Is Altoona Area High School a good school?

Altoona Area High School ranks 274 th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Altoona Area High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,246 students attended Altoona Area High School.

What is the racial makeup of Altoona Area High School?

Students at Altoona Area High School are 85% White, 10% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Altoona Area High School

Summary:

Altoona Area High School is a public high school in Altoona, Pennsylvania, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 2,228 students. The school is part of the Altoona Area School District, which is ranked 336 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Altoona Area High School has a mixed performance, with strengths in serving certain student subgroups, such as African American and Hispanic students, as well as students with disabilities. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 232 and 377 over the past few years, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Academically, the school outperforms the state average in Keystone Exams for Biology and Literature, but underperforms in Algebra I. Compared to nearby schools like Penn Cambria High School and Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, Altoona Area High School's performance is generally on par or slightly better, but there is room for improvement, especially in Algebra I.

The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from 43.66% to 48.34% over the past few years, may be a contributing factor to its academic performance. The school's per-student spending has fluctuated, and the student-teacher ratio has been relatively stable. By comparing Altoona Area High School to higher-performing nearby schools and addressing the needs of its diverse student population, the school can work to enhance its academic outcomes and better serve the community.

Detail:

Public 6-12

1404 6th Ave
Altoona, PA 16602-2427

(814) 940-6986

District: Altoona Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
274^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,989

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 2,246

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.4%

African American:

9.8%

Hispanic:

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.9%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Altoona Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Altoona Area High School ranks better than 60.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.75. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Altoona Area 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.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (85.4%), African American (9.8%), Hispanic (2.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Altoona Area High School is 16. (See more...)

Compare Altoona Area High School employs 139.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Altoona Area High School is $12,989.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Altoona Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Altoona Area High School 274^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Altoona Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Altoona Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Altoona Area School District 336^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Altoona Area High School

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Rank History for all students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	67.97	188^th	583	67.8%
2004	61.97	256^th	590	56.6%
2005	73.46	145^th	593	75.5%
2006	69.54	185^th	604	69.4%
2007	70.51	175^th	615	71.5%
2008	69.27	176^th	621	71.7%
2009	72.61	159^th	632	74.8%
2010	79.43	87^th	649	86.6%
2011	76.26	114^th	660	82.7%
2012	71.71	184^th	664	72.3%
2013	62.71	232^nd	591	60.7%
2014	59.00	277^th	580	52.2%
2015	60.77	336^th	680	50.6%
2016	61.27	344^th	677	49.2%
2017	55.64	380^th	663	42.7%
2018	57.58	377^th	673	44.0%
2019	65.79	291^st	693	58.0%
2021	51.85	334^th	537	37.8%
2022	61.03	282^nd	634	55.5%
2023	67.65	232^nd	674	65.6%
2024	61.75	274^th	686	60.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.26	240^th	652	63.2%
2024	60.87	251^st	664	62.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	57.56	317^th	665	52.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	66.03	121^st	502	75.9%
2024	59.76	154^th	513	70.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	63.97	243^rd	662	63.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	50.07	123^rd	260	52.7%
2024	65.47	81^st	284	71.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	63.74	84^th	252	66.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Altoona Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.47	225^th	577	61.0%
2024	51.40	295^th	595	50.4%

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

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania 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: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Altoona Area High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	2308	49	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	-29	2334
1989	2087	51	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	2148
1990	1994	47	11	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	2059
1991	2003	47	9	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	2065
1992	2069	45	13	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	2131
1993	2032	40	16	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	2095
1994	2193	52	21	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	2270
1995	2205	66	12	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	2294
1996	2205	66	12	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	2294
1997	2254	71	5	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	2343
1998	2228	66	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	2307
1999	2147	61	6	8	8	n/a	n/a	0	2230
2000	2029	52	9	5	8	n/a	n/a	0	2103
2001	1945	48	11	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	2013
2002	1885	64	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1962
2003	1885	64	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1962
2004	1819	65	10	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1898
2005	1849	78	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1936
2006	1831	82	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1925
2007	1828	83	7	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1921
2008	1755	88	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1853
2009	1707	84	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1800
2010	1684	90	9	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1789
2011	1642	83	8	8	0	0	0	0	1741
2012	1552	89	5	15	1	0	0	0	1662
2013	1516	109	5	15	1	0	0	0	1646
2014	1523	109	8	15	3	0	0	0	1658
2015	1577	138	8	14	2	0	0	0	1739
2016	1614	137	4	21	2	0	0	0	1778
2017	1599	139	7	24	0	1	0	0	1770
2018	1525	122	11	22	1	0	3	0	1684
2019	1503	124	16	27	1	0	7	0	1678
2020	1476	128	18	31	2	0	8	0	1663
2021	1924	198	19	51	3	0	13	0	2208
2022	1921	215	17	47	5	1	18	0	2224
2023	1894	231	15	57	5	1	25	0	2228
2024	1919	219	19	56	6	1	26	0	2246

