Is Southwest High School a good school?

Southwest High School ranks 73 rd of 168 Nebraska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southwest High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,049 students attended Southwest High School.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest High School?

Students at Southwest High School are 75% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into Southwest High School?

Southwest High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Adams Elementary School Elementary : Beattie Elementary School Elementary : Cavett Elementary School Elementary : Hill Elementary School Middle : Scott Middle School

Southwest High School

Summary:

Southwest High School is a public high school located in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,171 students. It is part of the Lincoln Public Schools district, which is ranked 130 out of 182 districts in Nebraska and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Southwest High School has seen fluctuating performance in its statewide ranking over the past decade, ranging from a high of 33rd in 2016-2017 to a low of 126th in 2013-2014. In the most recent school year (2023-2024), the school ranked 73rd out of 168 Nebraska high schools and received a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southwest High School consistently outperforms the Lincoln Public Schools district and the state of Nebraska in ACT proficiency rates for 11th-grade students across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's ACT proficiency rates were 56.4% in English Language Arts, 54.17% in Mathematics, and 60.67% in Science, compared to the district's 47.24%, 45.17%, and 48.93%, respectively, and the state's 45.48%, 42.11%, and 48.8%. Additionally, Southwest High School performs exceptionally well in certain student subgroups, particularly Asian and Hispanic students, who rank among the top in the state.

While Southwest High School generally outperforms Lincoln High School in academic metrics, it lags behind Lincoln Southeast High School in some areas. The school has also experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.1% to 25.6% in recent years, which is higher than the district and state averages. This is an area for the school to focus on improving.

Detail:

Public 9-12

7001 S 14th St
Lincoln, NE 68512-9200

(402) 436-1306

District: Lincoln Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
73^rd of 168 Nebraska High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,215

Feeder schools for Southwest High School:

Elementary:	Adams Elementary School
	Beattie Elementary School
	Cavett Elementary School
	Hill Elementary School
Middle:	Scott Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 2,049

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.3%

Hispanic:

10.2%

Two or more races:

6.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26.6%

See top rated Nebraska high schools

Compare Southwest High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwest High School ranks better than 56.5% of high schools in Nebraska. It also ranks 3^rd among 7 ranked high schools in the Lincoln Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.22. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Southwest 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (75.3%), Hispanic (10.2%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 26.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest High School is 19.1. 14 high schools in the Lincoln Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Southwest High School employs 106.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest High School is $12,215, which is the 7^th highest among 7 high schools in the Lincoln Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwest High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwest High School 73^rd of 168 Nebraska public high schools. (See Southwest High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Lincoln Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Lincoln Public Schools 130^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southwest High School

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Rank History for all students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	58.09	107^th	249	57.0%
2007	65.56	72^nd	247	70.9%
2008	58.89	109^th	252	56.7%
2009	60.01	107^th	251	57.4%
2010	51.27	144^th	249	42.2%
2011	44.04	160^th	252	36.5%
2012	36.69	183^rd	245	25.3%
2013	45.36	154^th	247	37.7%
2014	53.43	126^th	247	49.0%
2015	60.17	88^th	242	63.6%
2016	64.05	90^th	246	63.4%
2017	79.64	33^rd	219	84.9%
2018	61.92	82^nd	219	62.6%
2019	72.31	51^st	217	76.5%
2021	78.48	38^th	209	81.8%
2022	69.87	51^st	202	74.8%
2023	68.79	63^rd	215	70.7%
2024	58.22	73^rd	168	56.5%

