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Rice Lake High

Q: Is Rice Lake High a good school?

Rice Lake High ranks 241 st of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

241^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 55% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

Rice Lake High is a grades 9–12 public high school in Rice Lake, WI, with 674 students, making it the largest high school among nearby comparables and part of the Rice Lake Area School District. It is currently a 3-star, middle-to-upper-middle school: in 2025–2026 it ranked 241st of 533 high schools (55th percentile), while the district ranked 235th of 432 districts (46th percentile, 2 stars). Completion outcomes are a major strength: the 2024–2025 graduation rate was 98.3% versus 92.0% statewide, and the dropout rate was 0.1% versus 1.1% statewide. Graduation has also improved substantially, from 87.8% in 2020–2021 to 98.3% in 2024–2025.

The clearest red flag is chronic absenteeism. In 2024–2025, 20.6% of students were chronically absent, above the state (17.3%) and the district (13.4%), and higher than almost every nearby school except Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High (29.6%). Cumberland High (10.8%), Shell Lake Junior/Senior High (12.9%), and Cameron High (14.4%) had lower rates. Test scores are mixed: in 2025–2026, the school was above the state in science (45.63% vs. 43.20%) and slightly above in social studies (48.94% vs. 48.25%), but below in ELA (46.25% vs. 48.47%) and math (41.88% vs. 42.93%). Math had been above the state from 2022–2023 through 2024–2025 before falling in 2025–2026.

Compared with nearby schools, the school generally outperforms Barron High, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High, and Cameron High, trails Shell Lake Junior/Senior High and tiny Birchwood High, and is most comparable to Cumberland High academically—though Cumberland has lower absenteeism and a lower student-teacher ratio. Its per-student spending rose to $16,304 in 2024–2025, a 24.5% increase since 2021–2022, but remains below several nearby districts. Its student-teacher ratio is 14.4, and free/reduced lunch is 33.23%, a moderate poverty profile. The school also shows uneven effectiveness across student groups, suggesting some need more targeted academic support. Bottom line: strong completion, relative strengths in science and social studies, and a large-school scale, but absenteeism and softer math/ELA results are the key areas to watch.

674

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,304

Per pupil spending ?

33.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

30 S Wisconsin Ave
Rice Lake, WI 54868-1995

(715) 234-2181

District: Rice Lake Area School District

Feeder schools for Rice Lake High:

Elementary:	Haugen Elementary
	Hilltop Elementary
	Tainter Elementary
Middle:	Rice Lake Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.9%

Hispanic:

6.4%

Two or more races:

5.5%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare Rice Lake High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Wisconsin average (92%)

✓Above the Wisconsin median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg46%

Wisconsin avg46%

241^st of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

235^th of 432Rice Lake 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	56.6	241 of 533	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.3	184 of 431	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.0	180 of 431	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.6	198 of 415	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.8	105 of 391	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	47.1	198 of 390	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	70.3	90 of 400	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	46.0	223 of 410	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	55.2	167 of 410	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.4	112 of 408	72.5%	★★★★☆
2015	62.1	206 of 466	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.9	207 of 462	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.4	215 of 457	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.6	244 of 452	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.9	286 of 445	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.7	191 of 450	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	80.1	40 of 438	90.9%	★★★★★
2008	50.3	295 of 437	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	80.8	27 of 281	90.4%	★★★★★
2006	70.7	77 of 292	73.6%	★★★★☆
2005	65.1	111 of 287	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	66.7	98 of 275	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2025	41.1	233 of 358	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.4	124 of 353	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	75.0	61 of 343	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	32.7	236 of 332	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.7	109 of 343	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.9	120 of 355	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	58 of 187	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	47.6	236 of 446	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.4	134 of 335	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	180 of 326	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.4	188 of 271	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.5	114 of 250	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.7	152 of 226	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.6	64 of 251	74.5%	★★★★☆
2018	40.3	156 of 255	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	230 of 462	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.6	156 of 380	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.5	258 of 359	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	53.9	143 of 347	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.1	107 of 334	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.4	58 of 354	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	25.7	311 of 373	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2019	54.8	18 of 37	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.3	7 of 35	80.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	90 of 333	73.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	202 of 344	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.7	161 of 285	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	176 of 300	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.2	170 of 271	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.4	85 of 269	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.1	159 of 266	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.4	86 of 266	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.4	167 of 261	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)73rd percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)69th percentile+14 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)51st percentile-26 vs school

