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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Wisconsin rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

South High

Public Grades 9-12

413^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 533 Wisconsin High Schools

Better than 23% of Wisconsin high schools

Summary

South High is a public high school serving grades 9–12 at 401 E Roberta Ave in Waukesha, Wisconsin, part of the Waukesha School District, with about 833 students. The district ranks 184th of 432 in Wisconsin (57th percentile, 3 stars), but South High's own 2025–26 rank is 413th of 533 (23rd percentile, 1 star), well below its district's overall standing.

Academics are the main concern. In 2025–26, 10th-grade proficiency at South High was 30.94% in social studies, 33.67% in English language arts, 31.63% in math, and 30.61% in science — roughly 11 to 17 points below both district and state averages. Nearby comprehensive peers score much higher: North High (41–54%), West High (55–60%), Pewaukee High (65–79%), and New Berlin West Middle/High (65–75%). Chronic absenteeism is South's most striking red flag at 30.8% in 2024–25, more than double the district's 14.9% and above the state's 17.3% — and higher than North (23.7%), West (16.2%), Pewaukee (11.3%), and New Berlin West (4.1%).

Completion is improving: South's 2024–25 graduation rate was 92.6%, matching the district and above the state (92.0%), and the dropout rate fell to 0.9%. South spends $21,344 per student with a student–teacher ratio of 11.6 — far more resources than North ($14,648), West ($14,320), or Pewaukee ($15,450) — yet proficiency still lags. About 55.22% of students qualified for free/reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, the highest among nearby comprehensive high schools. Subgroup results vary widely: special education students rank near or above the state median, while low-income students, English language learners, and male students rank far below. Small specialized programs in the building, such as Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy and Waukesha Academy of Health Professions, post strong results but serve a much smaller, separate population.

833

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,344

Per pupil spending ?

55.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 E Roberta Ave
Waukesha, WI 53186-6637

(262) 970-3705

District: Waukesha School District

Feeder schools for South High:

Elementary:

Hillcrest Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.2%

White:

39.9%

African American:

11.8%

See top rated Wisconsin high schools

Compare South High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 14th percentile in 2016 → 23rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Wisconsin average (32% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 17% Wisconsin)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg47%

Wisconsin avg46%

413^th of 533

Wisconsin public high schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 14% (2016) to bottom 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 7High Schools in the Waukesha School District

184^th of 432Waukesha 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	28.8	413 of 533	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.8	350 of 431	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	349 of 431	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.5	383 of 415	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	366 of 391	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	357 of 390	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.8	374 of 400	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.9	380 of 410	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	19.8	364 of 410	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.2	352 of 408	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.0	421 of 466	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	32.0	389 of 462	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	45.8	310 of 457	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	29.1	397 of 452	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.5	367 of 445	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	52.7	299 of 450	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.2	305 of 438	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.2	243 of 437	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.7	195 of 281	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	41.2	233 of 292	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	61.4	134 of 287	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	50.3	186 of 275	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	40 of 84	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2022	60.4	22 of 48	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.5	16 of 44	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2018	27.6	28 of 40	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	108 of 115	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	30.8	345 of 461	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.9	248 of 353	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.2	263 of 329	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	313 of 343	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	312 of 332	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.6	321 of 343	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	309 of 355	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	131 of 187	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.0	103 of 126	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.9	74 of 119	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	13.9	80 of 86	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	68 of 76	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	24.8	363 of 446	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	300 of 335	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	300 of 326	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	240 of 250	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.5	212 of 226	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	226 of 255	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	25.6	375 of 462	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.6	344 of 365	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	349 of 359	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	330 of 347	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.5	312 of 334	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	339 of 354	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.2	364 of 373	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2024	14.8	65 of 71	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	49.5	136 of 333	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.7	37 of 93	60.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Wisconsin percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	161 of 344	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.4	110 of 285	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.1	193 of 300	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.2	231 of 271	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.0	211 of 269	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.9	169 of 266	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.3	208 of 266	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	231 of 261	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)59th percentile+37 vs school

Asian (2022)54th percentile+48 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile+31 vs school

African American (2026)52nd percentile+30 vs school

Disabled (2018)30th percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2026)30th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)25th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)19th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)8th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)6th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts34%-15 vs state

Mathematics32%-11 vs state

Social Studies31%-17 vs state

Science31%-13 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate South High and help other families decide.

