Is South Forsyth High School a good school?

Yes. South Forsyth High School ranks in the top 5.0% of Georgia high schools.

How many students attend South Forsyth High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,508 students attended South Forsyth High School.

What is the racial makeup of South Forsyth High School?

Students at South Forsyth High School are 44% Asian, 42% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools feed into South Forsyth High School?

South Forsyth High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Daves Creek Elementary School Elementary : Haw Creek Elementary

South Forsyth High School

Summary:

South Forsyth High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Cumming, Georgia, part of the highly-ranked Forsyth County School District. This exceptional school has consistently been one of the top-performing high schools in the state, with outstanding academic performance, graduation rates, and other key metrics.

South Forsyth High School outperforms the Forsyth County and Georgia state averages on standardized tests, with 81.2% of students proficient or better in American Literature and Composition, compared to 72.3% in the county and 42% statewide. The school maintains an exceptionally high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 96.0% to 98.9% over the past five years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, South Forsyth has a very low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively affluent student population.

While South Forsyth High School is a standout, the Forsyth County district as a whole is home to several other top-performing high schools, such as Alliance Academy for Innovation, Denmark High School, and Lambert High School. These schools demonstrate similar academic excellence, with high test scores and graduation rates. However, the district's high schools vary in their student-teacher ratios and the socioeconomic backgrounds of their student populations, as reflected in the differences in free and reduced-price lunch eligibility rates.

Detail:

Public 9-12

585 Peachtree Pkwy
Cumming, GA 30041

(770) 781-2264

District: Forsyth County

SchoolDigger Rank:
23^rd of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,234

Feeder schools for South Forsyth High School:

Elementary:	Daves Creek Elementary School
	Haw Creek Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 19.3

Number of students: 2,508

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

43.8%

White:

41.5%

Hispanic:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.6%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare South Forsyth High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Forsyth High School ranks better than 95% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks 4^th among 7 ranked high schools in the Forsyth County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.45. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South Forsyth High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Asian (43.8%), White (41.5%), Hispanic (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Forsyth County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Forsyth High School is 19.3. 5 high schools in the Forsyth County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare South Forsyth High School employs 129.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Forsyth High School is $8,234. 4 high schools in the Forsyth County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

South Forsyth High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks South Forsyth High School 23^rd of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See South Forsyth High School in the ranking list.)

Forsyth County:

SchoolDigger ranks Forsyth County 10^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for South Forsyth High School.

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Rank History for South Forsyth High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	87.31	12^th	335	96.4%
2007	87.78	12^th	358	96.6%
2008	87.87	16^th	370	95.7%
2009	82.57	35^th	372	90.6%
2010	85.81	27^th	384	93.0%
2011	84.77	29^th	402	92.8%
2012	89.94	12^th	396	97.0%
2013	88.01	14^th	425	96.7%
2014	85.62	15^th	425	96.5%
2015	89.67	11^th	435	97.5%
2016	88.70	13^th	426	96.9%
2017	90.27	9^th	420	97.9%
2018	89.82	16^th	428	96.3%
2019	92.34	9^th	438	97.9%
2021	86.62	18^th	410	95.6%
2022	91.12	13^th	429	97.0%
2023	92.05	14^th	442	96.8%
2024	88.45	23^rd	458	95.0%

See the entire list of Georgia High School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.9)

62%

12%

25%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, April 19, 2020

Hi all
My son's a freshman at South Forsyth High. I feel South's curriculum has everything required for a student's all round development.
#southstrong Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, June 1, 2018

Great school in all aspects Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, October 27, 2017

Very strong academics and extracurricular programs. Parent & community support is a key component of the school's success. Overall, the students are great kids with ambitious goals it's a positive environment on a daily basis. Teachers & coaches are very dedicated to developing college ready students. Our kids are thriving...we are extremely satisfied. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 10, 2017

I agree with the previous parent's review and have had the same poor experiences. The school now has over 3,400 students with a freshman class of 998. I have dealt with errors being made on schedules with little to no help in correcting and schedules being moved and changed five days into classes even though the student was happy with his original schedule. Administration states there is nothing that can be done because the school is so crowded. The administration has definitely made the students and the parents feel as they are a number and not individuals. The school is trying to play catch up when they could have been more prepared. It is not the great school it used to be. We will be leaving this district when we can. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, November 15, 2015

