Is Waterloo High School a good school?

Waterloo High School ranks 76 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waterloo High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 879 students attended Waterloo High School.

What is the racial makeup of Waterloo High School?

Students at Waterloo High School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Waterloo High School?

Waterloo High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Gardner Elementary School Elementary : Rogers Elementary School Elementary : W J Zahnow Elementary School Middle : Waterloo Junior High School

Waterloo High School

Summary:

Waterloo High School is a public high school serving 895 students in grades 9-12 in Waterloo, Illinois, which is part of the Waterloo CUSD 5 district, ranked 90 out of 813 districts in the state.

Waterloo High School consistently performs well academically, ranking in the top 15% of Illinois high schools. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 76th out of 697 Illinois high schools, with 39.5% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics and 43.3% proficient or better in SAT English Language Arts, both significantly higher than the state averages. The school also maintains a high 94.8% four-year graduation rate, well above the state average. Waterloo High School performs particularly well for female students, ranking 47th out of 664 Illinois high schools for this subgroup in 2023-2024, and also performs relatively well for white students and special education students.

While Waterloo High School outperforms many nearby schools, such as New Athens High School, Belleville High School-West, and Dupo High School, in terms of academic performance and graduation rates, it lags behind the top-performing schools in the region, such as Freeburg Community High School and Columbia High School. Additionally, the school's performance for low socioeconomic status and disabled students suggests the need to address achievement gaps for these student populations.

Detail:

Public 9-12

505 E Bulldog
Waterloo, IL 62298-0130

(618) 939-3455

District: Waterloo CUSD 5

SchoolDigger Rank:
76^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,109

Feeder schools for Waterloo High School:

Elementary:	Gardner Elementary School
	Rogers Elementary School
	W J Zahnow Elementary School
Middle:	Waterloo Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.3

Number of students: 879

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.7%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Waterloo High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waterloo High School ranks better than 89.1% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.29. (See more...)

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

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (93.7%), two or more races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterloo High School is 17.3. (See more...)

Compare Waterloo High School employs 50.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterloo High School is $11,109.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waterloo High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterloo High School 76^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Waterloo High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Waterloo CUSD 5:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterloo CUSD 5 90^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Waterloo High School

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Rank History for all students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	74.77	133^rd	586	77.3%
2004	75.67	117^th	592	80.2%
2005	75.45	123^rd	590	79.2%
2006	74.04	139^th	596	76.7%
2007	74.06	152^nd	612	75.2%
2008	72.64	157^th	624	74.8%
2009	74.34	162^nd	632	74.4%
2010	79.46	113^th	643	82.4%
2011	78.82	122^nd	655	81.4%
2012	78.17	128^th	665	80.8%
2013	78.13	133^rd	670	80.1%
2014	78.47	136^th	670	79.7%
2015	98.72	8^th	614	98.7%
2016	71.14	109^th	643	83.0%
2017	82.75	90^th	642	86.0%
2018	86.94	67^th	647	89.6%
2019	88.48	68^th	701	90.3%
2021	82.08	106^th	688	84.6%
2022	86.63	74^th	699	89.4%
2023	83.89	88^th	699	87.4%
2024	88.29	76^th	697	89.1%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	75.79	46^th	374	87.7%
2019	80.44	43^rd	473	90.9%
2021	70.44	66^th	453	85.4%
2022	53.48	129^th	493	73.8%
2023	42.70	204^th	476	57.1%
2024	62.84	120^th	482	75.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	71.82	100^th	585	82.9%
2019	91.08	30^th	639	95.3%
2021	73.56	101^st	611	83.5%
2022	48.37	296^th	626	52.7%
2023	57.17	222^nd	644	65.5%
2024	39.34	365^th	639	42.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	88.52	52^nd	620	91.6%
2019	90.32	51^st	665	92.3%
2021	82.47	103^rd	639	83.9%
2022	89.75	51^st	658	92.2%
2023	89.17	59^th	656	91.0%
2024	93.49	47^th	664	92.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	65.88	85^th	428	80.1%
2024	27.00	261^st	429	39.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	82.02	90^th	619	85.5%
2019	84.86	83^rd	675	87.7%
2021	77.32	110^th	653	83.2%
2022	78.38	112^th	664	83.1%
2023	75.21	129^th	668	80.7%
2024	78.59	114^th	668	82.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Waterloo High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	76.76	109^th	548	80.1%
2019	78.54	98^th	552	82.2%
2021	70.10	132^nd	553	76.1%
2022	74.30	113^th	560	79.8%
2023	72.07	129^th	557	76.8%
2024	78.39	106^th	554	80.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board 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.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a student on FaceBook
Thursday, December 6, 2012

