Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Vel Phillips Memorial High School

Q: Is Vel Phillips Memorial High School a good school?

Vel Phillips Memorial High School ranks 156 th of 431 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

156^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 431 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 64% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

Vel Phillips Memorial High School is a public high school located in Madison, Wisconsin, serving 2,005 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District, which is ranked 317 out of 426 districts in the state.

Vel Phillips Memorial High School is a strong-performing high school, consistently ranking in the top 40-50 high schools in Wisconsin. The school has shown impressive academic performance, with 50.7% of 10th-grade students proficient or better in Social Studies, compared to 46.04% for the district and 47.67% for the state. Additionally, the school maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 84% to 91% in recent years. When compared to nearby high schools, Vel Phillips Memorial generally outperforms East High and Shabazz-City High, but lags behind the higher-performing West High and the Middleton-Cross Plains Area schools.

While Vel Phillips Memorial High School performs well overall, there are some areas of concern. The school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.7% to 36.8% in recent years. Additionally, there are significant disparities in the performance of different student subgroups, with the school ranking low for Hispanic students and low socio-economic status students. These disparities may be related to the school's funding, which is on par with nearby high schools but lower than the higher-performing Middleton-Cross Plains Area schools.

2,004

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,941

Per pupil spending ?

42.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

201 S Gammon Rd
Madison, WI 53717-1499

(608) 663-5990

District: Madison Metropolitan School District

Feeder schools for Vel Phillips Memorial High School:

Elementary:	Cesar Chavez Elementary
	Crestwood Elementary
	Huegel Elementary
	Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School
	More...
	Muir Elementary
	Olson Elementary
	Orchard Ridge Elementary
	Stephens Elementary
Middle:	Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School
	Spring Harbor Middle
	Toki Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.4%

Hispanic:

26.3%

African American:

15.3%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Vel Phillips Memorial High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Wisconsin median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 17% Wisconsin)

!Ranking has slipped from its 92nd-percentile peak (2016) to 64th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg45%

Wisconsin avg46%

156^th of 431

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Top 36%▲ up 22 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to top 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5High Schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District

317^th of 426Madison Metropolitan School District among Wisconsin 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	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	60.7	156 of 431	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	194 of 431	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	159 of 415	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.3	108 of 391	72.4%	★★★★☆
2021	89.1	33 of 390	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	83.4	40 of 400	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	82.1	47 of 410	88.5%	★★★★☆
2017	87.1	33 of 410	92.0%	★★★★★
2016	88.0	32 of 408	92.2%	★★★★★
2015	54.8	271 of 466	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	57.7	215 of 462	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.5	171 of 457	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	58.2	235 of 452	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.2	211 of 445	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	51.6	308 of 450	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.9	329 of 438	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	39.1	354 of 437	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	45.3	215 of 281	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	46.4	223 of 292	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	56.9	166 of 287	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	53.4	175 of 275	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	28.8	17 of 26	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	19 of 26	26.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.0	5 of 13	61.5%	★★★★☆
2018	33.3	13 of 20	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	75.8	13 of 57	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	42.8	26 of 51	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.4	25 of 50	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.5	20 of 48	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.7	10 of 44	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	69.9	12 of 44	72.7%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	7 of 51	86.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2019	50.1	16 of 32	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.2	16 of 40	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	51.1	187 of 353	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.6	128 of 343	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.7	55 of 332	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	81.0	42 of 343	87.8%	★★★★☆
2018	78.3	52 of 355	85.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	19.5	109 of 126	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	108 of 119	9.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.8	82 of 97	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.0	57 of 86	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.4	40 of 68	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.6	44 of 86	48.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.1	53 of 76	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	16.5	294 of 335	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.8	294 of 326	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.6	253 of 271	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.4	222 of 250	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	49.7	102 of 226	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	19.4	226 of 251	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	212 of 255	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	63.1	128 of 380	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	179 of 365	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.0	188 of 359	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.4	88 of 347	74.6%	★★★★☆
2021	91.6	19 of 334	94.3%	★★★★★
2019	80.3	49 of 354	86.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.9	50 of 373	86.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	68.4	21 of 81	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	79.7	9 of 71	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	41.0	23 of 41	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.6	16 of 37	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.4	15 of 35	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	37.7	66 of 93	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.0	37 of 95	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.7	37 of 55	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	94.3	12 of 285	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	85.4	26 of 300	91.3%	★★★★★
2023	84.8	33 of 271	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	85.7	32 of 269	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	94.2	12 of 266	95.5%	★★★★★
2019	95.9	10 of 266	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	91.9	16 of 261	93.9%	★★★★★

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)

White (2025)96th percentile+32 vs school

Asian (2025)77th percentile+13 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)74th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)66th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2019)50th percentile-40 vs school

Female (2024)47th percentile-8 vs school

African American (2025)35th percentile-29 vs school

Special Education (2025)29th percentile-35 vs school

Hispanic (2025)13th percentile-50 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)12th percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts54%+6 vs state

Social Studies51%+3 vs state

Mathematics49%+6 vs state

Science48%+5 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Vel Phillips Memorial High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, November 20, 2014

I received an amazing education from this school (31 on the ACT and a 4.0 at a challenging university my freshman year) . They offer an abundance of advanced placement (college credit possible pending test score) classes as well as an inspiring art program, competitive athletic programs in nearly every sport, and a ten time state winning Forensics (drama and speech) team. Go Spartans! Close Quote