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 Altoona Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2334	110.7	21.0	n/a
1989	2148	110.0	19.5	n/a
1990	2059	109.8	18.7	0
1991	2065	110.4	18.7	n/a
1992	2131	112.0	19.0	n/a
1993	2095	111.0	18.9	n/a
1994	2270	110.0	20.6	n/a
1995	2294	111.0	20.7	n/a
1996	2294	111.0	20.7	n/a
1997	2343	114.0	20.6	n/a
1998	2307	113.0	20.4	n/a
1999	2230	115.0	19.4	n/a
2000	2103	116.0	18.1	25.2
2001	2013	118.0	17.1	30.7
2002	1962	118.7	16.5	31.8
2003	1962	118.7	16.5	31.8
2004	1898	111.2	17.1	30.3
2005	1936	117.2	16.5	32.2
2006	1925	117.7	16.4	37
2007	1921	117.5	16.3	39.6
2008	1853	115.5	16.0	39.8
2009	1800	115.3	15.6	40.4
2010	1789	116.7	15.3	44
2011	1741	118.2	14.7	43.9
2012	1662	111.4	14.9	51
2013	1646	110.4	14.9	49
2014	1658	112.6	14.7	53.8
2015	1739	113.0	15.3	56.6
2016	1778	113.0	15.7	56.4
2017	1770	113.1	15.6	41.2
2018	1684	113.9	14.7	40.1
2019	1678	115.4	14.5	42
2020	1663	115.8	14.3	40.8
2021	2208	138.9	15.8	43.7
2022	2224	134.9	16.4	45.1
2023	2228	137.2	16.2	48.3
2024	2246	139.5	16.0	99.9

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 Altoona Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2334	110.7	21.0	n/a
1989	2148	110.0	19.5	n/a
1990	2059	109.8	18.7	0
1991	2065	110.4	18.7	n/a
1992	2131	112.0	19.0	n/a
1993	2095	111.0	18.9	n/a
1994	2270	110.0	20.6	n/a
1995	2294	111.0	20.7	n/a
1996	2294	111.0	20.7	n/a
1997	2343	114.0	20.6	n/a
1998	2307	113.0	20.4	n/a
1999	2230	115.0	19.4	n/a
2000	2103	116.0	18.1	25.2
2001	2013	118.0	17.1	30.7
2002	1962	118.7	16.5	31.8
2003	1962	118.7	16.5	31.8
2004	1898	111.2	17.1	30.3
2005	1936	117.2	16.5	32.2
2006	1925	117.7	16.4	37
2007	1921	117.5	16.3	39.6
2008	1853	115.5	16.0	39.8
2009	1800	115.3	15.6	40.4
2010	1789	116.7	15.3	44
2011	1741	118.2	14.7	43.9
2012	1662	111.4	14.9	51
2013	1646	110.4	14.9	49
2014	1658	112.6	14.7	53.8
2015	1739	113.0	15.3	56.6
2016	1778	113.0	15.7	56.4
2017	1770	113.1	15.6	41.2
2018	1684	113.9	14.7	40.1
2019	1678	115.4	14.5	42
2020	1663	115.8	14.3	40.8
2021	2208	138.9	15.8	43.7
2022	2224	134.9	16.4	45.1
2023	2228	137.2	16.2	48.3
2024	2246	139.5	16.0	99.9

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 Altoona Area High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$547 (3.4%)	$15,631 (96.6%)	$16,178
2020	$559 (3.4%)	$15,703 (96.6%)	$16,262
2021	$846 (7.5%)	$10,467 (92.5%)	$11,314
2022	$2,467 (19.0%)	$10,521 (81.0%)	$12,989

