Highlands Ranch High School

Summary:

Highlands Ranch High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,538 students in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. The school is part of the Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which is ranked 5 out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highlands Ranch High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Colorado, performing exceptionally well on standardized tests and maintaining a high four-year graduation rate of over 91%. The school's academic performance is particularly strong in PSAT9 and PSAT10 assessments, with a high percentage of students scoring proficient or better in both Reading/Writing and Mathematics. While the school serves a diverse student population, it faces competition from other high-performing schools in the area, such as Thunderridge High School, Rock Canyon High School, and Mountain Vista High School, which also rank among the top high schools in Colorado.

One area of concern for Highlands Ranch High School is its relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 22.3% in the 2023-2024 school year, which could negatively impact student learning and achievement. Additionally, the school's low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch suggests that it may serve a more affluent student population, which could contribute to its strong academic performance. Overall, Highlands Ranch High School is a high-performing school that consistently ranks among the best in the state, but it may need to address its chronic absenteeism and continue to support all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 9375 Cresthill Lane
       Highlands Ranch, CO  80126-4408


(303) 387-2500

District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
67th of 349 Colorado High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,533 Help


Feeder schools for Highlands Ranch High School:

Elementary:    Acres Green Elementary School
    Arrowwood Elementary School
    Cougar Run Elementary School
    Eagle Ridge Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Cresthill Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.5 Help
Number of students:  1,390

Racial breakdown:

White:
66.1%
Hispanic:
18.8%
Two or more races:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  19.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Highlands Ranch High School ranks better than 80.8% of high schools in Colorado. It also ranks 6th among 12 ranked high schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.09. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Highlands Ranch High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (66.1%), Hispanic (18.8%), two or more races (6.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 19.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands Ranch High School is 16.5, which is the 6th best among 12 high schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highlands Ranch High School employs 83.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Ranch High School is $16,533, which is the 4th highest among 12 high schools in the Douglas County School District No. Re 1.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands Ranch High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Ranch High School 67th of 349 Colorado public high schools. (See Highlands Ranch High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Douglas County School District No. Re 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Douglas County School District No. Re 1 5th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Highlands Ranch High School?

Rank History for Highlands Ranch High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 91.63 10th 279 96.4%
2005 89.48 19th 280 93.2%
2006 85.55 28th 286 90.2%
2007 85.62 31st 298 89.6%
2008 82.84 42nd 301 86.0%
2009 77.87 60th 310 80.6%
2010 87.52 31st 327 90.5%
2011 86.68 33rd 337 90.2%
2012 84.35 37th 334 88.9%
2013 84.80 41st 349 88.3%
2014 69.50 100th 369 72.9%
2015 50.85 102nd 292 65.1%
2016 67.46 36th 255 85.9%
2017 57.63 71st 256 72.3%
2018 81.57 57th 388 85.3%
2019 82.30 62nd 411 84.9%
2021 71.43 56th 210 73.3%
2022 71.67 60th 221 72.9%
2023 81.81 57th 349 83.7%
2024 79.09 67th 349 80.8%
See the entire list of Colorado High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.06 11th 48 77.1%
2022 64.66 18th 56 67.9%
2023 52.74 31st 62 50.0%
2024 60.29 27th 61 55.7%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 77.95 7th 60 88.3%
2022 67.45 17th 77 77.9%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 74.02 36th 188 80.9%
2022 67.42 55th 203 72.9%
2023 65.85 63rd 200 68.5%
2024 74.79 39th 211 81.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 75.82 57th 239 76.2%
2022 81.74 45th 257 82.5%
2023 81.21 41st 254 83.9%
2024 76.69 52nd 257 79.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 83.66 5th 74 93.2%
2024 72.67 13th 84 84.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 69.54 28th 118 76.3%
2022 68.92 25th 108 76.9%
2023 76.59 10th 135 92.6%
2024 73.87 20th 140 85.7%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 82.52 41st 240 82.9%
2022 78.53 54th 253 78.7%
2023 77.51 61st 252 75.8%
2024 74.69 63rd 256 75.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 42.68 25th 41 39.0%
2022 67.36 12th 45 73.3%
2023 44.32 26th 43 39.5%
2024 51.45 18th 43 58.1%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.65 39th 181 78.5%
2022 76.12 43rd 205 79.0%
2023 74.48 41st 198 79.3%
2024 72.70 42nd 199 78.9%
See the entire list of Best Colorado High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highlands Ranch High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.54 58th 225 74.2%
2022 70.63 70th 228 69.3%
2023 72.89 62nd 234 73.5%
2024 66.76 79th 229 65.5%
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.

