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Nelsen Middle School

Q: Is Nelsen Middle School a good school?

Nelsen Middle School ranks 384 th of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

384^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 514 Washington Middle Schools

Better than 25% of Washington middle schools

Summary

Nelsen Middle School in Renton, Washington, serves 913 students in grades 6–8 and operates in a relatively high-need area within the Renton School District, where 58.49% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25.

Nelsen’s 2025–26 results are below both district and state averages: 36.22% of students met standards in English language arts, 25.14% in math, and 38.33% in science. Math is the clearest concern, with proficiency about 18 percentage points below the district and state. Results are consistently low across all three grades, suggesting a schoolwide challenge rather than a problem limited to one cohort. Compared with nearby McKnight Middle School, Nelsen is behind by 15.30 points in math and has a lower overall ranking percentile. It is close to Meeker Middle School, which has a nearly identical economic-need profile and similar achievement. By contrast, larger Northwood Middle School reports substantially stronger results, although it serves a population with less economic need.

Nelsen is ranked in the 25th percentile among Washington middle schools, compared with the district’s 52nd-percentile statewide standing. Its ranking has generally declined from the middle of the statewide distribution a decade ago, and recent score changes have not established a sustained upward trend. Science is a relative strength compared with several nearby schools, including Dimmitt Middle School, Meeker Middle School, and Glacier Middle School. The most urgent support concerns involve students receiving special education services, whose effectiveness ranking was at the 2nd percentile, and low-income students, at the 14th percentile. Families may want to ask about math interventions, progress monitoring, inclusive special education practices, attendance supports, and plans for consistent schoolwide improvement.

913

Students ?

21.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,952

Per pupil spending ?

58.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

2403 Jones Ave S
Renton, WA 98055-4304

(425) 204-3000

District: Renton School District

Students who attend Nelsen Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lindbergh Senior High School

Feeder schools for Nelsen Middle School:

Elementary:	Benson Hill Elementary School
	Cascade Elementary School
	Renton Park Elementary School
	Tiffany Park Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

26.6%

Asian:

26.5%

White:

19.5%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Nelsen Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (32% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg45%

Washington avg48%

384^th of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Renton School District

114^th of 238Renton 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	25.3	384 of 514	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.4	412 of 534	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	360 of 535	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.1	423 of 539	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	430 of 541	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.8	406 of 529	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	394 of 512	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.8	265 of 437	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.5	245 of 435	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	48.2	223 of 443	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.6	197 of 445	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.3	244 of 498	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.0	227 of 497	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.3	233 of 492	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.0	243 of 483	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	39.4	303 of 476	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	44.3	271 of 466	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	38.9	303 of 463	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.0	288 of 449	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	37.0	293 of 425	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	48.7	226 of 421	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	14.4	89 of 100	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	95 of 101	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	82 of 90	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	94 of 96	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.0	103 of 104	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.3	93 of 106	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.2	102 of 111	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.6	42 of 66	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	19.7	94 of 114	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.4	129 of 147	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	112 of 148	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	109 of 145	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.3	141 of 161	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.7	127 of 149	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.7	98 of 152	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	73 of 123	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	99 of 143	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	19.6	85 of 96	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	55 of 78	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	40 of 57	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.7	56 of 63	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.3	81 of 100	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.3	45 of 135	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	332 of 443	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.0	355 of 471	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.9	304 of 464	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.2	350 of 464	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	378 of 479	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.7	352 of 469	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	360 of 452	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.5	237 of 376	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	274 of 347	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	280 of 347	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.8	225 of 344	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.8	274 of 336	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.8	290 of 360	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.5	255 of 353	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.2	289 of 344	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.5	165 of 259	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	19.2	54 of 59	8.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	19.5	391 of 453	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.5	380 of 457	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.6	306 of 455	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.7	382 of 463	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	416 of 475	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.9	349 of 458	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.7	368 of 448	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.3	205 of 349	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	22.8	361 of 454	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.1	383 of 472	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	336 of 466	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.9	403 of 470	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.3	391 of 480	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	372 of 476	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.5	347 of 453	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	233 of 371	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	138 of 222	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.9	172 of 246	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	142 of 243	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.5	210 of 244	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.0	212 of 257	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.3	160 of 250	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.5	227 of 246	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	13.2	222 of 226	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	19.1	168 of 186	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	151 of 179	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	230 of 231	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.4	167 of 268	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	320 of 453	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.0	347 of 488	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.8	306 of 486	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.1	369 of 488	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	392 of 488	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.0	408 of 480	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	378 of 470	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.7	210 of 325	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2026)38th percentile+13 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)31st percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)29th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)25th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)21st percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)20th percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2026)18th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile-12 vs school

African American (2026)11th percentile-14 vs school

Homeless (2019)8th percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2026)2nd percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

