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Tacoma School of the Arts

Q: Is Tacoma School of the Arts a good school?

Tacoma School of the Arts ranks 251 st of 438 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

251^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 438 Washington High Schools

Better than 43% of Washington high schools

Summary

Tacoma School of the Arts is a public high school serving about 660 students in grades 9-12 in downtown Tacoma, operating within the Tacoma School District.

The school presents a unique profile with significant strengths and one major challenge. It excels in English Language Arts and Science, outperforming the district average, and boasts an exceptional graduation rate of nearly 97%. However, it has a critically low proficiency rate in mathematics, which is a serious concern and mirrors challenges seen at other local schools like Lincoln High School. Historically, the school's state ranking has been volatile but appears to have stabilized in recent years. Compared to other schools, it sits between the high-performing Stadium High School and schools that face greater struggles, carving out a distinct niche with its arts focus.

Notably, the school shows strong outcomes for several student subgroups and operates with moderate per-student spending. The combination of a very high graduation rate alongside low math scores suggests the school successfully supports student persistence through means beyond standardized test performance. For families, the decision may hinge on valuing the arts-integrated environment and strong graduation success while understanding the need to seek additional support in mathematics.

658

Students ?

19.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,660

Per pupil spending ?

45.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

302 S. Ninth Street
Tacoma, WA 98402

(253) 571-7900

District: Tacoma School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.4%

Hispanic:

20.4%

Two or more races:

17.2%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 24th percentile in 2019 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Washington average (83%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 43rd (2025) from a 24th-percentile low (2019)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Washington average (43% vs 48% meeting standards)

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

!Math scores 29 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg40%

Washington avg48%

251^st of 438

Washington public high schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 37% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 8High Schools in the Tacoma School District

157^th of 247Tacoma 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
2025	42.4	251 of 438	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.9	219 of 437	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.8	246 of 442	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.2	311 of 434	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.1	232 of 455	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.7	318 of 417	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.6	222 of 315	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.6	178 of 301	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	86.6	23 of 306	92.5%	★★★★★
2015	56.2	126 of 341	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.3	107 of 454	76.4%	★★★★☆
2012	67.2	103 of 450	77.1%	★★★★☆
2011	69.7	68 of 440	84.5%	★★★★☆
2010	79.9	62 of 423	85.3%	★★★★☆
2009	80.0	57 of 402	85.8%	★★★★☆
2008	71.7	96 of 396	75.8%	★★★★☆
2007	85.1	30 of 399	92.5%	★★★★★
2006	67.6	130 of 395	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	79.6	61 of 394	84.5%	★★★★☆
2004	94.7	9 of 390	97.7%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2024	79.4	10 of 70	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	64.7	23 of 78	70.5%	★★★★☆
2022	25.9	70 of 89	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	73.6	19 of 111	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	27.3	69 of 86	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	64.9	17 of 54	68.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	230 of 350	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	201 of 347	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.5	192 of 357	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.8	270 of 368	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.9	201 of 390	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.2	267 of 358	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.1	180 of 243	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	74 of 249	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	56.8	99 of 248	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.0	92 of 249	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.7	131 of 261	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.4	102 of 278	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	16.1	218 of 241	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	58.5	58 of 156	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	36.1	226 of 355	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.4	137 of 356	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.4	199 of 362	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.7	262 of 370	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	52.8	157 of 392	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.7	273 of 344	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	58.8	96 of 227	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	164 of 359	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.2	161 of 362	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.1	261 of 358	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.0	303 of 363	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.4	229 of 395	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	12.5	326 of 355	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.9	188 of 254	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	26.2	135 of 170	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	63.2	51 of 161	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.5	97 of 166	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.6	158 of 179	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	158 of 195	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2021	53.7	70 of 212	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.5	60 of 139	56.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	211 of 373	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.9	239 of 374	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.0	218 of 379	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.2	305 of 390	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	54.7	162 of 413	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.1	298 of 382	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	182 of 222	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2024)86th percentile+36 vs school

Hispanic (2025)70th percentile+28 vs school

Special Education (2021)67th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2025)54th percentile+12 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)36th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)34th percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)21st percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+11 vs state

Science52%+3 vs state

Math14%-29 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Saturday, March 6, 2021

Things could have changed since I went but it was a lot more clique-y than they said it was. Close Quote

Schools Near Tacoma School of the Arts

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)		SBAC Math (2025)		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	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	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	42.4	251^st of 438 public high schools	42.7%		47.9	219^th of 437 public high schools	49.9%	32	52.4	52.4	63.7	63.7	13.6	13.6	$17,660	$830	$16,830
Tacoma Pierce County Education Center	Public	9-12	930 Tacoma Ave S	Tacoma	98402	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-1032	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Community Based Trans Program	Public	12	601 S 8th St	Tacoma	98405	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-2603	71	4	17.7	45.1%	26 (36.6%)	9 (12.7%)	14 (19.7%)	5 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.0%)	12 (16.9%)								(n/a)							$55,065	$4,431	$50,633
Alternative Spcl Needs Div Occ	Public	9-12	601 S 8th St	Tacoma	98405	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-1040	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)							$5,411	$440	$4,971
Bates Technical College - Open Doors	Public	9-12	1101 South Yakima Ave.	Tacoma	98405	Pierce County	Bates Technical College	No	No	No	No	(253) 680-7184	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Bates Technical High School	Public	9-12	1101 South Yakima Avenue	Tacoma	98405	Pierce County	Bates Technical College	No	No	No	No	(253) 680-7584	343	0			231 (67.3%)	43 (12.5%)	24 (7.0%)	7 (2.0%)	5 (1.5%)	5 (1.5%)	25 (7.3%)								(n/a)
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)
Tacoma Open Doors	Public	9-12	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
Stadium High School	Public	9-12	111 N E St	Tacoma	98403	Pierce County	Tacoma School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 571-3100	1,700	72	23.4	38.2%	818 (48.1%)	125 (7.4%)	309 (18.2%)	155 (9.1%)	9 (0.5%)	20 (1.2%)	259 (15.2%)	66.7	121^st of 438 public high schools	72.4%		73.1	90^th of 437 public high schools	79.4%	31	60.9	60.9	66.6	66.6	37.9	37.9	$16,884	$938	$15,947
Summit Public School: Olympus	Public, Charter	9-12	409 Puyallup Ave	Tacoma	98421	Pierce County	Summit Public School: Olympus	Yes	No	No	Yes	(253) 444-9781	110	11	10.0	58.2%	14 (12.7%)	21 (19.1%)	42 (38.2%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	28 (25.5%)	14.2	388^th of 438 public high schools	11.4%		29.4	318^th of 437 public high schools	27.2%	70	31.8	31.8	43.3	43.3	10.0	10.0	$22,729	$766	$21,962

Frequently Asked Questions about Tacoma School of the Arts

What district is Tacoma School of the Arts in?

Tacoma School District

Is Tacoma School of the Arts a good school?

Tacoma School of the Arts ranks 251^st of 438 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Tacoma School of the Arts?

Students at Tacoma School of the Arts are 44% White, 20% Hispanic, 17% Two or more races, 10% African American, 3% Asian, 2% Not Specified, 2% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Tacoma School of the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 658 students attended Tacoma School of the Arts.

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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.