Schools Near Vel Phillips Memorial High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ACT English Language Arts (2025)	ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (2025)	Forward Exam Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Vel Phillips Memorial High School	Public	9-12	201 S Gammon Rd	Madison	53717	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 663-5990	2,004	127	15.7	42.4%	810 (40.4%)	306 (15.3%)	527 (26.3%)	172 (8.6%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	175 (8.7%)	60.7	156^th of 431 public high schools	63.8%		53.3	194^th of 431 public high schools	55.0%	38	54.3	48.6	48.4	50.7	$12,941	$407	$12,535
Middleton High	Public	9-12	2100 Bristol St	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 829-9660	2,303	150	15.3	17.8%	1,495 (64.9%)	112 (4.9%)	250 (10.9%)	278 (12.1%)	7 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	155 (6.7%)	95.9	9^th of 431 public high schools	97.9%		94.5	14^th of 431 public high schools	96.8%	5	76.1	70.2	74.3	75.0	$12,015	$188	$11,827
Clark Street Community School	Public, Charter	9-12	2100 Bristol Street	Middleton	53562	Dane County	Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District	Yes	No	No	No	(608) 829-9640	108	10	11.3	25.9%	79 (73.1%)	2 (1.9%)	7 (6.5%)	2 (1.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (11.1%)	85.2	41^st of 431 public high schools	90.5%		45.5	248^th of 431 public high schools	42.5%	207		46.2	75.0	76.9	$17,973	$162	$17,811
Capital High	Public	9-12	3802 Regent St	Madison	53705	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4220	129	15	8.6	84.5%	18 (14.0%)	57 (44.2%)	27 (20.9%)	7 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (15.5%)								(n/a)				13.6	$25,715	$538	$25,178
West High	Public	9-12	30 Ash St	Madison	53726	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-4100	2,222	137	16.1	34.2%	1,072 (48.2%)	231 (10.4%)	553 (24.9%)	165 (7.4%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	177 (8.0%)	83.6	47^th of 431 public high schools	89.1%		80.8	51^st of 431 public high schools	88.2%	4	60.6	57.2	63.0	70.3	$12,939	$407	$12,533
Verona Area High	Public	9-12	234 Wildcat Way	Verona	53593	Dane County	Verona Area School District	No	No	No	(n/a)	(608) 653-1000	1,820	120	15.1	26.6%	1,029 (56.5%)	125 (6.9%)	461 (25.3%)	63 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	126 (6.9%)	55	200^th of 431 public high schools	53.6%		55.9	183^rd of 431 public high schools	57.5%	17	52.3	39.0	48.0	55.6	$13,209	$290	$12,918
Innovative High	Public	9-12	1045 E Dayton St	Madison	53703	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	Yes	(608) 204-4220	138	18	7.8	72.5%	22 (15.9%)	64 (46.4%)	33 (23.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (12.3%)								(n/a)					$10,910	$1,245	$9,666
East High	Public	9-12	2222 E Washington Ave	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-1600	1,643	106	15.4	57.9%	562 (34.2%)	371 (22.6%)	415 (25.3%)	112 (6.8%)	6 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	160 (9.7%)	24.4	358^th of 431 public high schools	16.9%		26.5	348^th of 431 public high schools	19.3%	10	37.0	31.4	34.8	38.7	$13,938	$411	$13,528
Shabazz-City High	Public	9-12	1601 N Sherman Ave	Madison	53704	Dane County	Madison Metropolitan School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 204-2440	106	15	7.2	47.2%	57 (53.8%)	12 (11.3%)	16 (15.1%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (9.4%)	49.1	227^th of 431 public high schools	47.3%		41.7	271^st of 431 public high schools	37.1%	44	55.6	27.8	44.4	56.3	$23,155	$399	$22,758
Waunakee High	Public	9-12	301 Community Dr	Waunakee	53597	Dane County	Waunakee Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 849-2100	1,335	103	12.9	9.1%	1,109 (83.1%)	20 (1.5%)	105 (7.9%)	44 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (4.3%)	84.6	42^nd of 431 public high schools	90.3%		92.9	17^th of 431 public high schools	96.1%	25	54.1	63.8	67.0	71.9	$12,104	$201	$11,903

Frequently Asked Questions about Vel Phillips Memorial High School

What district is Vel Phillips Memorial High School in?

Madison Metropolitan School District

What is the racial makeup of Vel Phillips Memorial High School?

Students at Vel Phillips Memorial High School are 40% White, 26% Hispanic, 15% African American, 9% Two or more races, 9% Asian.

How many students attend Vel Phillips Memorial High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,004 students attended Vel Phillips Memorial High School.

Is Vel Phillips Memorial High School a good school?

Vel Phillips Memorial High School ranks 156^th of 431 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Vel Phillips Memorial High School?

Vel Phillips Memorial High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cesar Chavez Elementary
Elementary : Crestwood Elementary
Elementary : Huegel Elementary
Elementary : Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School
Elementary : Muir Elementary
Elementary : Olson Elementary
Elementary : Orchard Ridge Elementary
Elementary : Stephens Elementary
Middle : Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School
Middle : Spring Harbor Middle
Middle : Toki Middle

Rate Vel Phillips Memorial High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin High School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Madison, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Vel Phillips Memorial High School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department 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.