High Schools in Milwaukee School District

Milwaukee School District encompasses 32 high schools serving roughly 17,505 students across the city, with enrollments ranging from 22 students at Lad Lake Synergy School to 1,472 at Hamilton High. The district as a whole is ranked 418th of 432 in Wisconsin — the 3rd percentile, with 0 stars — and trails state benchmarks on every major measure: a 71.5% graduation rate versus 92.0% statewide, 46.2% chronic absenteeism versus 17.3%, and 10th-grade math proficiency of 15.75% versus 42.93%.

Reagan College Preparatory High is the clear standout and the only school above the state average in all four reported 10th-grade subjects. It posts a 98.8% graduation rate, a 0.2% dropout rate, and the lowest chronic absenteeism (19.7%) and free/reduced lunch rate (51.75%) in the group — achieved with below-average per-student spending of $18,985. Only two other schools beat the state graduation rate: King International (94.3%) and Carmen High School of Science and Technology South Campus (93.8%). Milwaukee School of Languages (87.9% graduation) and Milwaukee High School of the Arts (90.8%) also outperform most of the district.

At the other end, ASSATA High ranks 533rd of 533 with a 22.5% graduation rate, and NOVA-Northwest Opportunities Vocational Academy graduates just 11.9% of students with 98.8% chronic absenteeism. At least 16 schools exceed 80% chronic absenteeism, and not one school falls below the state rate of 17.3%. High spending does not guarantee results: Lad Lake Synergy School spends $65,500 per student yet graduates 14.2%, while Reagan achieves far more with $18,985.