Is Amherst Central High School a good school?

Yes. Amherst Central High School ranks in the top 5.2% of New York high schools.

How many students attend Amherst Central High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 886 students attended Amherst Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Amherst Central High School?

Students at Amherst Central High School are 63% White, 14% African American, 13% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Amherst Central High School?

Amherst Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Smallwood Drive School Elementary : Windermere Blvd School Middle : Amherst Middle School

Amherst Central High School

Summary:

Amherst Central High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 870 students in Amherst, New York. The school is part of the Amherst Central School District, which is ranked 160 out of 865 school districts in New York and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Amherst Central High School has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in New York, with a statewide ranking that has ranged from 7th to 154th over the past decade. The school has maintained a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, indicating excellent academic performance and student outcomes. Students at Amherst Central High School consistently outperform the state and district averages on Regents/Common Core exams across a wide range of subjects, with proficiency rates often 20-30 percentage points higher. The school also has a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 84.3% to 95.8% over the past few years, which is higher than the state and district averages.

While Amherst Central High School demonstrates strong academic performance, nearby schools like Williamsville South High School and Cleveland Hill High School also show high proficiency rates and graduation rates. In contrast, schools like Academy School, Burgard High School, and Middle Early College High School have significantly lower academic performance. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Amherst Central High School (27.42% to 38.05%) is also lower than many of the nearby schools, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

4301 Main St
Amherst, NY 14226-3504

(716) 362-8100

District: Amherst Central School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
64^th of 1,242 New York High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,343

Feeder schools for Amherst Central High School:

Elementary:	Smallwood Drive School
	Windermere Blvd School
Middle:	Amherst Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.9

Number of students: 886

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.8%

African American:

13.8%

Asian:

12.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 30.1%

See top rated New York high schools

Compare Amherst Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Amherst Central High School ranks better than 94.8% of high schools in New York. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.38. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Amherst Central 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 Student population at Amherst Central High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (62.8%), African American (13.8%), Asian (12.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 30.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Amherst Central High School is 10.9. (See more...)

Compare Amherst Central High School employs 80.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Amherst Central High School is $16,343.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Amherst Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Amherst Central High School 64^th of 1242 New York public high schools. (See Amherst Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Amherst Central School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Amherst Central School District 160^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Amherst Central High School.

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Rank History for Amherst Central High School

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Rank History for all students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2005	66.90	247^th	935	73.6%
2006	65.59	297^th	986	69.9%
2007	74.81	89^th	1002	91.1%
2008	72.69	149^th	1027	85.5%
2009	71.41	185^th	1086	83.0%
2010	68.81	259^th	1117	76.8%
2011	71.69	214^th	1165	81.6%
2012	78.18	110^th	1198	90.8%
2013	80.18	82^nd	1217	93.3%
2014	78.15	80^th	1237	93.5%
2015	78.12	89^th	1255	92.9%
2016	77.14	108^th	1255	91.4%
2017	79.67	111^th	1221	90.9%
2018	78.80	113^th	1210	90.7%
2019	80.72	80^th	1207	93.4%
2021	85.64	7^th	519	98.7%
2022	79.28	125^th	1190	89.5%
2023	81.40	91^st	1228	92.6%
2024	83.38	64^th	1242	94.8%

See the entire list of New York High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	76.27	26^th	165	84.2%
2023	70.03	66^th	272	75.7%
2024	52.90	142^nd	306	53.6%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	98.60	1^st	546	99.8%
2019	98.01	6^th	565	98.9%
2022	88.01	17^th	481	96.5%
2023	96.02	9^th	583	98.5%
2024	81.50	48^th	637	92.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	90.07	45^th	1095	95.9%
2019	91.80	39^th	1132	96.6%
2022	73.72	183^rd	1038	82.4%
2023	88.50	59^th	1130	94.8%
2024	83.17	112^th	1144	90.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	76.08	110^th	1154	90.5%
2019	79.44	79^th	1179	93.3%
2022	71.46	170^th	1101	84.6%
2023	79.82	77^th	1155	93.3%
2024	80.67	66^th	1170	94.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	79.03	103^rd	1176	91.2%
2019	80.89	74^th	1193	93.8%
2022	77.22	160^th	1155	86.1%
2023	80.58	110^th	1197	90.8%
2024	82.92	64^th	1219	94.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	77.47	125^th	1176	89.4%
2019	78.76	108^th	1190	90.9%
2022	79.85	101^st	1154	91.2%
2023	81.62	83^rd	1191	93.0%
2024	82.39	77^th	1211	93.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	69.35	140^th	426	67.1%
2019	68.86	143^rd	447	68.0%
2022	59.42	174^th	386	54.9%
2023	62.73	167^th	424	60.6%
2024	71.43	106^th	426	75.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	85.99	39^th	679	94.3%
2019	86.10	37^th	686	94.6%
2022	75.85	97^th	593	83.6%
2023	88.01	34^th	671	94.9%
2024	86.54	45^th	690	93.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	85.09	47^th	791	94.1%
2019	82.99	66^th	815	91.9%
2022	71.78	163^rd	760	78.6%
2023	91.60	18^th	851	97.9%
2024	86.02	44^th	865	94.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Amherst Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	72.52	109^th	765	85.8%
2019	74.99	83^rd	793	89.5%
2022	76.07	70^th	738	90.5%
2023	75.57	82^nd	776	89.4%
2024	77.59	53^rd	781	93.2%

