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North Central High School

Q: Is North Central High School a good school?

North Central High School ranks 236 th of 396 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

236^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 396 Washington High Schools

Better than 40% of Washington high schools

Summary

North Central High School is a large public school in Spokane, Washington, serving 1,647 students in grades 6–12 within the Spokane School District. The school serves a relatively high-need student population, with 64.42% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25. Its student-teacher ratio was 18.4:1, and per-student spending was $17,926 in 2023–24. The school ranked in the 40th percentile statewide in 2025–26, an improvement over the previous year but still below the midpoint of Washington schools.

Graduation is one of North Central’s clearest strengths. The 2024–25 graduation rate was 93.8%, above both the district and state rates and slightly higher than nearby Lewis & Clark High School. North Central’s dropout rate was 4.9%, well below Washington’s 9.8%. Overall academic results are mixed: ELA proficiency was 57.56% and math proficiency was 44.97% in 2025–26, both modestly above district and state levels. However, ELA has declined from 64.66% in 2022–23, making that trend worth watching.

The most notable pattern is a gap between strong middle-grade results and weaker upper-grade performance. Seventh- and eighth-grade students posted especially strong ELA and math results, while 10th-grade proficiency was just 49.14% in ELA and 25.35% in math. Science was close to the district average overall, with stronger eighth-grade than 11th-grade results. Compared with similarly sized Lewis & Clark High School, North Central had nearly identical math performance and a slightly higher graduation rate, but lower ELA, science, and statewide ranking results. For families, the school’s strong completion record is encouraging, while upper-grade academic support and consistent outcomes for student groups appear to be the most important areas for improvement.

1,647

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,926

Per pupil spending ?

64.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1600 N Howard St
Spokane, WA 99205-4798

(509) 354-6300

District: Spokane School District

Feeder schools for North Central High School:

Elementary:	Audubon Elementary
	Finch Elementary
	Garfield Elementary
	Holmes Elementary
	More...
	Logan Elementary
	Stevens Elementary
	Willard Elementary
Middle:	Denny Yasuhara Middle School
	Glover Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.4%

Two or more races:

14.6%

Hispanic:

12.0%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare North Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 61st percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Washington average (83%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg45%

Washington avg48%

Middle school

29^th of 514

Washington public middle schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 1 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of Washington Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

236^th of 396

Washington public high schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6High Schools in the Spokane School District

118^th of 238Spokane 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	93.9	29 of 514	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	94.6	31 of 534	94.2%	★★★★★
2024	93.0	40 of 535	92.5%	★★★★★
2023	89.2	51 of 539	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	81.9	86 of 541	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	93.5	35 of 529	93.4%	★★★★★
2019	89.9	39 of 512	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	93.8	21 of 437	95.2%	★★★★★
2017	89.9	31 of 435	92.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	93.3	27 of 471	94.3%	★★★★★
2024	89.8	37 of 464	92.0%	★★★★★
2023	83.7	59 of 464	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	72.5	114 of 479	76.2%	★★★★☆
2021	93.2	29 of 469	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	93.0	20 of 452	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	93.7	16 of 376	95.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	99.0	5 of 453	98.9%	★★★★★
2025	97.4	7 of 457	98.5%	★★★★★
2024	92.5	11 of 455	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	97.0	5 of 463	98.9%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	15 of 475	96.8%	★★★★★
2021	98.9	3 of 458	99.3%	★★★★★
2019	95.7	4 of 448	99.1%	★★★★★
2018	99.9	1 of 349	99.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	94.8	26 of 472	94.5%	★★★★★
2024	94.2	33 of 466	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	37 of 470	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	86.9	53 of 480	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	91.3	42 of 476	91.2%	★★★★★
2019	60.6	157 of 453	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	93.3	22 of 371	94.1%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	92.4	28 of 453	93.8%	★★★★★
2025	92.2	26 of 488	94.7%	★★★★★
2024	90.3	36 of 486	92.6%	★★★★★
2023	88.6	44 of 488	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	78.1	86 of 488	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	92.2	29 of 480	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	82.6	63 of 470	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	91.5	20 of 325	93.8%	★★★★★

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	236 of 396	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.3	292 of 438	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	250 of 437	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.8	216 of 442	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.9	295 of 434	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.8	263 of 455	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.2	191 of 417	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.6	207 of 315	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	75.0	65 of 301	78.4%	★★★★☆
2016	62.3	119 of 306	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.8	72 of 341	78.9%	★★★★☆
2013	52.6	246 of 454	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.4	202 of 450	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.2	139 of 440	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	32.6	313 of 423	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	62.5	171 of 402	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.2	195 of 396	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.6	174 of 399	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	52.3	220 of 395	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	58.4	184 of 394	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	68.7	117 of 390	70.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	17.8	66 of 77	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.5	101 of 111	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2023	21.9	94 of 118	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2018	26.5	54 of 65	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	191 of 309	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.1	238 of 350	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	204 of 347	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.8	211 of 357	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.0	268 of 368	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	230 of 390	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.8	152 of 358	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.2	179 of 243	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	148 of 236	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.4	105 of 249	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.4	155 of 248	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.5	135 of 249	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.2	237 of 261	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	27.0	216 of 278	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	75.2	43 of 241	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	52.2	72 of 156	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	45.9	13 of 36	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.3	22 of 45	51.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	216 of 325	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.4	267 of 355	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.4	245 of 356	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	210 of 362	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.6	272 of 370	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.9	271 of 392	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.3	208 of 344	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.7	182 of 227	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	39.4	198 of 326	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.5	258 of 359	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.7	233 of 362	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.5	182 of 358	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.0	249 of 363	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.9	234 of 395	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.7	183 of 355	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.4	167 of 254	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	9.3	106 of 121	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	156 of 170	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	115 of 161	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.6	146 of 166	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.9	173 of 179	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	157 of 195	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.7	116 of 163	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.2	84 of 91	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	24.6	107 of 144	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.4	96 of 127	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.3	50 of 110	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	20.9	101 of 110	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	188 of 212	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	110 of 128	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.3	114 of 139	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2026	47.7	180 of 319	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.7	262 of 373	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	253 of 374	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.5	204 of 379	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	261 of 390	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.2	265 of 413	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.1	181 of 382	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.2	165 of 222	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)94th percentile~ school

