Northwest High School

Q: Is Northwest High School a good school?

Northwest High School ranks 51 st of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northwest High School is a public high school located in Waukee, Iowa, serving grades 10-12 with a total enrollment of 1,427 students. The school is part of the Waukee Community School District, which is ranked 44th out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northwest High School consistently outperforms the state and district averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 85.4% of 10th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 82.5% for the Waukee district and 73.8% for the state. The school has also consistently ranked among the top high schools in Iowa, ranking 51st out of 338 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

When compared to other high schools in the Waukee district and surrounding areas, Northwest High School stands out as a top-performing school. For instance, Waukee High School, which is also part of the Waukee district, has lower ISASP test scores and a lower statewide ranking than Northwest High School. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 13.45% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is lower than the state average.

Detail:

Public 10-12

655 NW 10th ST
Waukee, IA 50263

(515) 987-5161

District: Waukee Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
51^st of 338 Iowa High Schools

Feeder schools for Northwest High School:

Elementary:	Grant Ragan Elementary School
	Radiant Elementary School
	Shuler Elementary School
	Walnut Hills Elementary School
	More...
	Waukee Elementary School
Middle:	Waukee Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.9

Number of students: 1,524

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

6.8%

Two or more races:

5.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 13.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwest High School ranks better than 84.9% of high schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.38. (See more...)

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

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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Teachers

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest High School 51^st of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Northwest High School in the ranking list.)

Waukee Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waukee Community School District 44^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwest High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IA State Percentile
2022	68.21	90^th	332	72.9%
2023	74.52	59^th	336	82.4%
2024	76.38	51^st	338	84.9%

See the entire list of Iowa High School Rankings!

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

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Northwest High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2022	1071	44	52	102	3	1	52	1325
2023	1130	60	60	109	2	1	65	1427
2024	1183	77	68	104	3	1	88	1524

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 Northwest High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	1325	15.4	85.8	11.8
2023	1427	0.0	n/a	13.5
2024	1524	72.6	20.9	13.7

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 Northwest High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	1325	15.4	85.8	11.8
2023	1427	0.0	n/a	13.5
2024	1524	72.6	20.9	13.7

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.

Schools Near Northwest High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)			ISASP Mathematics (2024)			ISASP Science (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	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest High School	Public	10-12	655 NW 10th ST	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5161	1,524	73	20.9	13.7%	1,183 (77.6%)	77 (5.1%)	104 (6.8%)	68 (4.5%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	88 (5.8%)	76.4	51^st of 338 public high schools	84.9%		74.5	59^th of 336 public high schools	82.4%	8		85.4	83.0		81.7	75.6	72.0
Waukee High School	Public	10-12	555 SE University Avenue	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5163	1,345	78	17.2	23.5%	858 (63.8%)	134 (10.0%)	115 (8.6%)	124 (9.2%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	107 (8.0%)	62	135^th of 338 public high schools	60.1%		71.1	78^th of 336 public high schools	76.8%	57		79.1	76.8		74.5	71.8	63.9	$13,035	$231	$12,804
Dallas Center-Grimes High School	Public	9-12	2555 W 1st St	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-9747	1,027	58	17.5	18.2%	880 (85.7%)	47 (4.6%)	53 (5.2%)	18 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (2.7%)	65.7	116^th of 338 public high schools	65.7%		76.4	49^th of 336 public high schools	85.4%	67	81.8	80.8	82.7	70.5	74.2	74.5	61.6	$12,103	$211	$11,892
ADM Senior High School	Public	9-12	801 Nile Kinnick Dr S	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 993-4584	682	40	17.0	20.4%	627 (91.9%)	5 (0.7%)	25 (3.7%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.9%)	92.2	4^th of 338 public high schools	98.8%		91.5	8^th of 336 public high schools	97.6%	4	94.5	95.2	93.8	86.6	86.3	90.7	86.7	$13,069	$279	$12,789
Valley High School	Public	10-12	3650 Woodland Ave	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4000	2,111	123	17.1	26.7%	1,226 (58.1%)	244 (11.6%)	405 (19.2%)	110 (5.2%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	121 (5.7%)	46.7	212^th of 338 public high schools	37.3%		55.2	162^nd of 336 public high schools	51.8%	50		74.1	70.3		66.8	68.2	56.9	$15,551	$791	$14,760
Van Meter High School	Public	9-12	520 1st Ave	Van Meter	50261	Dallas County	Van Meter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 996-2221	305	22	14.1	8.2%	279 (91.5%)	3 (1.0%)	11 (3.6%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.6%)	91.9	5^th of 338 public high schools	98.5%		93.3	4^th of 336 public high schools	98.8%	1	98.7	97.0	93.6	80.5	86.4	93.6	83.3	$14,547	$514	$14,033
Johnston Senior High School	Public	10-12	6500 NW 100th Street	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 278-0449	1,771	85	20.8	24.7%	1,202 (67.9%)	187 (10.6%)	143 (8.1%)	138 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (5.1%)	75.9	53^rd of 338 public high schools	84.3%		78.5	43^rd of 336 public high schools	87.2%	10		87.1	79.6		80.3	77.4	72.5	$11,440	$378	$11,061
Urbandale High School	Public	9-12	7111 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6800	1,311	93	14.0	34.3%	856 (65.3%)	91 (6.9%)	206 (15.7%)	78 (5.9%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (5.6%)	34.3	263^rd of 338 public high schools	22.2%		43.5	219^th of 336 public high schools	34.8%	44	74.8	70.7	62.7	57.0	64.7	56.8	51.7	$11,428	$388	$11,040
Walnut Creek Campus	Public	9-12	1020 8th Street	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6480	165	14	11.7	52.1%	89 (53.9%)	26 (15.8%)	29 (17.6%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (10.9%)	1.2	328^th of 338 public high schools	3.0%		4	325^th of 336 public high schools	3.3%	3	50.0	47.2	39.3	10.0	22.2	17.9	28.6	$18,513	$197	$18,315
Hoover High School	Public	9-12	4800 Aurora Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7300	923	41	22.5	69.7%	174 (18.9%)	303 (32.8%)	231 (25.0%)	149 (16.1%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (6.2%)	4.8	321^st of 338 public high schools	5.0%		7.8	316^th of 336 public high schools	6.0%	5	42.2	55.6	48.3	28.8	43.1	38.9	38.1	$17,790	$689	$17,101

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest High School

What schools feed into Northwest High School?

Northwest High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Grant Ragan Elementary School
Elementary : Radiant Elementary School
Elementary : Shuler Elementary School
Elementary : Walnut Hills Elementary School
Elementary : Waukee Elementary School
Middle : Waukee Middle School

Is Northwest High School a good school?

Northwest High School ranks 51^st of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northwest High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,524 students attended Northwest High School.

What district is Northwest High School in?

Waukee Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Northwest High School?

Students at Northwest High School are 78% White, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 4% Asian.

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