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Merrill High

Q: Is Merrill High a good school?

Merrill High ranks 254 th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

254^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 52% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

Merrill High is a public high school serving grades 9–12 in Merrill, a small city in north-central Wisconsin, with 756 students in the Merrill Area School District. It ranks 254 of 533 Wisconsin high schools in 2025–2026 (52nd percentile, 3 stars), placing it near the state median — a substantial improvement from 2021–2022, when it ranked 356 of 391 (9th percentile, 0 stars).

Outcomes are mixed but mostly encouraging. The graduation rate is strong at 95.4%, above both the district (90.6%) and the state (92.0%), and the dropout rate is low at 0.5%. Chronic absenteeism, however, is a real concern: 22.6% of students were chronically absent, above the district's 14.6% and the state's 17.3%, though it has improved from 27.6% in 2020–2021. In 2025–2026 10th-grade test scores, science (48.7%) and English language arts (50%) were above state levels, math (41.56%) was close to the state, and social studies (40.59%) was below the state's 48.25%. Social studies has been a relative weak spot for at least two years.

Compared with nearby schools, Merrill looks like a mixed performer. Its student-teacher ratio of 16.3 is the highest among area comprehensive high schools — Marathon High is 13.0, East High 14.0, West High 15.1 and Tomahawk High 14.2 — despite per-student spending of $16,592 and a moderate free/reduced lunch rate of 36.38%. Tomahawk High has similar poverty and spending but far lower absenteeism (7.9%), while Marathon High scores higher across subjects with much less poverty. Merrill's effectiveness rankings for low-income, special education and male students are all above the state median.

756

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,592

Per pupil spending ?

36.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1201 N Sales St
Merrill, WI 54452-3197

(715) 536-4594

District: Merrill Area School District

Feeder schools for Merrill High:

Elementary:	Kate Goodrich Elementary
	Washington Elementary
Middle:	Prairie River Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.8%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Hispanic:

4.1%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Merrill High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 31st percentile in 2016 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Wisconsin average (92%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Wisconsin median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg46%

Wisconsin avg46%

254^th of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

213^th of 432Merrill Area 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
2026	55.1	254 of 533	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.0	218 of 431	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.5	333 of 431	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.2	256 of 415	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.8	356 of 391	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	37.4	254 of 390	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.3	258 of 400	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.0	304 of 410	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.8	297 of 410	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	37.7	280 of 408	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.2	375 of 466	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	53.3	259 of 462	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	53.0	265 of 457	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	58.5	230 of 452	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.0	293 of 445	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.5	352 of 450	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	55.8	251 of 438	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.1	313 of 437	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	62.5	150 of 281	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	68.3	99 of 292	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.6	107 of 287	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	66.1	101 of 275	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	53.5	240 of 461	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.5	249 of 358	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.6	284 of 353	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.8	162 of 329	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.3	259 of 343	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.5	219 of 332	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.8	230 of 343	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.2	253 of 355	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	83.0	27 of 187	85.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	207 of 446	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.6	108 of 335	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.6	200 of 326	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.2	151 of 271	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.0	146 of 226	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.8	141 of 251	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.1	153 of 255	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	219 of 462	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.6	165 of 380	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.1	293 of 365	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	288 of 359	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.4	315 of 347	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	32.7	237 of 334	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.9	239 of 354	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.4	309 of 373	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2021	18.4	34 of 37	8.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	155 of 333	53.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	38.7	230 of 344	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.1	200 of 285	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.1	264 of 300	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	200 of 271	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.3	259 of 269	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.6	200 of 266	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.9	201 of 266	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.5	222 of 261	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)86th percentile+33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)54th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)53rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)53rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)48th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)33rd percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)8th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts50%~ state avg