Parents need to be aware that the school is extremely over crowded and that the administration will shuffle your child where ever they can fit them regardless of what is good for the student. The counselors are useless. They will not work with you at all to solve any types of scheduling issues. Even though they admitted mistakenly placing our son in the wrong level of math class, they will not move him. They suggested we spend $50 an hour for a tutor. Which it turns out is hard to find since so many kids at the school need one. The new administration is apparently not as good as the last that left for a new school. Close Quote

by a citizen
Thursday, July 30, 2015

Only school in the Forsyth public school systems to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, which employs a few unique advantages on the higher level high school education while mandating a more comprehensive weighted class curriculum on students.

The school also has been a forerunner in offering STEM classes geared towards some of the more in-demand career paths students will expand upon in college; many of them for college credit.

The dip in teachers can be attributed to the opening of nearby West and Lambert schools, although South Forsyth retained an enormous amount of teaching talent. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Moved from out of state with two children needing a great high school. I think we have found it in South Forsyth. Close Quote

Enrollment information for South Forsyth High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	532	532
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1268	1268
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1290	1290
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1329	1329
1994	747	1	2	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	754
1995	949	3	1	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	971
1996	949	3	1	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	971
1997	1012	3	1	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	1036
1998	986	6	2	26	5	n/a	n/a	0	1025
1999	1080	5	4	34	5	n/a	n/a	0	1128
2000	1217	9	10	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	1277
2001	1346	10	13	62	3	n/a	n/a	0	1434
2002	1665	14	17	109	6	n/a	n/a	0	1811
2003	1665	14	17	109	6	n/a	n/a	0	1811
2004	1830	24	31	146	3	n/a	n/a	0	2034
2005	2036	35	51	168	2	n/a	n/a	16	2308
2006	2219	64	72	182	7	n/a	n/a	23	2567
2007	2380	81	121	192	8	n/a	n/a	33	2815
2008	2063	85	161	206	7	n/a	n/a	44	2566
2009	2100	106	195	204	8	n/a	n/a	56	2669
2010	1193	78	160	200	11	0	35	0	1677
2011	1107	81	184	199	6	0	43	0	1620
2012	1304	87	209	191	7	1	53	0	1852
2013	1499	90	258	220	6	1	61	0	2135
2014	1729	98	301	269	9	2	81	0	2489
2015	1836	120	367	281	10	3	76	0	2693
2016	1937	133	479	298	12	4	85	0	2948
2017	2004	139	622	344	10	5	82	0	3206
2018	2015	166	823	341	10	3	84	0	3442
2019	1581	89	664	184	5	2	75	0	2600
2020	1312	53	707	149	3	2	63	0	2289
2021	1293	64	766	138	8	3	69	0	2341
2022	1178	63	853	166	9	2	84	0	2355
2023	1115	67	978	177	11	2	93	0	2443
2024	1041	65	1099	187	14	2	100	0	2508

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 South Forsyth High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	532	36.0	14.7	3.9
1991	1268	75.0	16.9	4.1
1992	1290	82.0	15.7	5.6
1993	1329	76.0	17.5	3.1
1994	754	47.1	16.0	10.5
1995	971	57.0	17.0	3
1996	971	57.0	17.0	3
1997	1036	59.5	17.4	4.2
1998	1025	67.0	15.3	3.5
1999	1128	70.5	16.0	3.7
2000	1277	74.5	17.1	3.9
2001	1434	89.5	16.0	3.1
2002	1811	115.5	15.7	5.5
2003	1811	115.5	15.7	5.5
2004	2034	116.8	17.4	7.4
2005	2308	132.5	17.4	7.2
2006	2567	155.0	16.6	7.5
2007	2815	169.5	16.6	7.3
2008	2566	162.7	15.8	7.8
2009	2669	162.2	16.5	8.6
2010	1677	104.6	16.0	13.2
2011	1620	98.7	16.4	14.4
2012	1852	114.1	16.2	12.4
2013	2135	120.6	17.7	12.8
2014	2489	135.7	18.3	11.1
2015	2693	151.0	17.8	9.7
2016	2948	157.0	18.7	9.6
2017	3206	176.4	18.1	9
2018	3442	183.6	18.7	9.2
2019	2600	146.0	17.8	5.8
2020	2289	129.0	17.7	4.7
2021	2341	129.0	18.1	3.9
2022	2355	127.9	18.4	n/a
2023	2443	126.4	19.3	4.5
2024	2508	129.7	19.3	10.6