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

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, 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: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, November 2, 2016

The school does nothing to protect its students from bullying and harassment. They allow a very unhealthy environment and do nothing to protect the students in their care. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Amherst Central High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	828	20	20	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	878
1990	770	26	13	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	816
1991	776	27	23	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	833
1992	725	45	25	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	811
1993	720	35	26	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	787
1994	746	58	21	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	835
1995	820	38	22	4	12	n/a	n/a	0	896
1996	820	38	22	4	12	n/a	n/a	0	896
1997	812	59	37	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	918
1998	851	57	35	7	8	n/a	n/a	0	958
1999	864	55	34	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	967
2000	880	60	29	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	986
2001	850	57	30	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	956
2002	855	104	31	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	1004
2003	855	104	31	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	1004
2004	845	124	22	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	1004
2005	827	124	42	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	1010
2006	780	126	50	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	977
2007	781	144	39	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	987
2008	748	145	36	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	954
2009	722	143	25	18	0	n/a	n/a	1	909
2010	707	142	28	11	2	n/a	n/a	5	895
2011	677	145	24	12	1	0	5	0	864
2012	651	136	19	16	1	0	5	0	828
2013	594	136	23	24	2	0	10	0	789
2014	554	136	29	44	2	0	14	0	779
2015	558	126	41	43	2	0	14	0	784
2016	582	138	49	40	2	0	17	0	828
2017	576	120	58	41	2	0	23	0	820
2018	584	121	59	44	1	0	23	0	832
2019	585	132	57	57	1	0	29	0	861
2020	599	124	63	57	1	0	30	0	874
2021	594	121	76	50	3	0	38	0	882
2022	573	123	83	54	4	0	38	0	875
2023	555	134	85	56	5	0	35	0	870
2024	556	122	113	49	5	0	40	1	886

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 Amherst Central High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	878	63.9	13.7	n/a
1990	816	61.3	13.3	n/a
1991	833	61.0	13.6	n/a
1992	811	57.0	14.2	n/a
1993	787	56.9	13.8	n/a
1994	835	59.0	14.2	7.2
1995	896	57.5	15.6	7.8
1996	896	57.5	15.6	7.8
1997	918	68.3	13.4	7
1998	958	65.1	14.7	7.2
1999	967	68.2	14.2	6
2000	986	71.1	13.9	10.3
2001	956	75.5	12.7	7.7
2002	1004	80.7	12.4	9.8
2003	1004	80.7	12.4	9.8
2004	1004	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	1010	81.0	12.5	14.2
2006	977	81.0	12.1	13.1
2007	987	81.8	12.1	13.5
2008	954	82.6	11.5	31.2
2009	909	81.3	11.2	15.9
2010	895	82.3	10.8	18.8
2011	864	78.2	11.0	22.3
2012	828	79.0	10.4	25
2013	789	78.6	10.0	26.9
2014	779	79.8	9.7	n/a
2015	784	70.0	11.2	24.5
2016	828	67.0	12.3	27.3
2017	820	74.0	11.0	23
2018	832	72.5	11.4	26.2
2019	861	75.5	11.3	24.2
2020	874	74.3	11.7	29.3
2021	882	74.3	11.8	29.3
2022	875	78.2	11.1	33
2023	870	81.7	10.6	38
2024	886	80.8	10.9	30.1

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 Amherst Central High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	878	63.9	13.7	n/a
1990	816	61.3	13.3	n/a
1991	833	61.0	13.6	n/a
1992	811	57.0	14.2	n/a
1993	787	56.9	13.8	n/a
1994	835	59.0	14.2	7.2
1995	896	57.5	15.6	7.8
1996	896	57.5	15.6	7.8
1997	918	68.3	13.4	7
1998	958	65.1	14.7	7.2
1999	967	68.2	14.2	6
2000	986	71.1	13.9	10.3
2001	956	75.5	12.7	7.7
2002	1004	80.7	12.4	9.8
2003	1004	80.7	12.4	9.8
2004	1004	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	1010	81.0	12.5	14.2
2006	977	81.0	12.1	13.1
2007	987	81.8	12.1	13.5
2008	954	82.6	11.5	31.2
2009	909	81.3	11.2	15.9
2010	895	82.3	10.8	18.8
2011	864	78.2	11.0	22.3
2012	828	79.0	10.4	25
2013	789	78.6	10.0	26.9
2014	779	79.8	9.7	n/a
2015	784	70.0	11.2	24.5
2016	828	67.0	12.3	27.3
2017	820	74.0	11.0	23
2018	832	72.5	11.4	26.2
2019	861	75.5	11.3	24.2
2020	874	74.3	11.7	29.3
2021	882	74.3	11.8	29.3
2022	875	78.2	11.1	33
2023	870	81.7	10.6	38
2024	886	80.8	10.9	30.1

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.

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