See the entire list of Nebraska High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	53.26	5^th	15	66.7%
2019	45.20	8^th	15	46.7%
2021	53.63	6^th	15	60.0%
2022	43.07	7^th	16	56.3%
2023	54.40	6^th	15	60.0%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	95.35	3^rd	26	88.5%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	56.32	8^th	13	38.5%
2022	38.28	5^th	6	16.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	40.29	40^th	79	49.4%
2019	47.14	35^th	82	57.3%
2021	60.97	22^nd	83	73.5%
2022	40.84	42^nd	74	43.2%
2023	52.05	35^th	89	60.7%
2024	54.90	26^th	62	58.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	55.98	63^rd	144	56.3%
2019	65.99	48^th	142	66.2%
2021	63.98	47^th	138	65.9%
2022	66.30	36^th	132	72.7%
2023	61.20	52^nd	136	61.8%
2024	62.49	42^nd	93	54.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	62.97	45^th	138	67.4%
2019	73.69	37^th	140	73.6%
2021	82.22	18^th	130	86.2%
2022	62.34	46^th	135	65.9%
2023	69.63	46^th	135	65.9%
2024	63.88	41^st	93	55.9%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	53.21	6^th	12	50.0%
2019	67.78	6^th	16	62.5%
2021	58.11	6^th	14	57.1%
2022	63.94	5^th	12	58.3%
2023	53.39	7^th	13	46.2%
2024	81.87	1^st	11	90.9%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	60.75	7^th	12	41.7%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	62.89	11^th	41	73.2%
2019	82.14	8^th	43	81.4%
2021	75.60	8^th	38	78.9%
2022	72.47	10^th	41	75.6%
2023	96.54	3^rd	41	92.7%
2024	70.49	9^th	33	72.7%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Southwest High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	62.34	75^th	205	63.4%
2019	70.74	49^th	207	76.3%
2021	78.11	34^th	200	83.0%
2022	70.59	48^th	196	75.5%
2023	68.19	57^th	206	72.3%
2024	58.85	53^rd	125	57.6%

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

Data source: test scores: Nebraska 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.

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Southwest High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	1072	28	24	17	5	n/a	n/a	1146
2003	1072	28	24	17	5	n/a	n/a	1146
2004	1395	35	29	12	4	n/a	n/a	1475
2005	1634	46	36	19	4	n/a	n/a	1739
2006	1763	53	44	21	4	n/a	n/a	1885
2007	1773	59	32	37	9	n/a	n/a	1910
2008	1753	66	45	40	8	n/a	n/a	1912
2009	1676	70	60	57	10	n/a	n/a	1873
2010	1612	84	76	85	9	n/a	n/a	1866
2011	1585	67	68	107	8	2	75	1912
2012	1534	61	70	117	9	2	73	1866
2013	1491	74	67	126	9	2	75	1844
2014	1445	58	74	112	10	2	84	1785
2015	1485	50	62	123	8	0	79	1807
2016	1536	43	64	130	8	1	97	1879
2017	1522	42	64	132	5	1	94	1860
2018	1585	41	67	155	6	1	91	1946
2019	1581	51	83	172	7	1	105	2000
2020	1632	53	81	180	6	1	102	2055
2021	1633	66	86	206	6	1	114	2112
2022	1689	86	83	211	5	0	125	2199
2023	1648	97	82	207	7	0	130	2171
2024	1542	92	70	208	7	0	130	2049

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 Southwest High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1146	69.1	16.6	9.5
2003	1146	69.1	16.6	9.5
2004	1475	90.0	16.4	10.8
2005	1739	102.2	17.0	10.2
2006	1885	111.5	16.9	10.1
2007	1910	116.6	16.4	12.4
2008	1912	119.1	16.1	15.8
2009	1873	122.2	15.3	16.6
2010	1866	115.3	16.1	19.5
2011	1912	118.8	16.0	19.4
2012	1866	113.7	16.4	18
2013	1844	107.2	17.2	19
2014	1785	112.0	15.9	18.1
2015	1807	113.0	15.9	17.3
2016	1879	113.0	16.6	17.5
2017	1860	111.1	16.7	19.4
2018	1946	112.0	17.3	18.4
2019	2000	111.9	17.8	20.3
2020	2055	115.7	17.7	21.8
2021	2112	116.3	18.1	19.6
2022	2199	117.1	18.7	22.7
2023	2171	109.8	19.7	26.4
2024	2049	106.8	19.1	26.6

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 Southwest High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1146	69.1	16.6	9.5
2003	1146	69.1	16.6	9.5
2004	1475	90.0	16.4	10.8
2005	1739	102.2	17.0	10.2
2006	1885	111.5	16.9	10.1
2007	1910	116.6	16.4	12.4
2008	1912	119.1	16.1	15.8
2009	1873	122.2	15.3	16.6
2010	1866	115.3	16.1	19.5
2011	1912	118.8	16.0	19.4
2012	1866	113.7	16.4	18
2013	1844	107.2	17.2	19
2014	1785	112.0	15.9	18.1
2015	1807	113.0	15.9	17.3
2016	1879	113.0	16.6	17.5
2017	1860	111.1	16.7	19.4
2018	1946	112.0	17.3	18.4
2019	2000	111.9	17.8	20.3
2020	2055	115.7	17.7	21.8
2021	2112	116.3	18.1	19.6
2022	2199	117.1	18.7	22.7
2023	2171	109.8	19.7	26.4
2024	2049	106.8	19.1	26.6