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 South Forsyth High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	532	36.0	14.7	3.9
1991	1268	75.0	16.9	4.1
1992	1290	82.0	15.7	5.6
1993	1329	76.0	17.5	3.1
1994	754	47.1	16.0	10.5
1995	971	57.0	17.0	3
1996	971	57.0	17.0	3
1997	1036	59.5	17.4	4.2
1998	1025	67.0	15.3	3.5
1999	1128	70.5	16.0	3.7
2000	1277	74.5	17.1	3.9
2001	1434	89.5	16.0	3.1
2002	1811	115.5	15.7	5.5
2003	1811	115.5	15.7	5.5
2004	2034	116.8	17.4	7.4
2005	2308	132.5	17.4	7.2
2006	2567	155.0	16.6	7.5
2007	2815	169.5	16.6	7.3
2008	2566	162.7	15.8	7.8
2009	2669	162.2	16.5	8.6
2010	1677	104.6	16.0	13.2
2011	1620	98.7	16.4	14.4
2012	1852	114.1	16.2	12.4
2013	2135	120.6	17.7	12.8
2014	2489	135.7	18.3	11.1
2015	2693	151.0	17.8	9.7
2016	2948	157.0	18.7	9.6
2017	3206	176.4	18.1	9
2018	3442	183.6	18.7	9.2
2019	2600	146.0	17.8	5.8
2020	2289	129.0	17.7	4.7
2021	2341	129.0	18.1	3.9
2022	2355	127.9	18.4	n/a
2023	2443	126.4	19.3	4.5
2024	2508	129.7	19.3	10.6

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 South Forsyth High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$176 (2.5%)	$7,006 (97.5%)	$7,182
2018	$191 (2.6%)	$7,091 (97.4%)	$7,282
2019	$167 (2.0%)	$8,068 (98.0%)	$8,234

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Forsyth 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 9^th of 438 High schools	Ranks 14^th of 442 High schools	1.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (South Forsyth High School)	85.8	79.4	6.4%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Forsyth County)	73.3	66.9	6.4%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)	47.3	38.9	8.4%
End of Course Algebra I (South Forsyth High School)	75	54.8	20.2%
End of Course Algebra I (Forsyth County)	76.3	62.5	13.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	35.8	5.3%
End of Course Biology (South Forsyth High School)	82.1	85.5	3.4%
End of Course Biology (Forsyth County)	76.6	70	6.6%
End of Course Biology (Georgia)	49	45.5	3.5%
End of Course United States History (South Forsyth High School)	79.6	67.8	11.8%
End of Course United States History (Forsyth County)	70.5	55.3	15.2%
End of Course United States History (Georgia)	48.3	37.1	11.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2600	2443	6%
African American	89	67	24.7%
American Indian	5	11	120%
Asian	664	978	47.3%
Hispanic	184	177	3.8%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	1581	1115	29.5%
Two or More Races	75	93	24%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	5.8%	4.5%	1.3%