Female (2025)94th percentile~ school

White (2026)94th percentile~ school

High school

Homeless (2025)64th percentile+31 vs school

White (2026)44th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)39th percentile~ school

Female (2026)38th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)37th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2026)26th percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2023)20th percentile-31 vs school

English Language Learner (2018)17th percentile-17 vs school

African American (2026)14th percentile-26 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)12th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts58%+5 vs state

Science49%~ state avg

Math45%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Sunday, November 8, 2009

I attended north central all 4 years of my high school career. I was the athletic, preppy, get along with everyone student. i took ap classes and honors classes through all 4 years. it was and will always be a great school. it might seem "ghetto" because of the neighborhood, but i ensure you it is one of the best schools in the greater spokane area. it offers great academic programs and options for students. the sports department is lacking but its still fair. give nc a shot. i did. Close Quote

Schools Near North Central 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
North Central High School	Public	6-12	1600 N Howard St	Spokane	99205	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 354-6300	1,647	89	18.4	64.4%	994 (60.4%)	77 (4.7%)	197 (12.0%)	48 (2.9%)	27 (1.6%)	53 (3.2%)	241 (14.6%)	40.7	236^th of 396 public high schools	40.4%		34.3	292^nd of 438 public high schools	33.3%	56	66.7	46.6	48.9	72.7	78.6	66.7	49.1	57.6		82.1	75.0	25.4	45.0	$17,926	$1,302	$16,624
A-3 Multiagency Adolescent Prog	Public	6-12	1807 N. Washington	Spokane	99205	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 354-6299	29	4	7.2	65.5%	18 (62.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (27.6%)								(n/a)														$45,244	$483	$44,761
The Community School	Public	9-12	1025 W Spofford Ave	Spokane	99205	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 354-3810	165	9	18.3	49.1%	125 (75.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (9.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (13.9%)	22.3	322^nd of 396 public high schools	18.7%		30.3	313^th of 438 public high schools	28.5%	9		31.3	31.3				51.2	51.2				9.5	9.5	$19,529	$483	$19,046
Spokane County Jail	Public	9-12	1100 West Mallon	Spokane	99260	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 477-2451	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Structural Alt Confinement School	Public	8-12	1208 W. Mallen St.	Spokane	99205	Spokane County	Educational Service District 101	No	No	No	No	(509) 447-2451	14	0		78.6%	13 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Spokane Juvenile Detention School	Public	6-12	1208 Mallen St.	Spokane	99205	Spokane County	Educational Service District 101	No	No	No	No	(509) 447-2451	19	0		42.1%	7 (36.8%)	4 (21.1%)	5 (26.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.3%)	2 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Open Doors	Public	9-12	200 N. Bernard	Spokane	99201	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 340-7800	145	0		80.0%	89 (61.4%)	3 (2.1%)	21 (14.5%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.1%)	6 (4.1%)	22 (15.2%)								(n/a)														$10,385	$483	$9,902
Lumen High School	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	718 W. Riverside Avenue	Spokane	99218	Spokane County	Lumen Public School	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(509) 570-3921	32	5	6.4	78.1%	17 (53.1%)	3 (9.4%)	6 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (9.4%)								(n/a)														$83,049	$4,410	$78,639
Lewis & Clark High School	Public	9-12	521 W 4Th Ave	Spokane	99204	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 354-7000	1,673	83	20.2	34.8%	1,148 (68.6%)	70 (4.2%)	164 (9.8%)	52 (3.1%)	6 (0.4%)	16 (1.0%)	210 (12.6%)	78.7	66^th of 396 public high schools	83.3%		79.8	66^th of 438 public high schools	84.9%			55.9	55.9				73.6	73.6				45.3	45.3	$17,712	$2,038	$15,674
Innovation High School	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	811 E. Sprague	Spokane	99202	Spokane County	Innovation Spokane Schools	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(509) 389-4848	232	20	11.7	40.9%	177 (76.3%)	4 (1.7%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (17.2%)	68.3	116^th of 396 public high schools	70.7%		37.3	277^th of 438 public high schools	36.8%	161		63.3	63.3				71.2	71.2				27.5	27.5	$18,329	$2,675	$15,654

Frequently Asked Questions about North Central High School

What schools feed into North Central High School?

North Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Audubon Elementary
Elementary : Finch Elementary
Elementary : Garfield Elementary
Elementary : Holmes Elementary
Elementary : Logan Elementary
Elementary : Stevens Elementary
Elementary : Willard Elementary
Middle : Denny Yasuhara Middle School
Middle : Glover Middle School

What is the racial makeup of North Central High School?

Students at North Central High School are 60% White, 15% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Pacific Islander, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

Is North Central High School a good school?

North Central High School ranks 236^th of 396 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend North Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,647 students attended North Central High School.

What district is North Central High School in?

Spokane School District

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Latest Washington data All new data »

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresNewSep 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.