Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

B⁻

Schools in Denver · Denver County School District 1

Denver’s public schools score below 51% of Colorado districts on tests and graduation

The grade covers the public school district serving Denver, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. On the state reading tests, 39% of Denver’s students scored proficient, below the Colorado average (45%). Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Colorado, not nationally.

#122of 159 Colorado townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Colorado state tests taken in spring 2022, when 90% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency

39%

▼ 6 pts vs CO 45%

2021–22

Math proficiency

29%

▼ 3 pts vs CO 32%

2021–22

Graduate on time

78%

▼ 5 pts vs CO 83%

class of 2023

Spent per student

$18.0K

▲ 13% vs CO $15.9K

FY2024

Students per teacher

15.2

CO 16.3 · smaller classes

Schools in town

239

66,474 students on the public path

In brief

Denver’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 149 Colorado towns with household incomes within a quarter of Denver’s, its schools beat 28%, lower than their 49% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 39% of tested students were proficient in reading and 29% in math, against 45% and 32% statewide; 90% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

78% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 83% across Colorado. Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $17,972 per student, against $15,889 across Colorado (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

89 elementary schools, then 32 middle and 20 high schools

Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓

Choice beyond the district

Vanguard Classical School - West, University Prep - Steele St., Odyssey School of Denver, Wyatt Academy, DSST: Montview High School, Highline Academy Southeast, Omar D Blair Charter School, Colorado High School Charter, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy, AUL Denver, Rocky Mountain Prep Federal, Denver Justice High School, Rocky Mountain Prep Westwood, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, Rocky Mountain Prep Berkeley, DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School, Rocky Mountain Prep Sunnyside, Girls Athletic Leadership School Middle School, Denver Language School, SOAR at Green Valley Ranch, University Prep - Arapahoe St., KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, DSST: Cole Middle School, Rocky Mountain Prep Noel, Rocky Mountain Prep SMART, Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside, DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School, DSST: College View Middle School, Monarch Montessori, Rocky Mountain Prep Green Valley Ranch, DSST: Montview Middle School, DSST: Cedar Middle School, Downtown Denver Expeditionary School, Academy 360, Highline Academy Northeast, DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School, Girls Athletic Leadership School High School, Rocky Mountain Prep Ruby Hill, DSST: Cole High School, Compass Academy, Rocky Mountain Prep Southwest, RiseUp Community School, KIPP Northeast Elementary, DSST: College View High School, KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, DSST: Cedar High School, Rocky Mountain Prep RISE, DSST: Conservatory Green High School, Colorado High School Charter - GES, DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School, KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary, 5280 High School, French American School of Denver, DSST: Elevate Northeast High School, Mullen High School (private), Graland Country Day School (private), International School of Denver (private), Stanley British Primary School (private), Denver Academy (private), St. Annes Episcopal School (private), Blessed Sacrament Parish School (private), Good Shepherd Catholic School (private), Arrupe Jesuit High School (private), St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (private), Montessori School of Denver (private), Hillel Academy (private), Montessori Academy of Colorado (private), St. James Catholic School (private), Notre Dame Parish School (private), Escuela de Guadalupe (private), St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy (private), Ricks Center for Gifted Children (private), St. John's School (private), Denver Academy of Torah (private), Bishop Machebeuf High School (private), Annunciation (private), St. Elizabeth's School (private), Montview Community Preschool & Kindergarten (private), Hope Center (private), Childrens Garden Montessori (private), Zion Lutheran School (private), Yeshiva Toras Chaim High School (private), Iliff Preschool, Inc. (private), Montessori Childrens House of Denver Park Hil (private), Inner-City School (private), Tennyson Center for Children at CCH (private), Sophia Montessori Academy (private), Beth Jacob High School of Denver (private), Montessori Children's House of Denver (private), Rabbi Steven Foster Early Learning Center (private), Garfield Montessori School (private), Bansbach Academy at Denver Childrens Home (private), L'Ecole de Denver (private), Accelerated Schools (private) and Heartland Academy Denver (private) are in town. Denver Online, an online school, is based here too; it isn’t counted as a local school. Every school ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Denver’s grade

B Test scoresC⁻ Graduation

B−: better than 49% of Colorado school districts, #122 of 159 Colorado towns. Both inputs trail the Colorado average; test scores are the closer of the two to typical.

Colorado school districts we grade (169)Better than 49%

Lower resultsHigher results

Colorado towns with similar household incomes (149)Better than 28%

A firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 39,312 test results and a graduating class of 6,624 wouldn’t change the letter. The tests are from spring 2022, when 90% of Denver’s students in the tested grades sat them (39,365 in math, 39,259 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Denver, with each school’s own grade.

89 schools teach K in Denver’s district. Which one depends on your address. Their grades range from D− to A+, so check the specific school.

Florida Pitt-Waller ECE-8 School

Elementary · Grades PK–8

D⁻

886 students18:1Rate it →

William (Bill) Roberts ECE-8 School

Elementary · Grades K–8

A⁺

872 students19:1Rate it →

McGlone Academy

Elementary · Grades PK–8

D⁻

842 students15:1Rate it →

Place Bridge Academy

Elementary · Grades PK–8

D⁻

824 students13:1Rate it →

Slavens K-8 School

Elementary · Grades K–8

A⁺

Town	Schools	Main districts
Denver	B⁻	Denver County School District 1
Lakewood	A⁻	Jefferson County School District R-1
Aurora	B	Adams-Arapahoe School District 28J PK–12 · Cherry Creek School District 5 PK–12
Englewood	C⁻	Englewood School District 1
Bow Mar	—	Littleton School District 6 PK–12 · Jefferson County School District R-1 PK–12
Commerce City	C⁺	School District 27J PK–12 · Adams County School District 14 PK–12
Littleton	A⁺	Littleton School District 6
Sheridan	D	Sheridan School District 2
Greenwood Village	A	Cherry Creek School District 5 PK–12 · Littleton School District 6 PK–12
Cherry Hills Village	A⁻	Cherry Creek School District 5
Lakeside	—	Jefferson County School District R-1

Denver’s public schools score below 51% of Colorado districts on tests and graduation

Denver’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Results trail the state

Graduation

Spending and class size

89 elementary schools, then 32 middle and 20 high schools

Choice beyond the district

What’s behind Denver’s grade

Where will my kid go?

The district

Well below the state in reading

Denver vs. its neighbors

Every school in Denver

Questions about Denver’s schools

Parents talk