Science38%-13 vs state

English Language Arts36%-17 vs state

Math25%-18 vs state

2.5

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, April 23, 2018

can i just say for to many reasons, this is the worst school ever. Close Quote

Schools Near Nelsen Middle 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 All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Nelsen Middle School	Public	6-8	2403 Jones Ave S	Renton	98055	King County	Renton School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 204-3000	913	42	21.5	58.5%	178 (19.5%)	145 (15.9%)	243 (26.6%)	242 (26.5%)	3 (0.3%)	17 (1.9%)	85 (9.3%)	25.3	384^th of 514 public middle schools	25.3%		25.4	412^th of 534 public middle schools	22.8%	28	38.3	38.3	30.3	40.0	38.9	36.2	24.1	24.6	26.8	25.1	$17,952	$1,015	$16,938
Meeker Middle School	Public	6-8	12600 SE 192nd St	Renton	98058	King County	Kent School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 373-7284	779	35	22.1	58.8%	135 (17.3%)	104 (13.4%)	165 (21.2%)	264 (33.9%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.4%)	75 (9.6%)	26.3	377^th of 514 public middle schools	26.7%		34.7	342^nd of 534 public middle schools	36.0%	35	36.3	36.3	30.2	38.0	43.8	37.2	23.3	23.1	30.6	25.6	$18,941	$1,076	$17,864
Dimmitt Middle School	Public	6-8	12320 80th Ave S	Seattle	98178	King County	Renton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(425) 204-2800	605	34	17.5	62.3%	64 (10.6%)	141 (23.3%)	172 (28.4%)	157 (26.0%)	4 (0.7%)	21 (3.5%)	46 (7.6%)	30.7	352^nd of 514 public middle schools	31.5%		28	390^th of 534 public middle schools	27.0%	38	32.3	32.3	41.0	41.2	31.4	38.1	33.2	34.3	27.4	31.8	$21,054	$2,276	$18,778
McKnight Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 Edmonds Ave NE	Renton	98056	King County	Renton School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 204-3600	811	38	21.2	49.0%	157 (19.4%)	75 (9.2%)	297 (36.6%)	202 (24.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	75 (9.2%)	46.4	256^th of 514 public middle schools	50.2%		51	238^th of 534 public middle schools	55.4%	18	42.5	42.5	44.5	45.3	38.6	42.8	42.9	39.8	38.6	40.4	$18,740	$1,579	$17,161
Showalter Middle School	Public	6-8	4628 S 144th St	Seattle	98168	King County	Tukwila School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 901-7800	651	32	20.4	75.4%	50 (7.7%)	121 (18.6%)	243 (37.3%)	164 (25.2%)	5 (0.8%)	31 (4.8%)	36 (5.5%)	10.3	479^th of 514 public middle schools	6.8%		12.4	482^nd of 534 public middle schools	9.7%	3	27.8	27.8	24.3	23.4	27.7	25.0	14.8	14.6	17.5	15.6	$22,084	$2,819	$19,265
Maywood Middle School	Public	6-8	14490 168th Ave SE	Renton	98059	King County	Issaquah School District	No	No	No	No	(425) 837-6900	826	41	20.2	18.3%	398 (48.2%)	11 (1.3%)	110 (13.3%)	211 (25.5%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	92 (11.1%)	94.6	28^th of 514 public middle schools	94.6%		90.7	48^th of 534 public middle schools	91.0%	20	71.3	71.3	72.1	79.0	72.7	74.4	62.4	71.4	68.3	67.1	$17,670	$398	$17,271
Chinook Middle School	Public	6-8	18650 42nd Ave S	SeaTac	98188	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5700	620	36	17.3	72.9%	70 (11.3%)	120 (19.4%)	248 (40.0%)	97 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.6%)	38 (6.1%)	13.5	463^rd of 514 public middle schools	9.9%		15.6	464^th of 534 public middle schools	13.1%	1	33.3	33.3	27.0	28.3	32.5	29.4	13.2	12.7	20.6	15.7	$21,795	$1,517	$20,278
Northwood Middle School	Public	6-8	17007 SE 184th ST	Renton	98058	King County	Kent School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 373-7780	911	44	20.6	34.7%	313 (34.4%)	95 (10.4%)	148 (16.2%)	230 (25.2%)	6 (0.7%)	12 (1.3%)	105 (11.5%)	62.1	169^th of 514 public middle schools	67.1%		61.4	182^nd of 534 public middle schools	65.9%	13	52.0	52.0	50.0	50.3	58.1	53.1	41.4	41.0	48.3	43.7	$18,568	$623	$17,945
Meridian Middle School	Public	6-8	23480 120th Ave SE	Kent	98031	King County	Kent School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 373-7383	647	32	20.0	55.6%	121 (18.7%)	110 (17.0%)	145 (22.4%)	199 (30.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.6%)	54 (8.3%)	54.3	211^th of 514 public middle schools	58.9%		59.2	195^th of 534 public middle schools	63.5%	16	48.3	48.3	42.4	62.4	52.4	52.5	32.3	43.4	36.1	37.3	$19,721	$1,079	$18,642
Glacier Middle School	Public	6-8	2450 South 142nd Street	SeaTac	98168	King County	Highline School District	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 631-5300	803	35	22.7	75.5%	50 (6.2%)	61 (7.6%)	477 (59.4%)	126 (15.7%)	8 (1.0%)	27 (3.4%)	49 (6.1%)	4.1	509^th of 514 public middle schools	1.0%		4.4	528^th of 534 public middle schools	1.1%	19	16.1	16.1	11.3	21.7	15.0	16.0	7.7	11.3	9.5	9.5	$20,164	$1,544	$18,620

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelsen Middle School

What high school do graduates of Nelsen Middle School attend?

Students who attend Nelsen Middle School usually go on to attend Lindbergh Senior High School

How many students attend Nelsen Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 913 students attended Nelsen Middle School.

Is Nelsen Middle School a good school?

Nelsen Middle School ranks 384^th of 514 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Nelsen Middle School?

Students at Nelsen Middle School are 27% Hispanic, 27% Asian, 19% White, 16% African American, 9% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Nelsen Middle School in?

Renton School District

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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.