Science49%+5 vs state

Mathematics42%~ state avg

Social Studies41%-8 vs state

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Schools Near Merrill High

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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)				ACT English Language Arts (2026)	ACT Mathematics (2026)	ACT Science (2026)	Forward Exam English Language Arts (2026)		Forward Exam Mathematics (2026)		Forward Exam Social Studies (2026)		Forward Exam Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	ACT English Language Arts 10th Grade	ACT Mathematics 10th Grade	ACT Science 10th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 10th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Merrill High	Public	9-12	1201 N Sales St	Merrill	54452	Lincoln County	Merrill Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 536-4594	756	46	16.3	36.4%	679 (89.8%)	6 (0.8%)	31 (4.1%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.5%)	55.1	254^th of 533 public high schools	52.3%		50	218^th of 431 public high schools	49.4%	36	50.0	41.6	48.7						40.6		$16,592	$745	$15,847
Merrill Adult Diploma Academy	Public, Charter	11-12	1004 E 1st Street	Merrill	54452	Lincoln County	Merrill Area School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 536-1431	31	1	31.0	19.4%	23 (74.2%)	1 (3.2%)	1 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.2%)	1 (3.2%)	4 (12.9%)								(n/a)											$10,752	$385	$10,367
DOC: Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake School	Public	6-12	W4380 Copper Lake Ave	Irma	54442	Lincoln County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(715) 536-8386	38	6	6.0	—	4 (10.5%)	34 (89.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Copper Lake School	Public	7-12	W4380 Copper Lake Ave	Irma	54442	Lincoln County	Wisconsin Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(715) 536-8386	14	1	18.6	—	7 (50.0%)	2 (14.3%)	1 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Enrich Excel Achieve Learning Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	2607 N 18th St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(715) 261-2490	38	5	7.6	57.9%	32 (84.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.5%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	47.8	306^th of 533 public high schools	42.6%					(n/a)	40.0	40.0	40.0								$25,587	$1,621	$23,966
East High	Public	9-12	2607 N 18th St	Wausau	54403	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0650	893	64	14.0	43.8%	588 (65.8%)	36 (4.0%)	75 (8.4%)	116 (13.0%)	9 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (7.6%)	53.4	265^th of 533 public high schools	50.3%		44.6	257^th of 431 public high schools	40.4%	8	52.3	45.5	39.9						40.1		$17,522	$617	$16,906
West High	Public	9-12	1200 W Wausau Ave	Wausau	54401	Marathon County	Wausau School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 261-0850	1,470	97	15.1	41.2%	902 (61.4%)	29 (2.0%)	118 (8.0%)	342 (23.3%)	15 (1.0%)	2 (0.1%)	62 (4.2%)	67.8	154^th of 533 public high schools	71.1%		44.4	258^th of 431 public high schools	40.1%	104	48.4	51.4	48.7						57.3		$15,095	$631	$14,463
Marathon High	Public	9-12	204 East St	Marathon	54448	Marathon County	Marathon City School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 443-2226	274	21	13.0	16.4%	250 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.4%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	79.5	69^th of 533 public high schools	87.1%		73.7	86^th of 431 public high schools	80.0%	17	61.2	56.7	56.7						58.5		$16,097	$266	$15,831
D C Everest Idea School	Public, Charter	6-12	4704 Camp Phillips Rd	Weston	54476	Marathon County	D C Everest Area School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 359-0511	69	4	15.5	29.0%	60 (87.0%)	1 (1.4%)	2 (2.9%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.8%)	28.8	414^th of 533 public high schools	22.3%		90.4	25^th of 431 public high schools	94.2%	389	28.6	42.9	14.3	33.3	33.3	44.4	11.1	44.4		33.3	$12,307	$133	$12,174
Tomahawk High	Public	9-12	1048 E Kings Rd	Tomahawk	54487	Lincoln County	Tomahawk School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 453-2106	371	26	14.2	37.2%	353 (95.1%)	6 (1.6%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	52.5	275^th of 533 public high schools	48.4%		62.4	150^th of 431 public high schools	65.2%	125	43.4	44.6	34.9						52.2		$16,438	$481	$15,957

Frequently Asked Questions about Merrill High

What schools feed into Merrill High?

Merrill High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kate Goodrich Elementary
Elementary : Washington Elementary
Middle : Prairie River Middle

Is Merrill High a good school?

Merrill High ranks 254^th of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Merrill High?

Students at Merrill High are 90% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What district is Merrill High in?

Merrill Area School District

How many students attend Merrill High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 756 students attended Merrill High.

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2018–19 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresOct 1, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026

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.