Is Union Area High School a good school?

Union Area High School ranks 164 th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Union Area High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 203 students attended Union Area High School.

What is the racial makeup of Union Area High School?

Students at Union Area High School are 85% White, 9% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Union Area High School?

Union Area High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Union Memorial Elementary School

Union Area High School

Summary:

Union Area High School is a public high school located in New Castle, Pennsylvania, serving 194 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Union Area School District, which is ranked 173 out of 610 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Union Area High School consistently ranks in the top half of Pennsylvania high schools, with a ranking of 164 out of 686 schools in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's performance on Keystone Exams is particularly noteworthy, with 58.3% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra I, 62.9% in Biology, and 66.7% in Literature - significantly higher than the state averages. The school's female students have also excelled, ranking 53 out of 665 Pennsylvania high schools for this subgroup. Additionally, Union Area High School maintains a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.0% to 95.7% over the past few years, and a low dropout rate of 0.0% to 1.6%.

Despite serving a significant population of low socioeconomic status (SES) students, with 52.58% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, Union Area High School's low-SES students have performed well, ranking 103 out of 664 Pennsylvania high schools for this subgroup in 2023-2024. The school's consistent improvement over the past decade, rising from 390 out of 580 Pennsylvania high schools in 2013-2014 to 164 out of 686 in 2023-2024, is a testament to its focus on academic excellence and continuous enhancement of educational programs. When compared to nearby schools, such as Riverside High School, West Middlesex Area Junior/Senior High School, and Lincoln Junior/Senior High School, Union Area High School outperforms many of them in terms of student performance on Keystone Exams and overall school rankings and ratings.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2106 Camden Ave
New Castle, PA 16101-1173

(724) 658-4501

District: Union Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
164^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,162

Feeder schools for Union Area High School:

Elementary:

Union Memorial Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 203

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.2%

African American:

9.4%

Two or more races:

3.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.5%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Union Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Union Area High School ranks better than 76.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.16. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Union 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 (85.2%), African American (9.4%), two or more races (3.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union Area High School is 11.4. (See more...)

Compare Union Area High School employs 17.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Area High School is $23,162.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Union Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Area High School 164^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Union Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Union Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Area School District 173^rd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Union Area High School?

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Rank History for Union Area High School

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Rank History for all students at Union Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	50.09	358^th	583	38.6%
2004	74.90	148^th	590	74.9%
2005	67.70	197^th	593	66.8%
2006	59.22	290^th	604	52.0%
2007	59.16	301^st	615	51.1%
2008	62.92	257^th	621	58.6%
2009	45.39	433^rd	632	31.5%
2010	55.19	345^th	649	46.8%
2011	75.10	135^th	660	79.5%
2012	62.83	284^th	664	57.2%
2013	41.49	421^st	591	28.8%
2014	44.85	390^th	580	32.8%
2015	70.27	224^th	680	67.1%
2016	68.28	255^th	677	62.3%
2017	68.65	258^th	663	61.1%
2018	63.51	326^th	673	51.6%
2019	70.80	226^th	693	67.4%
2021	64.11	249^th	537	53.6%
2022	62.82	264^th	634	58.4%
2023	60.95	287^th	674	57.4%
2024	74.16	164^th	686	76.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	64.89	216^th	652	66.9%
2024	80.90	103^rd	664	84.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Union Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	87.24	53^rd	665	92.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Union Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	31.25	485^th	662	26.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Union Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.48	270^th	577	53.2%
2024	74.79	135^th	595	77.3%

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 Union 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	263	23	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	290
1989	242	29	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	273
1990	226	23	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	251
1991	213	18	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	231
1992	211	22	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	233
1993	214	22	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	236
1994	204	29	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	233
1995	255	34	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
1996	255	34	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
1997	254	28	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	282
1998	270	23	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	293
1999	260	28	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
2000	245	22	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
2001	219	20	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
2002	193	16	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	214
2003	193	16	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	214
2004	211	16	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	233
2005	222	23	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
2006	248	22	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	274
2007	237	24	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	264
2008	223	37	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	263
2009	215	33	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	2	255
2010	210	35	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	4	254
2011	205	36	2	2	0	0	8	0	253
2012	193	34	2	2	0	0	5	0	236
2013	197	38	1	1	1	0	7	0	245
2014	207	45	0	1	1	0	0	0	254
2015	177	35	0	0	0	0	0	0	212
2016	162	33	0	2	0	0	0	0	197
2017	163	36	1	2	0	0	0	0	202
2018	158	34	0	4	0	0	0	0	196
2019	169	27	0	4	0	0	3	0	203
2020	157	27	0	3	0	0	3	0	190
2021	176	22	1	1	0	0	3	0	203
2022	164	18	1	1	0	0	5	0	189
2023	167	18	1	1	1	0	6	0	194
2024	173	19	1	1	1	0	8	0	203