Male (2026)50th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)35th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies49%~ state avg

English Language Arts46%~ state avg

Science46%~ state avg

Mathematics42%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Rice Lake 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
Rice Lake High	Public	9-12	30 S Wisconsin Ave	Rice Lake	54868	Barron County	Rice Lake Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 234-2181	674	47	14.4	33.2%	572 (84.9%)	4 (0.6%)	43 (6.4%)	7 (1.0%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (5.5%)	56.6	241^st of 533 public high schools	54.8%		57.3	184^th of 431 public high schools	57.3%	57	46.3	41.9	45.6						48.9		$16,304	$284	$16,020
North Star Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	700 S 1st St	Cameron	54822	Barron County	Cameron School District	Yes	No	No	No	(715) 458-4560	38	1	27.1	57.9%	34 (89.5%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)											$4,242	$164	$4,078
Cameron High	Public	9-12	750 S 1st St	Cameron	54822	Barron County	Cameron School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 458-4560	279	20	13.7	30.1%	251 (90.0%)	3 (1.1%)	14 (5.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.6%)	40.8	345^th of 533 public high schools	35.3%		32.1	328^th of 431 public high schools	23.9%	17	34.4	42.2	26.6						49.2		$14,644	$183	$14,461
Barron High	Public	9-12	1050 E Woodland Ave	Barron	54812	Barron County	Barron Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 537-5627	310	24	12.8	46.5%	230 (74.2%)	30 (9.7%)	26 (8.4%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	16 (5.2%)	27.7	424^th of 533 public high schools	20.5%		21	371^st of 431 public high schools	13.9%	53	38.9	23.6	33.3						26.5		$19,795	$397	$19,399
Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High	Public	9-12	1001 Knapp St	Chetek	54728	Barron County	Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 924-3137	254	21	12.2	36.6%	227 (89.4%)	6 (2.4%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	41.3	342^nd of 533 public high schools	35.8%		58.9	174^th of 431 public high schools	59.6%	168	46.6	31.0	41.4						32.1		$21,875	$447	$21,428
Cumberland High	Public	9-12	1000 8th Ave	Cumberland	54829	Barron County	Cumberland School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 822-5121	285	24	12.0	37.2%	230 (80.7%)	2 (0.7%)	27 (9.5%)	4 (1.4%)	15 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	57.2	238^th of 533 public high schools	55.3%		51.7	211^th of 431 public high schools	51.0%	27	42.5	48.0	45.2						48.4		$17,639	$465	$17,174
Birchwood High	Public	9-12	300 S Wilson St	Birchwood	54817	Washburn County	Birchwood School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 354-3471	59	9	6.6	30.5%	56 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	86.3	44^th of 533 public high schools	91.7%		84.1	45^th of 431 public high schools	89.6%	1	64.3	57.1	71.4						64.3		$30,363	$1,396	$28,967
Birchwood Steam and Career Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	300 S Wilson St	Birchwood	54817	Washburn County	Birchwood School District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(715) 354-7921	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)					50.0		33.3	83.3		66.7
Shell Lake Junior/Senior High	Public	7-12	271 Highway 63	Shell Lake	54871	Washburn County	Shell Lake School District	No	No	No	No	(715) 468-7816	300	22	13.4	40.7%	272 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.0%)	65.7	176^th of 533 public high schools	67.0%		74.4	82^nd of 431 public high schools	81.0%	94	59.2	46.9	53.1	71.7	76.1	66.0	73.9	69.6	42.2	54.4	$16,862	$378	$16,484

Frequently Asked Questions about Rice Lake High

Is Rice Lake High a good school?

Rice Lake High ranks 241^st of 533 Wisconsin high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Rice Lake High?

Students at Rice Lake High are 85% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Rice Lake High in?

Rice Lake Area School District

What schools feed into Rice Lake High?

Rice Lake High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Haugen Elementary
Elementary : Hilltop Elementary
Elementary : Tainter Elementary
Middle : Rice Lake Middle

How many students attend Rice Lake High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 674 students attended Rice Lake High.

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

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

2016–17 through 2017–18 immunization rates (updated)Oct 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.