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 Southwest High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$175 (1.6%)	$9,813 (87.2%)	$11,257
2020	$196 (1.7%)	$9,810 (87.2%)	$11,255
2021	$281 (2.4%)	$9,902 (86.0%)	$11,508
2022	$468 (4.0%)	$9,808 (82.9%)	$11,833
2023	$451 (3.7%)	$10,150 (83.1%)	$12,215

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest 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 51^st of 217 High schools	Ranks 63^rd of 215 High schools	5.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Southwest High School)	47.2	42.7	4.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Lincoln Public Schools)	39.3	32.6	6.7%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	37.4	33.4	4.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Southwest High School)	43.5	38.9	4.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Lincoln Public Schools)	33.5	28.4	5.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	30.9	26.2	4.6%
11th Grade Science (Southwest High School)	38.9	36	2.9%
11th Grade Science (Lincoln Public Schools)	29.3	25.6	3.7%
11th Grade Science (Nebraska)	26.4	25.3	1.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2000	2171	8.6%
African American	51	97	90.2%
American Indian	7	7
Asian	83	82	1.2%
Hispanic	172	207	20.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	1581	1648	4.2%
Two or More Races	105	130	23.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.3%	26.4%	6.1%

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwest High School	Public	9-12	7001 S 14th St	Lincoln	68512	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1306	2,049	107	19.1	26.6%	1,542 (75.3%)	92 (4.5%)	208 (10.2%)	70 (3.4%)	7 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	130 (6.3%)	58.2	73^rd of 168 public high schools	56.5%		68.8	63^rd of 215 public high schools	70.7%	10	$12,215	$451	$10,150
Pathfinder Educational Prg-Lancaster County	Public	7-12	1200 Radcliff St	Lincoln	68512	Lancaster County	Pathfinder Educational Prg-Lancaster County	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 441-6817	0	6	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Special Educational Yankee Hill Program	Public	9-12	865 W Burnham	Lincoln	68522	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1927	0	11	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lincoln Southeast High School	Public	9-12	2930 S 37th St	Lincoln	68506	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1304	1,880	113	16.6	38.4%	1,291 (68.7%)	103 (5.5%)	230 (12.2%)	31 (1.6%)	13 (0.7%)	6 (0.3%)	206 (11.0%)	61.2	70^th of 168 public high schools	58.3%		59	89^th of 215 public high schools	58.6%	19	$13,869	$617	$11,568
Child Guidance School	Public	7-12	904 Sumner St	Lincoln	68502	Lancaster County	Child Guidance School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 434-2670	0	2	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
High School Student Support Program	Public	9-12	1801 South 40th Street	Lincoln	68506	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1694	0	4	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Science Focus Program	Public	9-12	1222 S 27th St	Lincoln	68502	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1780	0	5	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	2229 J St	Lincoln	68510	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1301	2,118	150	14.1	66.0%	820 (38.7%)	280 (13.2%)	603 (28.5%)	177 (8.4%)	21 (1.0%)	1 (0.0%)	216 (10.2%)	15.6	146^th of 168 public high schools	13.1%		26.3	162^nd of 215 public high schools	24.7%	16	$16,304	$1,890	$12,555
Arts & Humanities Focus Prgm	Public	9-12	643 S 25th Ste 9	Lincoln	68510	Lancaster County	Lincoln Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 436-1785	0	5	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
University Of Nebraska High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	206 S 13th St Ste 800	Lincoln	68508	Lancaster County	University Of Nebraska High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(402) 472-4338	204	19	11.0		200 (98.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Southwest High School

Southwest High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lincoln Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Southwest High School

Rank History for all students at Southwest High School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Southwest High School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Southwest High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwest High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Southwest High School

Rank History for Male students at Southwest High School

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest High School

Rank History for African American students at Southwest High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest High School

Rank History for White students at Southwest High School

Enrollment information for Southwest High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southwest High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Southwest High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southwest High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Southwest High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest High School

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