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 Union Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	290	24.0	12.0	n/a
1989	273	23.4	11.6	n/a
1990	251	21.9	11.4	0
1991	231	18.1	12.7	n/a
1992	233	18.7	12.4	n/a
1993	236	15.0	15.7	n/a
1994	233	17.0	13.7	n/a
1995	289	17.0	17.0	n/a
1996	289	17.0	17.0	n/a
1997	282	17.0	16.6	n/a
1998	293	17.0	17.2	n/a
1999	288	19.0	15.2	n/a
2000	269	20.0	13.5	61.3
2001	241	18.9	12.8	59.3
2002	214	20.0	10.7	77.6
2003	214	20.0	10.7	77.6
2004	233	20.0	11.7	64.4
2005	249	22.0	11.3	66.7
2006	274	23.3	11.8	79.6
2007	264	23.4	11.3	83.3
2008	263	18.5	14.2	68.1
2009	255	17.7	14.4	72.3
2010	254	17.0	14.9	34.8
2011	253	18.5	13.6	38.7
2012	236	16.7	14.0	41.9
2013	245	19.2	12.7	40.4
2014	254	21.2	11.9	28
2015	212	21.0	10.0	43.9
2016	197	25.0	7.8	46.7
2017	202	23.5	8.5	49
2018	196	24.5	7.9	50
2019	203	24.5	8.2	49.8
2020	190	21.5	8.8	49.5
2021	203	21.5	9.4	47.3
2022	189	20.5	9.1	48.1
2023	194	18.5	10.4	52.6
2024	203	17.7	11.4	99.5

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 Union Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	290	24.0	12.0	n/a
1989	273	23.4	11.6	n/a
1990	251	21.9	11.4	0
1991	231	18.1	12.7	n/a
1992	233	18.7	12.4	n/a
1993	236	15.0	15.7	n/a
1994	233	17.0	13.7	n/a
1995	289	17.0	17.0	n/a
1996	289	17.0	17.0	n/a
1997	282	17.0	16.6	n/a
1998	293	17.0	17.2	n/a
1999	288	19.0	15.2	n/a
2000	269	20.0	13.5	61.3
2001	241	18.9	12.8	59.3
2002	214	20.0	10.7	77.6
2003	214	20.0	10.7	77.6
2004	233	20.0	11.7	64.4
2005	249	22.0	11.3	66.7
2006	274	23.3	11.8	79.6
2007	264	23.4	11.3	83.3
2008	263	18.5	14.2	68.1
2009	255	17.7	14.4	72.3
2010	254	17.0	14.9	34.8
2011	253	18.5	13.6	38.7
2012	236	16.7	14.0	41.9
2013	245	19.2	12.7	40.4
2014	254	21.2	11.9	28
2015	212	21.0	10.0	43.9
2016	197	25.0	7.8	46.7
2017	202	23.5	8.5	49
2018	196	24.5	7.9	50
2019	203	24.5	8.2	49.8
2020	190	21.5	8.8	49.5
2021	203	21.5	9.4	47.3
2022	189	20.5	9.1	48.1
2023	194	18.5	10.4	52.6
2024	203	17.7	11.4	99.5

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 Union Area High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (NaN)	$00 (NaN)	$00
2020	$282 (1.7%)	$15,848 (98.3%)	$16,130
2021	$2,050 (9.8%)	$18,780 (90.2%)	$20,830
2022	$1,621 (7.0%)	$21,541 (93.0%)	$23,162

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union 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 226^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 287^th of 674 High schools	10%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Union Area High School)	66.6	39.4	27.2%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Union Area High School)	77.1	52.2	24.9%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Union Area High School)	79.1	65.2	13.9%
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	203	194	4.4%
African American	27	18	33.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	4	1	75%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	169	167	1.2%
Two or More Races	3	6	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.8%	52.6%	2.8%