Schools Near South Forsyth High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition (2024)	Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2024)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition End of Course	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Forsyth High School	Public	9-12	585 Peachtree Pkwy	Cumming	30041	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 781-2264	2,508	130	19.3	10.6%	1,041 (41.5%)	65 (2.6%)	187 (7.5%)	1,099 (43.8%)	14 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	100 (4.0%)	88.4	23^rd of 458 public high schools	95.0%		92	14^th of 442 public high schools	96.8%	9	81.2	46.0	79.8	66.8	$8,234	$167	$8,068
Denmark High School	Public	9-12	645 Mullinax Rd	Alpharetta	30004	Fulton County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(470) 533-2521	2,490	138	18.0	21.8%	873 (35.1%)	202 (8.1%)	464 (18.6%)	868 (34.9%)	8 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (3.0%)	90	19^th of 458 public high schools	95.9%		84.8	29^th of 442 public high schools	93.4%	10	74.5	23.0	70.8	62.3	$9,817	$134	$9,683
Lambert High School	Public	9-12	805 Nichols Rd	Suwanee	30024	Gwinnett County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(678) 965-5050	3,201	160	20.0	10.6%	1,155 (36.1%)	136 (4.2%)	187 (5.8%)	1,606 (50.2%)	10 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	106 (3.3%)	94.2	9^th of 458 public high schools	98.0%		92.3	13^th of 442 public high schools	97.1%	4	83.1	69.9	82.7	81.8	$7,395	$134	$7,261
West Forsyth High School	Public	9-12	4155 Drew Rd	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 888-3470	2,464	130	18.9	16.0%	1,599 (64.9%)	122 (5.0%)	325 (13.2%)	316 (12.8%)	7 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	94 (3.8%)	77.4	58^th of 458 public high schools	87.3%		76.3	53^rd of 442 public high schools	88.0%	5	73.0	21.2	67.7	56.9	$7,891	$134	$7,757
Forsyth Central High School	Public	9-12	131 Almon C. Hill Drive	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 887-8151	2,387	151	15.7	40.9%	1,167 (48.9%)	134 (5.6%)	759 (31.8%)	232 (9.7%)	16 (0.7%)	3 (0.1%)	76 (3.2%)	58.9	140^th of 458 public high schools	69.4%		63.1	106^th of 442 public high schools	76.0%	34	57.2	23.6	47.8	43.0	$9,449	$228	$9,221
Alliance Academy for Innovation	Public	9-12	1100 Lanier 400 Pkwy	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(470) 695-7823	1,116	62	18.0	11.7%	379 (34.0%)	22 (2.0%)	94 (8.4%)	598 (53.6%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.3%)	97.4	2^nd of 458 public high schools	99.6%		96.5	3^rd of 442 public high schools	99.3%	1	92.1	88.5	90.2	83.7	$11,699	$137	$11,562
Cambridge High School	Public	9-12	2845 Bethany Bnd	Milton	30004	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-2883	1,652	91	18.1	11.0%	1,090 (66.0%)	147 (8.9%)	185 (11.2%)	163 (9.9%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	61 (3.7%)	75.6	67^th of 458 public high schools	85.4%		84.3	32^nd of 442 public high schools	92.8%	35	75.3	35.1	74.0	41.4	$9,333	$225	$9,108
Alpharetta High School	Public	9-12	3595 Webb Bridge Rd	Alpharetta	30005	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-7640	2,084	113	18.4	16.5%	683 (32.8%)	411 (19.7%)	303 (14.5%)	595 (28.6%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	89 (4.3%)	84.1	36^th of 458 public high schools	92.1%		87.1	25^th of 442 public high schools	94.3%	11	70.4	49.8	71.8	62.8	$9,480	$302	$9,178
North Gwinnett High School	Public	9-12	20 Level Creek Rd	Suwanee	30024	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(770) 945-9558	3,067	166	18.5	22.0%	1,199 (39.1%)	420 (13.7%)	306 (10.0%)	965 (31.5%)	1 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	175 (5.7%)	89	21^st of 458 public high schools	95.4%		89.9	20^th of 442 public high schools	95.5%	1	73.0	51.7	76.2	56.9	$7,777	$266	$7,511
Chattahoochee High School	Public	9-12	5230 Taylor Rd	Alpharetta	30022	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-7600	1,781	103	17.2	18.5%	663 (37.2%)	252 (14.1%)	242 (13.6%)	539 (30.3%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (4.6%)	90.1	18^th of 458 public high schools	96.1%		91.7	15^th of 442 public high schools	96.6%	3	77.5	62.8	74.1	72.3	$10,138	$232	$9,906

South Forsyth High School

Forsyth County:

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What do you think?

Rank History for South Forsyth High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for South Forsyth High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Forsyth High School

Student/Teacher Ratio South Forsyth High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Forsyth High School

Impact of COVID-19 on South Forsyth High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near South Forsyth High School