Denver School of the Arts

Summary:

Denver School of the Arts is a public high school serving grades 6-12 in Denver, Colorado, and is part of the School District No. 1 in Denver, which is ranked 78 out of 116 districts in the state. Despite the district's average performance, Denver School of the Arts has consistently been one of the top-performing high schools in Colorado, ranking in the top 10-20 schools in the state over the past decade.

The school's academic performance is exceptional, with 83.5% of students proficient or better in CMAS English Language Arts, compared to 40.7% for the district and 44.1% for the state. In math, 60.1% of students were proficient or better, compared to 31.2% for the district and 34.2% for the state. However, the school's student population has a higher percentage of White students (62.85%) and a lower percentage of Hispanic (17.58%) and African American (5.2%) students compared to nearby schools, such as East High School, Prep Academy, and Bruce Randolph School, which have much lower academic performance across all subjects and grade levels.

Additionally, Denver School of the Arts serves a relatively affluent student population, with only 11.81% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, suggesting that the school may not be as accessible to students from lower-income families. This raises questions about equity and access, as high-performing schools like Denver School of the Arts may not be evenly distributed across the district or state. Despite these concerns, Denver School of the Arts remains a highly successful and sought-after public high school, delivering exceptional academic results and consistently ranking among the top schools in Colorado.


Detail:

Public 6-12

 7111 Montview Blvd
       Denver, CO  80220-1867


(720) 424-1700

District: School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
8th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,627 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  18.6 Help
Number of students:  1,039

Racial breakdown:

White:
60.6%
Hispanic:
17.9%
Two or more races:
9.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  14.7% Help


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 Compare Denver School of the Arts to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Denver School of the Arts ranks better than 94.2% of middle schools in Colorado. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.8. (See more...)
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Compare Details Denver School of the Arts ranks better than 97.7% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks first among 36 ranked high schools in the School District No. 1! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.31. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Denver School of the Arts who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.6%), Hispanic (17.9%), two or more races (9.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 14.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the School District No. 1. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Denver School of the Arts is 18.6. 45 high schools in the School District No. 1 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Denver School of the Arts employs 55.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Denver School of the Arts is $16,627. 35 high schools in the School District No. 1 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Denver School of the Arts:

SchoolDigger ranks Denver School of the Arts 28th of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See Denver School of the Arts in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Denver School of the Arts 8th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See Denver School of the Arts in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


School District No. 1:

SchoolDigger ranks School District No. 1 78th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Denver School of the Arts?

Rank History for Denver School of the Arts

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Rank History for all middle school students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 78.95 61st 336 81.8%
2005 77.67 71st 340 79.1%
2006 84.69 43rd 346 87.6%
2007 84.20 45th 360 87.5%
2008 88.58 28th 362 92.3%
2009 83.46 50th 377 86.7%
2010 86.44 40th 409 90.2%
2011 84.49 45th 422 89.3%
2012 86.64 43rd 425 89.9%
2013 92.06 21st 454 95.4%
2014 95.37 12th 461 97.4%
2015 98.08 10th 436 97.7%
2016 94.97 16th 400 96.0%
2017 98.54 7th 424 98.3%
2018 97.13 10th 418 97.6%
2019 96.46 11th 458 97.6%
2021 95.86 14th 369 96.2%
2022 97.11 8th 448 98.2%
2023 95.79 15th 480 96.9%
2024 92.80 28th 485 94.2%
See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 88.50 2nd 25 92.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 98.27 3rd 244 98.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.36 12th 315 96.2%
2019 93.64 16th 352 95.5%
2022 93.25 13th 326 96.0%
2023 95.25 10th 363 97.2%
2024 89.24 28th 350 92.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Gifted and Talented students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.47 62nd 121 48.8%
2019 63.93 47th 134 64.9%
2022 68.36 28th 93 69.9%
2023 69.48 35th 125 72.0%
2024 61.01 58th 126 54.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.75 11th 317 96.5%
2019 96.47 10th 343 97.1%
2022 98.27 8th 328 97.6%
2023 89.32 33rd 356 90.7%
2024 91.96 22nd 357 93.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 99.78 3rd 165 98.2%
2019 98.29 5th 220 97.7%
2022 98.02 4th 169 97.6%
2023 99.22 2nd 198 99.0%
2024 99.63 2nd 199 99.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.35 17th 199 91.5%
2019 94.16 12th 283 95.8%
2021 86.07 19th 203 90.6%
2022 94.32 12th 265 95.5%
2023 88.82 20th 286 93.0%
2024 82.71 32nd 273 88.3%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Denver School of the Arts

