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Fife High School

Q: Is Fife High School a good school?

Fife High School ranks 172 nd of 396 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 10-12

172^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 396 Washington High Schools

Better than 57% of Washington high schools

Summary

Fife High School is a public school serving grades 10–12 and about 885 students in Tacoma, near the Fife, Puyallup, and Federal Way area. It ranks 172nd of 396 Washington high schools, in the 57th percentile—a notable improvement from 2024–25. The school’s performance is somewhat stronger than that of the Fife School District, which ranks in the 45th percentile. Nearly half of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, and the student-teacher ratio was 22.7 to 1.

Fife’s clearest academic strength is English language arts: 66.4% of students were proficient in 2025–26, compared with 52.81% statewide and 45.97% across the district. That result was close to Tacoma School of the Arts and behind only Puyallup High School among the nearby schools compared. Math is the main weakness, with 30.43% proficiency versus 43.11% statewide, although this was higher than results at several nearby schools, including Lincoln High School and Todd Beamer High School. Science proficiency was 43.13%, near the district rate but below the state and behind Puyallup and Tacoma School of the Arts.

Families should pay close attention to completion trends. Fife’s 85.3% graduation rate in 2024–25 remained slightly above the state’s 82.6%, but it fell from the low 90% range in prior years. The dropout rate rose to 9.7%, nearly double the previous year and close to the state rate. On a positive note, subgroup-effectiveness rankings were strong for African American students, students receiving special education services, low-income students, and English learners, though these results have varied considerably from year to year. Overall, Fife offers notably strong literacy instruction and competitive local academics, while math improvement, science recovery, and keeping students on track to graduate are the most important priorities.

885

Students ?

22.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,373

Per pupil spending ?

49.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5616 20th St E
Tacoma, WA 98424-2026

(253) 517-1100

District: Fife School District

Feeder schools for Fife High School:

Elementary:	Discovery Primary School
	Hedden Elementary School
Middle:	Surprise Lake Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.6%

Hispanic:

24.3%

Two or more races:

10.8%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare Fife High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 55th percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Washington median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Math scores 13 pts below the Washington average

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg41%

Washington avg48%

172^nd of 396

Washington public high schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Washington High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

132^nd of 238Fife 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	54.2	172 of 396	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.5	231 of 438	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.9	158 of 437	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.9	181 of 442	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	154 of 434	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.5	215 of 455	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.4	162 of 417	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.0	162 of 315	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	55.1	154 of 301	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	58.6	139 of 306	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.5	83 of 341	75.7%	★★★★☆
2013	59.5	191 of 454	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.8	194 of 450	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.6	189 of 440	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.3	192 of 423	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.8	199 of 402	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	48.1	248 of 396	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.3	214 of 399	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	69.0	120 of 395	69.6%	★★★★☆
2005	65.7	140 of 394	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	63.3	149 of 390	61.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	67.0	16 of 77	79.2%	★★★★☆
2025	45.3	44 of 80	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	86.1	5 of 70	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	62.3	26 of 78	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.0	70 of 111	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	43.6	64 of 119	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.8	43 of 113	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	54 of 118	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	62 of 124	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	79 of 136	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.7	98 of 121	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	79 of 87	9.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	39 of 104	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.6	36 of 85	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.9	43 of 68	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.7	29 of 70	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.4	43 of 102	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	48.0	152 of 309	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.1	183 of 350	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.2	144 of 347	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.1	163 of 357	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.7	163 of 368	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.4	150 of 390	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.8	182 of 358	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.0	123 of 243	49.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	110 of 236	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.7	156 of 249	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.2	63 of 248	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	68 of 249	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	56.2	97 of 261	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	150 of 278	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.0	60 of 241	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	63.6	47 of 156	69.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	109 of 325	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.8	211 of 355	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	156 of 356	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.2	187 of 362	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.4	153 of 370	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	244 of 392	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.3	113 of 344	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	115 of 227	49.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	54.9	144 of 326	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.8	211 of 359	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.6	146 of 362	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.5	159 of 358	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.9	126 of 363	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.0	232 of 395	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.2	122 of 355	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.2	143 of 254	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	44.7	92 of 170	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.8	96 of 161	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.3	121 of 166	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.4	101 of 179	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.2	81 of 195	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.6	75 of 163	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.9	54 of 91	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	63.4	6 of 17	64.7%	★★★★☆
2021	38.6	22 of 33	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	12 of 18	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	4 of 6	33.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	38 of 144	73.6%	★★★★☆
2025	29.8	86 of 127	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.8	73 of 212	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.3	51 of 128	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.3	16 of 139	88.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	149 of 319	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.9	194 of 373	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.4	140 of 374	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.3	168 of 379	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	135 of 390	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.9	152 of 413	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.9	130 of 382	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	114 of 222	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2026)79th percentile+23 vs school

Special Education (2026)74th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+10 vs school

Pacific Islander (2022)65th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)62nd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)53rd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)51st percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2025)46th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)46th percentile~ school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts66%+14 vs state

