Summary:
Zip code 26508 is home to just one high school, University High School, a large institution serving 1,371 students in grades 9-12 within the highly-rated Monongalia County Schools district, which ranks 5th out of 54 districts statewide.
As the only high school in this area, University High School stands out as an elite academic performer. It has maintained a 5-star rating for three consecutive years, ranking in the top 7% of all West Virginia high schools (7th out of 105 schools in the most recent year). The school's graduation rate is an impressive 96.8%, which is 4 percentage points above the state average. Academically, the school significantly outperforms state averages in every subject, with the largest advantages in mathematics (34.3% proficiency vs. 20.6% statewide) and science (34.6% vs. 23.6%). English Language Arts proficiency is also strong at 61.0% compared to the state's 51.2%. The student-teacher ratio is a reasonable 15.9:1, and per-student spending was reported at $11,782, though this figure is from 2018-2019.
While the school's performance is excellent, there are a few notable trends. Proficiency in English Language Arts and science declined from the previous year (down 6.4 and 6.2 percentage points, respectively), while math proficiency improved slightly. Interestingly, the Monongalia County Schools district as a whole actually shows slightly higher proficiency rates than University High School in math, science, and ELA, suggesting other schools in the district are performing at comparable levels. No free/reduced lunch data was reported, which limits socioeconomic analysis. Overall, families in this zip code have access to a single, top-tier high school that delivers strong academic results and excellent graduation outcomes, particularly in STEM subjects.
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