The teachers go out of there way to help, some don't. Always there for extra help for tutoring or after school things. They all have a smile on there face, a warm heart and the heart to help you. I loved the school when I went there, now my daughter's in first grade there. She loved it and likes to go to school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Waterloo High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	526	n/a	3	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	531
1990	531	n/a	3	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	535
1991	517	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	520
1992	566	0	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	572
1993	608	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	611
1994	664	1	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	668
1995	764	2	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	769
1996	764	2	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	769
1997	767	3	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	775
1998	799	2	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	807
1999	761	1	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	767
2000	775	1	6	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	786
2001	796	1	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	804
2002	862	1	8	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	876
2003	862	1	8	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	876
2004	870	0	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	877
2005	859	0	4	6	1	n/a	n/a	1	871
2006	904	0	4	8	1	n/a	n/a	2	919
2007	896	2	5	6	3	n/a	n/a	2	914
2008	889	3	7	6	3	n/a	n/a	2	910
2009	899	6	7	5	2	n/a	n/a	1	920
2010	871	5	8	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	895
2011	868	1	8	12	1	0	1	0	891
2012	838	2	12	14	0	0	0	0	866
2013	829	3	15	16	1	0	0	0	864
2014	839	2	10	10	1	1	7	0	870
2015	805	2	11	7	1	0	12	0	838
2016	834	1	7	10	2	1	20	0	875
2017	843	0	3	10	1	0	20	0	877
2018	771	2	1	12	1	1	18	0	806
2019	768	2	1	10	1	3	19	0	804
2020	810	3	2	14	3	2	18	0	852
2021	807	2	3	15	2	1	25	0	855
2022	819	2	3	22	4	2	24	0	876
2023	834	4	2	26	5	0	24	0	895
2024	824	3	1	23	4	0	24	0	879

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 Waterloo High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	531	33.0	16.0	n/a
1990	535	33.6	15.9	n/a
1991	520	34.6	15.0	n/a
1992	572	36.0	15.8	n/a
1993	611	36.7	16.6	n/a
1994	668	38.0	17.6	n/a
1995	769	45.1	17.1	n/a
1996	769	45.1	17.1	n/a
1997	775	46.1	16.8	n/a
1998	807	47.7	16.9	n/a
1999	767	50.3	15.2	n/a
2000	786	49.0	16.0	n/a
2001	804	48.8	16.5	n/a
2002	876	54.0	16.2	5.6
2003	876	54.0	16.2	5.6
2004	877	52.3	16.8	6.2
2005	871	54.3	16.0	8.4
2006	919	54.4	16.9	11.1
2007	914	54.0	16.9	12.8
2008	910	47.0	19.4	11.7
2009	920	55.2	16.7	11.2
2010	895	54.4	16.4	14
2011	891	52.8	16.8	14.6
2012	866	54.0	16.0	15
2013	864	59.8	14.4	9.4
2014	870	50.0	17.3	20.9
2015	838	51.0	16.4	23
2016	875	51.0	17.1	21.5
2017	877	51.9	16.8	20.8
2018	806	50.7	15.8	17.7
2019	804	51.2	15.6	16.9
2020	852	52.5	16.2	16.3
2021	855	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	876	52.7	16.6	13
2023	895	51.0	17.5	20.1
2024	879	50.7	17.3	20

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 Waterloo High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	531	33.0	16.0	n/a
1990	535	33.6	15.9	n/a
1991	520	34.6	15.0	n/a
1992	572	36.0	15.8	n/a
1993	611	36.7	16.6	n/a
1994	668	38.0	17.6	n/a
1995	769	45.1	17.1	n/a
1996	769	45.1	17.1	n/a
1997	775	46.1	16.8	n/a
1998	807	47.7	16.9	n/a
1999	767	50.3	15.2	n/a
2000	786	49.0	16.0	n/a
2001	804	48.8	16.5	n/a
2002	876	54.0	16.2	5.6
2003	876	54.0	16.2	5.6
2004	877	52.3	16.8	6.2
2005	871	54.3	16.0	8.4
2006	919	54.4	16.9	11.1
2007	914	54.0	16.9	12.8
2008	910	47.0	19.4	11.7
2009	920	55.2	16.7	11.2
2010	895	54.4	16.4	14
2011	891	52.8	16.8	14.6
2012	866	54.0	16.0	15
2013	864	59.8	14.4	9.4
2014	870	50.0	17.3	20.9
2015	838	51.0	16.4	23
2016	875	51.0	17.1	21.5
2017	877	51.9	16.8	20.8
2018	806	50.7	15.8	17.7
2019	804	51.2	15.6	16.9
2020	852	52.5	16.2	16.3
2021	855	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	876	52.7	16.6	13
2023	895	51.0	17.5	20.1
2024	879	50.7	17.3	20

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.

Immunization Rates