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Altoona Area 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 291^st of 693 High schools	Ranks 232^nd of 674 High schools	7.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Altoona Area High School)	71	42.6	28.4%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Altoona Area High School)	64.7	54.4	10.3%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Altoona Area High School)	76.8	70.3	6.5%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1678	2228	32.8%
African American	124	231	86.3%
American Indian	1	5	400%
Asian	16	15	6.3%
Hispanic	27	57	111.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	1503	1894	26%
Two or More Races	7	25	257.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	42%	48.3%	6.4%

Schools Near Altoona Area High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	PSSA Math (2024)			PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Altoona Area High School	Public	6-12	1404 6th Ave	Altoona	16602	Blair County	Altoona Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 940-6986	2,246	140	16.0	99.9%	1,919 (85.4%)	219 (9.8%)	56 (2.5%)	19 (0.8%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	26 (1.2%)	61.7	274^th of 686 public high schools	60.1%		67.6	232^nd of 674 public high schools	65.6%	42	50.5	56.7	58.8									$12,989	$2,467	$10,521
Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center	Public	9-12	1500 4th Avenue	Altoona	16602	Blair County	Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(814) 946-8450	47	31	1.5		44 (93.6%)	2 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)								(n/a)
Kimmel Alternative School	Public	7-12	200 East Crawford Avenue	Altoona	16602	Blair County	Altoona Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 946-8246	0	7	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School	Public	10-12	1510 North Montgomery Street	Hollidaysburg	16648	Blair County	Hollidaysburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 695-4416	803	57	14.0	38.5%	740 (92.2%)	7 (0.9%)	18 (2.2%)	21 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.1%)	71.7	192^nd of 686 public high schools	72.0%		66.8	241^st of 674 public high schools	64.2%	49	49.0	59.3	72.8									$16,518	$860	$15,658
Bellwood-Antis High School	Public	9-12	400 Martin Street	Bellwood	16617	Blair County	Bellwood-Antis School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 742-2274	374	34	11.1	40.1%	361 (96.5%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	50.9	380^th of 686 public high schools	44.6%		77	138^th of 674 public high schools	79.5%	242	50.0	47.3	51.6									$17,137	$679	$16,459
Penn Cambria High School	Public	9-12	401 Linden Ave	Cresson	16630	Cambria County	Penn Cambria School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 886-8188	552	42	12.9	42.4%	530 (96.0%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	84.4	86^th of 686 public high schools	87.5%		82.8	93^rd of 674 public high schools	86.2%	7	68.0	62.5	79.7									$15,755	$725	$15,030
Williamsburg Community Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	515 W Third St	Williamsburg	16693	Blair County	Williamsburg Community School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 832-2125	223	27	8.2	51.6%	215 (96.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	53.8	357^th of 686 public high schools	48.0%		22.1	546^th of 674 public high schools	19.0%	189	43.4	54.9	54.8	29.4	43.8	36.4	75.0	75.0	55.8	78.2	66.7	$15,827	$1,472	$14,355
Tyrone Area High School	Public	9-12	1001 Clay Ave	Tyrone	16686	Blair County	Tyrone Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 684-4240	511	36	14.2	50.3%	482 (94.3%)	10 (2.0%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	7 (1.4%)	76.6	147^th of 686 public high schools	78.6%		89.1	45^th of 674 public high schools	93.3%	102	45.6	77.8	71.6									$29	$02	$27
Central High School	Public	9-12	718 Central High Road	Martinsburg	16662	Blair County	Spring Cove School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 473-5111	530	36	14.8	47.2%	493 (93.0%)	5 (0.9%)	13 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.6%)	50.4	385^th of 686 public high schools	43.9%		61.1	284^th of 674 public high schools	57.9%	101	34.3	47.2	64.3									$14,874	$1,119	$13,755
Cambria Heights Senior High School	Public	9-12	426 Glendale Lake Rd	Patton	16668	Cambria County	Cambria Heights School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 674-3601	435	35	12.6	49.9%	424 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.4%)	80.4	111^th of 686 public high schools	83.8%		51.3	369^th of 674 public high schools	45.3%	258	57.0	60.9	81.0									$17,580	$261	$17,320

Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Altoona Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Altoona Area High School

Rank History for all students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for Female students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for Male students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for African American students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Altoona Area High School

Rank History for White students at Altoona Area High School

Enrollment information for Altoona Area High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Altoona Area High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Altoona Area High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Altoona Area High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Altoona Area High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Altoona Area High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Altoona Area High School

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