Best High Schools in Zip Code 53186

ZIP code 53186 contains five high schools serving about 1,199 students, all part of the Waukesha School District, which ranks 184th of 432 districts statewide (57th percentile, 3 stars). Three of them — South High (833 students), Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy (144), and Waukesha Academy of Health Professions (112) — share a campus at 401 E Roberta Ave and hold roughly 91% of the area's high school enrollment. Waukesha East Alternative School (74) and Waukesha Transition Academy (36) are located at 1150 Whiterock Ave. The mix includes one large comprehensive high school, two specialized academies, an alternative school, and a 12th-grade transition program.

The standout is Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy, ranked in the top 1% of Wisconsin high schools for three consecutive reported years (4th of 533 in 2025-2026, 5 stars), with a 100% graduation rate, 0% dropout, 0% chronic absenteeism, and proficiency of 78–89% in all four tested subjects. South High, the largest school, ranks 413th of 533 (23rd percentile, 1 star), with proficiency in the low 30s and chronic absenteeism of 30.8%. The Waukesha Academy of Health Professions keeps a 100% graduation rate and 0% dropout but slipped from 5 stars to 3 stars, with ELA falling from 75% to 41.67% and math from 67.86% to 37.5%.

Absenteeism is a clear dividing line: every school with data except the Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy exceeds the district's 14.9% and the state's 17.3%. Waukesha East Alternative School is at 81.6%, and also has the lowest test results and highest free/reduced lunch share (78.38%). Spending does not track outcomes here: the two highest-spending schools, Waukesha Transition Academy ($26,845) and Waukesha East Alternative School ($26,639), are not the top performers, while the Engineering Academy reports the lowest at $4,491. Graduation rates sit at or above the state's 92.0% almost everywhere, and because these schools are small, year-to-year swings can be dramatic.