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Compare

Rank History for all high school students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 92.27 8th 279 97.1%
2005 90.80 15th 280 94.6%
2006 93.26 7th 286 97.6%
2007 90.60 15th 298 95.0%
2008 94.08 6th 301 98.0%
2009 93.73 7th 310 97.7%
2010 91.12 17th 327 94.8%
2011 93.09 9th 337 97.3%
2012 93.83 6th 334 98.2%
2013 91.20 14th 349 96.0%
2014 95.27 6th 369 98.4%
2015 94.21 5th 292 98.3%
2016 85.47 6th 255 97.6%
2017 92.11 2nd 256 99.2%
2018 96.29 10th 388 97.4%
2019 97.20 11th 411 97.3%
2021 91.54 9th 210 95.7%
2022 91.36 11th 221 95.0%
2023 95.62 8th 349 97.7%
2024 95.31 8th 349 97.7%
See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 82.20 26th 211 87.7%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 92.70 9th 239 96.2%
2022 93.03 11th 257 95.7%
2023 93.91 10th 254 96.1%
2024 94.28 8th 257 96.9%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Gifted and Talented students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 70.94 24th 118 79.7%
2023 70.59 27th 135 80.0%
2024 73.44 22nd 140 84.3%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 93.74 11th 240 95.4%
2022 94.43 10th 253 96.0%
2023 95.36 7th 252 97.2%
2024 94.18 11th 256 95.7%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 96.86 7th 181 96.1%
2022 99.12 5th 205 97.6%
2023 99.20 4th 198 98.0%
2024 97.85 6th 199 97.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Denver School of the Arts

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 90.92 8th 225 96.4%
2022 91.81 9th 228 96.1%
2023 92.48 10th 234 95.7%
2024 93.45 5th 229 97.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Denver School of the Arts Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 









Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.3)
75%

0%

0%

25%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Open Quote This school was a disappointment to us and our child. Despite being an arts school that admits students purely based on talent, there is a tremendous emphasis on being an academic over-achiever. When our child started to struggle second semester, his main arts teacher didn't appear to care. Emails were never answered. We expected much more from a school of this small size and supposed focus on the arts. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Open Quote Colorado's premiere selective Arts High School, accepting students from around the Metro area and even the state.

School ranks around 10th in the whole state on CSAPs, was listed on a national review of top 50 public high schools. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Denver School of the Arts

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1998 401 94 13 87 2 n/a n/a 0 597
1999 431 83 11 89 3 n/a n/a 0 617
2000 432 80 15 86 2 n/a n/a 0 615
2001 444 66 18 87 5 n/a n/a 0 620
2002 461 67 31 96 7 n/a n/a 0 662
2003 461 67 31 96 7 n/a n/a 0 662
2004 512 101 36 118 10 n/a n/a 0 777
2005 578 131 44 122 6 n/a n/a 0 881
2006 582 140 50 124 5 n/a n/a 0 901
2007 584 127 48 116 7 n/a n/a 0 882
2008 584 120 50 110 7 n/a n/a 0 871
2009 595 116 61 121 9 n/a n/a 0 902
2010 636 118 62 126 7 n/a n/a 0 949
2011 643 94 49 179 1 2 75 0 1043
2012 676 83 50 162 2 1 77 0 1051
2013 691 83 47 163 3 1 72 0 1060
2014 728 79 45 151 3 1 69 0 1076
2015 748 75 51 147 1 2 62 0 1086
2016 765 56 42 153 2 1 70 0 1089
2017 758 51 48 157 3 1 70 0 1088
2018 783 48 44 152 1 1 74 0 1103
2019 753 49 53 164 1 1 76 0 1097
2020 761 55 48 173 2 0 71 0 1110
2021 755 58 45 173 3 0 65 0 1099
2022 711 55 51 187 3 1 82 0 1090
2023 665 55 53 186 4 0 95 0 1058
2024 630 52 46 186 2 0 103 20 1039