Rate South High

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near South High

Load more schools when map is moved

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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th 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
South High	Public	9-12	401 E Roberta Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-3705	833	72	11.6	55.2%	332 (39.9%)	98 (11.8%)	343 (41.2%)	16 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.8%)	28.8	413^th of 533 public high schools	22.5%		25.8	350^th of 431 public high schools	18.8%	63	33.7	31.6	30.6								30.9		$21,344	$394	$20,950
Waukesha Academy of Health Professions	Public, Charter	9-12	401 E Roberta Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	Yes	No	No	No	(262) 970-3775	112	1	112.0	33.9%	68 (60.7%)	1 (0.9%)	35 (31.3%)	4 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	62.1	206^th of 533 public high schools	61.4%		90.2	26^th of 431 public high schools	94.0%	180	41.7	37.5	54.2								60.7		$4,496	$391	$4,105
Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	401 E Roberta Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	Yes	No	No	No	(262) 970-3880	144	3	48.0	22.2%	107 (74.3%)	1 (0.7%)	25 (17.4%)	9 (6.3%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	97.7	4^th of 533 public high schools	99.2%		97.4	5^th of 431 public high schools	98.8%	1	78.4	89.2	83.8								80.6		$4,491	$391	$4,099
Waukesha East Alternative School	Public	6-12	1150 Whiterock Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-4355	74	9	8.2	78.4%	20 (27.0%)	11 (14.9%)	38 (51.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.8%)	4.6	503^rd of 533 public high schools	5.6%					(n/a)	23.1	0.0	0.0								0.0		$26,639	$391	$26,248
Waukesha Transition Academy	Public	12	1150 Whiterock Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-1102	36	6	6.0	30.6%	20 (55.6%)	3 (8.3%)	10 (27.8%)	1 (2.8%)	1 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.8%)								(n/a)													$26,845	$396	$26,449
eAchieve Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	301 Hyde Park Avenue	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	Yes	No	Yes	No	(262) 970-1069	639	27	23.4	34.7%	423 (66.2%)	46 (7.2%)	102 (16.0%)	8 (1.3%)	12 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (6.7%)	39.7	350^th of 533 public high schools	34.3%		26.4	347^th of 431 public high schools	19.5%	3	54.6	22.7	34.9	66.7	40.0	56.3	16.7	50.0	31.3	43.8	24.0	43.8	$11,942	$465	$11,477
Riverview School	Public	6-12	521 Riverview Ave	Waukesha	53186	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 548-7731	5	1	5.0		3 (60.0%)	2 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$4,448	$391	$4,057
North High	Public	9-12	2222 Michigan Ave	Waukesha	53188	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-3505	911	58	15.6	43.1%	545 (59.8%)	42 (4.6%)	268 (29.4%)	18 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	36 (4.0%)	57.9	234^th of 533 public high schools	56.1%		31.8	329^th of 431 public high schools	23.7%	95	53.5	40.9	48.5								42.9		$14,648	$394	$14,255
West High	Public	9-12	3301 Saylesville Rd	Waukesha	53189	Waukesha County	Waukesha School District	No	No	No	No	(262) 970-3905	1,167	67	17.4	21.3%	868 (74.4%)	43 (3.7%)	163 (14.0%)	36 (3.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (4.6%)	78.8	75^th of 533 public high schools	85.9%		76.4	73^rd of 431 public high schools	83.1%	2	60.2	54.9	56.4								59.6		$14,320	$393	$13,927
New Berlin West Middle/High	Public	7-12	18695 W Cleveland Ave	New Berlin	53146	Waukesha County	New Berlin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(262) 789-6400	1,036	69	14.9	16.6%	804 (77.6%)	15 (1.4%)	138 (13.3%)	38 (3.7%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.4%)	34 (3.3%)	93	21^st of 533 public high schools	96.1%		79.6	63^rd of 431 public high schools	85.4%	42	70.3	73.9	64.9		75.0	72.9		73.2	68.2	78.8	74.9	60.9	$15,243	$299	$14,944

Frequently Asked Questions about South High

How many students attend South High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 833 students attended South High.

Is South High a good school?

South High ranks in the bottom 22.5% of Wisconsin high schools.

What is the racial makeup of South High?

Students at South High are 41% Hispanic, 40% White, 12% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is South High in?

Waukesha School District

What schools feed into South High?

South High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Hillcrest Elementary

Rate South High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WIWisconsin High School Rankings

WIWisconsin District Rankings

Schools in Waukesha, WI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for South High!

Latest Wisconsin data All new data »

2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresNewOct 1, 2026

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

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 ACT & Forward Exam scoresSep 25, 2025

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.