.9	20.9	$17,220	$1,167	$16,053
R A Long High School	Public	9-12	2903 Nichols Blvd.	Longview	98632	Cowlitz County	Longview School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 575-7225	926	43	21.4	63.8%	540 (58.3%)	16 (1.7%)	254 (27.4%)	27 (2.9%)	7 (0.8%)	16 (1.7%)	66 (7.1%)	50.7	188^th of 396 public high schools	52.5%		43.2	247^th of 438 public high schools	43.6%	59		50.9	50.9				58.9	58.9				24.8	24.8	$17,512	$1,043	$16,469
Discovery High School	Public	9-12	2742 Harding Blvd	Longview	98632	Cowlitz County	Longview School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 414-2920	57	5	11.4	80.7%	35 (61.4%)	1 (1.8%)	15 (26.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	1 (1.8%)	4 (7.0%)								(n/a)														$30,457	$651	$29,806
Discovery High School-Achieve	Public	9-12	2742 Harding	Longview	98632	Cowlitz County	Longview School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 414-2929	57	0		82.5%	38 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (22.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.5%)	1 (1.8%)	3 (5.3%)								(n/a)														$15,845	$643	$15,202
Longview Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	2742 Harding Street	Longview	98632	Cowlitz County	Longview School District	No	No	Yes	No	(360) 414-2926	88	2	44.0	72.7%	63 (71.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (14.8%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	2 (2.3%)	8 (9.1%)								(n/a)			50.0			36.4	53.3	46.2					16.7	$7,024	$643	$6,381
Castle Rock High School	Public	9-12	5180 Westside Hwy	Castle Rock	98611	Cowlitz County	Castle Rock School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 501-2930	422	24	17.6	47.6%	352 (83.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.9%)	4 (0.9%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	29 (6.9%)	32.5	277^th of 396 public high schools	30.1%		25.6	336^th of 438 public high schools	23.3%	59		37.7	37.7				55.2	55.2				16.7	16.7	$18,746	$226	$18,521

Frequently Asked Questions about Kelso High School

Is Kelso High School a good school?

Kelso High School ranks 287^th of 396 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Kelso High School in?

Kelso School District

What is the racial makeup of Kelso High School?

Students at Kelso High School are 69% White, 20% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Kelso High School?

Kelso High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Barnes Elementary
Elementary : Butler Acres Elementary
Elementary : Carrolls Elementary
Elementary : Lexington Elementary
Elementary : Rose Valley Elementary
Elementary : Wallace Elementary
Middle : Coweeman Middle School
Middle : Huntington Middle School

How many students attend Kelso High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,390 students attended Kelso High School.

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.