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Denver School of the Arts

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 597 27.3 21.9 14.6
1999 617 19.8 31.2 10.9
2000 615 24.0 25.6 14.6
2001 620 31.0 20.0 13.9
2002 662 36.0 18.4 10.7
2003 662 36.0 18.4 10.7
2004 777 40.2 19.3 13.3
2005 881 42.7 20.6 11.9
2006 901 44.4 20.3 12.1
2007 882 41.5 21.3 12.5
2008 871 45.5 19.1 11
2009 902 47.1 19.2 10
2010 949 42.2 22.4 11
2011 1043 38.5 27.0 13
2012 1051 53.6 19.6 14.5
2013 1060 47.9 22.0 14.7
2014 1076 48.8 22.0 14.1
2015 1086 51.0 21.2 12.3
2016 1089 51.0 21.3 11.5
2017 1088 50.0 21.7 10.1
2018 1103 49.0 22.5 10.6
2019 1097 49.2 22.2 10.1
2020 1110 49.9 22.2 10.7
2021 1099 52.5 20.9 9
2022 1090 49.3 22.0 10.5
2023 1058 54.0 19.5 11.8
2024 1039 55.6 18.6 14.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Denver School of the Arts

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 597 27.3 21.9 14.6
1999 617 19.8 31.2 10.9
2000 615 24.0 25.6 14.6
2001 620 31.0 20.0 13.9
2002 662 36.0 18.4 10.7
2003 662 36.0 18.4 10.7
2004 777 40.2 19.3 13.3
2005 881 42.7 20.6 11.9
2006 901 44.4 20.3 12.1
2007 882 41.5 21.3 12.5
2008 871 45.5 19.1 11
2009 902 47.1 19.2 10
2010 949 42.2 22.4 11
2011 1043 38.5 27.0 13
2012 1051 53.6 19.6 14.5
2013 1060 47.9 22.0 14.7
2014 1076 48.8 22.0 14.1
2015 1086 51.0 21.2 12.3
2016 1089 51.0 21.3 11.5
2017 1088 50.0 21.7 10.1
2018 1103 49.0 22.5 10.6
2019 1097 49.2 22.2 10.1
2020 1110 49.9 22.2 10.7
2021 1099 52.5 20.9 9
2022 1090 49.3 22.0 10.5
2023 1058 54.0 19.5 11.8
2024 1039 55.6 18.6 14.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Denver School of the Arts

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $12,651
2020 $12,478
2021 $12,074
2022 $13,548
2023 $16,627

Data source: Colorado Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Denver School of the Arts

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 11th of 458 Middle schoolsRanks 15th of 480 Middle schools
 0.7%
Ranks 11th of 411 High schoolsRanks 8th of 349 High schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Denver School of the Arts)8075
 5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)4038.8
 1.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)43.643.4
 0.2%
6th Grade Math (Denver School of the Arts)67.753.8
 13.9%
   6th Grade Math (School District No. 1)27.926.9
 1%
   6th Grade Math (Colorado)29.528.2
 1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Denver School of the Arts)90.487.9
 2.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)45.140.3
 4.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)46.545
 1.5%
7th Grade Math (Denver School of the Arts)78.666.4
 12.2%
   7th Grade Math (School District No. 1)30.225.1
 5.1%
   7th Grade Math (Colorado)31.626.3
 5.3%
8th Grade Science (Denver School of the Arts)57.862.3
 4.5%
   8th Grade Science (School District No. 1)22.726
 3.3%
   8th Grade Science (Colorado)31.531.3
 0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Denver School of the Arts)85.887.7
 1.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)4640.8
 5.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)46.942.4
 4.5%
8th Grade Math (Denver School of the Arts)67.777.4
 9.7%
   8th Grade Math (School District No. 1)34.430.9
 3.5%
   8th Grade Math (Colorado)36.932.7
 4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Denver School of the Arts)85.483.6
 1.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (School District No. 1)42.840.3
 2.5%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Denver School of the Arts)7165.9
 5.1%
   All Grades Math (School District No. 1)32.730.3
 2.4%
   All Grades Math (Colorado)34.732.9
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students10971058
 3.6%
African American4955
 12.2%
American Indian14
 300%
Asian5353
Hispanic164186
 13.4%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White753665
 11.7%
Two or More Races7695
 25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients10.1%11.8%
 1.7%


Schools Near Denver School of the Arts









Frequently Asked Questions about Denver School of the Arts

Yes! Denver School of the Arts is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 8th of 349 Colorado high schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,039 students attended Denver School of the Arts.

Students at Denver School of the Arts are 61% White, 18% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 5% African American, 4% Asian, 2% Not Specified.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

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.





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