Schools Near Union 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
Union Area High School	Public	9-12	2106 Camden Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Union Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-4501	203	18	11.4	99.5%	173 (85.2%)	19 (9.4%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.9%)	74.2	164^th of 686 public high schools	76.1%		61	287^th of 674 public high schools	57.4%	123	58.3	62.9	66.7									$23,162	$1,621	$21,541
New Castle Senior High School	Public	9-12	300 E Lincoln Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	New Castle Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 656-4700	732	47	15.5	100.0%	406 (55.5%)	167 (22.8%)	49 (6.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (14.6%)	27.5	517^th of 686 public high schools	24.6%		31.1	501^st of 674 public high schools	25.7%	16	33.1	31.7	44.6									$17,662	$2,771	$14,891
Lawrence County Career and Technical Center	Public	9-12	750 Phelps Way	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Lawrence County Career and Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-3583	394	32	12.5	99.7%	336 (85.3%)	21 (5.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	27 (6.9%)	19.5	560^th of 686 public high schools	18.4%		13.3	580^th of 674 public high schools	13.9%	20	22.5	31.3	39.7
Mohawk Senior High School	Public	9-12	385 Mohawk School Road	New Castle	16102	Lawrence County	Mohawk Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 667-7782	434	31	13.8	35.3%	418 (96.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	70.1	206^th of 686 public high schools	70.0%		73.9	163^rd of 674 public high schools	75.8%	43	60.0	51.7	68.8									$17,425	$1,344	$16,080
Shenango High School	Public	7-12	2550 Ellwood Rd	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Shenango Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-5537	434	37	11.6	99.3%	404 (93.1%)	4 (0.9%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.1%)	84	89^th of 686 public high schools	87.0%		83.1	91^st of 674 public high schools	86.5%	2	65.0	78.1	70.3	32.1	44.3	38.5	69.7	69.7	70.3	59.6	64.7	$28,923	$5,234	$23,689
Neshannock Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	3834 Mitchell Rd	New Castle	16105	Lawrence County	Neshannock Township School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-5513	523	34	15.2	29.4%	489 (93.5%)	4 (0.8%)	8 (1.5%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.3%)	92.3	38^th of 686 public high schools	94.5%		95.6	11^th of 674 public high schools	98.4%	27	76.0	70.2	90.5	59.4	25.3	42.0	57.9	57.9	68.2	62.1	65.1	$20,679	$579	$20,100
Laurel High School	Public	9-12	2497 Harlansburg Rd	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-9056	317	29	10.8	33.1%	305 (96.2%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	75.8	153^rd of 686 public high schools	77.7%		79.6	114^th of 674 public high schools	83.1%	39	50.0	68.1	72.0									$18,193	$460	$17,733
Wilmington Area High School	Public	9-12	350 Wood St	New Wilmington	16142	Lawrence County	Wilmington Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 656-8866	288	28	10.3	39.6%	271 (94.1%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.1%)	73	175^th of 686 public high schools	74.5%		65.3	254^th of 674 public high schools	62.3%	79	48.5	64.2	71.7									$16,173	$1,586	$14,588
Lincoln Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	501 Crescent Ave	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Ellwood City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 752-1591	679	56	12.1	50.8%	593 (87.3%)	11 (1.6%)	20 (2.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.7%)	25.4	534^th of 686 public high schools	22.2%		59	304^th of 674 public high schools	54.9%	230	24.4	28.9	51.7	19.3	24.7	21.9	58.1	58.1	52.8	59.1	55.6	$19,967	$832	$19,135
West Middlesex Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	3591 Sharon Rd	West Middlesex	16159	Mercer County	West Middlesex Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 634-3030	353	31	11.3	50.7%	327 (92.6%)	5 (1.4%)	12 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	6 (1.7%)	54.7	345^th of 686 public high schools	49.7%		37.3	469^th of 674 public high schools	30.4%	124	40.9	64.6	51.0	29.8	14.6	22.9	79.2	79.2	64.9	70.8	67.6	$14,937	$163	$14,774

Union Area High School

Union Area High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Union Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Union Area High School

Rank History for all students at Union Area High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Union Area High School

Rank History for Male students at Union Area High School

Rank History for White students at Union Area High School

Enrollment information for Union Area High School

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

Student/Teacher Ratio Union Area High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Union Area High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Union Area High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Union Area High School