Highlands Ranch High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

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0%

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Highlands Ranch High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 785 8 11 25 4 n/a n/a 0 833
1989 1048 13 12 33 9 n/a n/a 0 1115
1990 1210 16 21 45 7 n/a n/a 0 1299
1991 1374 24 25 49 8 n/a n/a 0 1480
1992 1021 21 24 36 6 n/a n/a 0 1108
1993 1184 26 22 54 6 n/a n/a 0 1292
1994 1354 28 38 58 8 n/a n/a 0 1486
1995 1863 33 55 61 10 n/a n/a 0 2022
1996 1863 33 55 61 10 n/a n/a 0 2022
1997 1878 29 72 71 10 n/a n/a 0 2060
1998 1879 31 68 69 11 n/a n/a 0 2058
1999 1732 33 88 82 11 n/a n/a 0 1946
2000 1680 38 90 80 11 n/a n/a 0 1899
2001 1666 41 104 94 13 n/a n/a 0 1918
2002 1552 40 121 112 9 n/a n/a 0 1834
2003 1552 40 121 112 9 n/a n/a 0 1834
2004 1480 35 123 122 13 n/a n/a 0 1773
2005 1438 34 131 143 12 n/a n/a 0 1758
2006 1341 42 128 143 11 n/a n/a 0 1665
2007 1306 49 126 155 11 n/a n/a 0 1647
2008 1329 65 114 160 12 n/a n/a 0 1680
2009 1284 61 116 169 11 n/a n/a 0 1641
2010 1300 70 115 186 11 n/a n/a 0 1682
2011 1297 46 104 224 13 0 58 0 1742
2012 1254 49 96 215 9 1 76 0 1700
2013 1233 41 107 211 9 1 77 0 1679
2014 1180 40 97 212 8 1 67 0 1605
2015 1178 47 106 227 11 2 60 0 1631
2016 1185 40 102 238 10 3 86 0 1664
2017 1212 46 96 252 5 3 84 0 1698
2018 1241 40 86 271 11 2 94 0 1745
2019 1187 33 87 259 12 2 96 0 1676
2020 1193 36 98 260 6 3 84 0 1680
2021 1120 37 93 274 5 1 95 0 1625
2022 1085 40 88 270 7 1 90 0 1581
2023 1040 36 88 271 10 1 92 0 1538
2024 919 35 76 261 8 2 89 0 1390

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 Highlands Ranch High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 833 51.1 16.3 n/a
1989 1115 70.5 15.8 0.6
1990 1299 85.6 15.1 1.2
1991 1480 95.4 15.5 0.5
1992 1108 70.9 15.6 0.6
1993 1292 76.9 16.8 0.5
1994 1486 84.0 17.7 0.3
1995 2022 109.8 18.4 0.3
1996 2022 109.8 18.4 0.3
1997 2060 121.8 16.9 0.3
1998 2058 110.7 18.6 0.4
1999 1946 111.8 17.4 0.5
2000 1899 111.2 17.1 0.7
2001 1918 120.4 15.9 0.2
2002 1834 108.6 16.9 0.7
2003 1834 108.6 16.9 0.7
2004 1773 104.5 17.0 0.9
2005 1758 97.7 18.0 1.5
2006 1665 100.7 16.5 3.3
2007 1647 92.0 17.9 4.7
2008 1680 95.1 17.7 5.4
2009 1641 96.0 17.1 5
2010 1682 89.9 18.6 6.4
2011 1742 86.8 20.0 8
2012 1700 82.5 20.5 9.1
2013 1679 81.3 20.6 9.4
2014 1605 81.9 19.5 10.1
2015 1631 82.0 19.8 7.1
2016 1664 84.0 19.8 10.8
2017 1698 88.2 19.2 13.1
2018 1745 90.4 19.2 14.6
2019 1676 91.6 18.2 13
2020 1680 90.2 18.6 12.6
2021 1625 91.7 17.7 n/a
2022 1581 85.9 18.3 12.8
2023 1538 86.2 17.8 n/a
2024 1390 83.7 16.5 19.9

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 Highlands Ranch High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 833 51.1 16.3 n/a
1989 1115 70.5 15.8 0.6
1990 1299 85.6 15.1 1.2
1991 1480 95.4 15.5 0.5
1992 1108 70.9 15.6 0.6
1993 1292 76.9 16.8 0.5
1994 1486 84.0 17.7 0.3
1995 2022 109.8 18.4 0.3
1996 2022 109.8 18.4 0.3
1997 2060 121.8 16.9 0.3
1998 2058 110.7 18.6 0.4
1999 1946 111.8 17.4 0.5
2000 1899 111.2 17.1 0.7
2001 1918 120.4 15.9 0.2
2002 1834 108.6 16.9 0.7
2003 1834 108.6 16.9 0.7
2004 1773 104.5 17.0 0.9
2005 1758 97.7 18.0 1.5
2006 1665 100.7 16.5 3.3
2007 1647 92.0 17.9 4.7
2008 1680 95.1 17.7 5.4
2009 1641 96.0 17.1 5
2010 1682 89.9 18.6 6.4
2011 1742 86.8 20.0 8
2012 1700 82.5 20.5 9.1
2013 1679 81.3 20.6 9.4
2014 1605 81.9 19.5 10.1
2015 1631 82.0 19.8 7.1
2016 1664 84.0 19.8 10.8
2017 1698 88.2 19.2 13.1
2018 1745 90.4 19.2 14.6
2019 1676 91.6 18.2 13
2020 1680 90.2 18.6 12.6
2021 1625 91.7 17.7 n/a
2022 1581 85.9 18.3 12.8
2023 1538 86.2 17.8 n/a
2024 1390 83.7 16.5 19.9

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 Highlands Ranch High School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $13,466
2020 $13,458
2021 $13,602
2022 $15,149
2023 $16,533

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands Ranch High School

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 62nd of 411 High schoolsRanks 57th of 349 High schools
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students16761538
 8.2%
African American3336
 9.1%
American Indian1210
 16.7%
Asian8788
 1.1%
Hispanic259271
 4.6%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White11871040
 12.4%
Two or More Races9692
 4.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Ranch High School

Highlands Ranch High School ranks 67th of 349 Colorado high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Highlands Ranch High School are 66% White, 19% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 3% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,390 students attended Highlands Ranch High School.


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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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