Science43%-8 vs state

Math30%-13 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I passed every section of the WASL, and I owe it to my teachers from Fife. Close Quote

Schools Near Fife 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Fife High School	Public	10-12	5616 20th St E	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1100	885	39	22.7	49.9%	342 (38.6%)	65 (7.3%)	215 (24.3%)	91 (10.3%)	9 (1.0%)	49 (5.5%)	96 (10.8%)	54.2	172^nd of 396 public high schools	56.6%		45.5	231^st of 438 public high schools	47.3%	59		43.1	43.1				66.4	66.4				30.4	30.4	$18,373	$485	$17,888
Fife Open Doors	Public	10-12	5802 20th Street East	Tacoma	98424	Pierce County	Fife School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 517-1000	25	0		76.0%	5 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (28.0%)	1 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (20.0%)	7 (28.0%)								(n/a)														$14,189	$123	$14,066
Todd Beamer High School	Public	9-12	35999 16th Av S	Federal Way	98003	King County	Federal Way School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 945-2570	1,412	66	21.5	72.8%	267 (18.9%)	246 (17.4%)	429 (30.4%)	214 (15.2%)	7 (0.5%)	83 (5.9%)	159 (11.3%)	22.1	324^th of 396 public high schools	18.2%		15.8	380^th of 438 public high schools	13.2%	56		30.1	30.1				46.3	46.3				18.1	18.1	$19,204	$2,018	$17,186
Maritime 253 Skills Center	Public	11-12	1208 East D Street	Tacoma	98421	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(253) 571-1126	0																		(n/a)
E B Walker High School	Public	8-12	5715 Milwaukee Ave E	Puyallup	98372	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 841-8781	120	10	11.7	63.3%	73 (60.8%)	1 (0.8%)	26 (21.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	13 (10.8%)								(n/a)														$22,014	$170	$21,844
Puyallup High School	Public	10-12	105 Seventh St SW	Puyallup	98371	Pierce County	Puyallup School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 841-8711	1,815	74	24.4	40.4%	919 (50.6%)	93 (5.1%)	352 (19.4%)	150 (8.3%)	17 (0.9%)	42 (2.3%)	221 (12.2%)	75.3	81^st of 396 public high schools	79.5%		70.7	104^th of 438 public high schools	76.3%	23		62.3	62.3				74.4	74.4				34.8	34.8	$15,162	$469	$14,693
Technology Access Foundation Academy at Saghalie	Public, Magnet	6-12	33914 19th Ave SW	Federal Way	98023	King County	Federal Way School District	No	Yes	No	No	(253) 945-5000	532	35	15.0	74.1%	100 (18.8%)	79 (14.8%)	179 (33.6%)	50 (9.4%)	3 (0.6%)	50 (9.4%)	69 (13.0%)	27.5	295^th of 396 public high schools	25.5%		28.7	322^nd of 438 public high schools	26.5%	27	20.4	40.0	23.3	30.0	24.6	23.6	44.8	27.6	14.8	16.0	9.2	17.2	13.8	$21,520	$3,018	$18,502
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	701 S 37th St	Tacoma	98418	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 571-6670	1,556	76	20.5	72.7%	217 (13.9%)	275 (17.7%)	522 (33.5%)	192 (12.3%)	23 (1.5%)	87 (5.6%)	240 (15.4%)	17.3	339^th of 396 public high schools	14.4%		16	379^th of 438 public high schools	13.5%	40		32.7	32.7				41.1	41.1				10.5	10.5	$18,558	$1,377	$17,181
Tacoma Open Doors	Public	10-12	1818 Tacoma Ave S	Tacoma	98402	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-3270	392	5	75.8	63.3%	120 (30.6%)	82 (20.9%)	99 (25.3%)	19 (4.8%)	5 (1.3%)	12 (3.1%)	55 (14.0%)								(n/a)														$9,835	$1,083	$8,752
Tacoma School of the Arts	Public	9-12	302 S. Ninth Street	Tacoma	98402	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-7900	658	34	19.5	45.7%	292 (44.4%)	64 (9.7%)	134 (20.4%)	22 (3.3%)	10 (1.5%)	7 (1.1%)	113 (17.2%)	48.6	194^th of 396 public high schools	51.0%		42.4	251^st of 438 public high schools	42.7%	57		51.9	51.9				66.9	66.9				8.2	8.2	$17,660	$830	$16,830

Frequently Asked Questions about Fife High School

Is Fife High School a good school?

Fife High School ranks 172^nd of 396 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Fife High School?

Students at Fife High School are 39% White, 24% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 10% Asian, 7% African American, 6% Pacific Islander, 2% Not Specified, 1% American Indian.

What schools feed into Fife High School?

Fife High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Discovery Primary School
Elementary : Hedden Elementary School
Middle : Surprise Lake Middle School

What district is Fife High School in?

Fife School District

How many students attend Fife High School?

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

Rate Fife 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.