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Public high school · Harlan Comm School District · Harlan, Iowa

Harlan High School

Harlan High School rates 6.4, right at the middle of Harlan Comm School District's high schools, whose rated median is 6.4.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.4this school

6.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Harlan Comm School District median is 6.4.

#657 of 1,284 schools in Iowa · Harlan Comm School District: 1 high schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Harlan Comm School District high school serving grades 9th – 12th.

Students at Harlan High School score 79% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 80%).

It ranks 657 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 2 of 4 in Harlan Comm School District.

Math76%9 points above the Iowa average of 67%Grades 9–11 · 340 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Reading82%8 points above the Iowa average of 74%Grades 9–11 · 340 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Proficiency is down 8 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 79% recently.2025 ISASP; 35 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.8
25% of the rating
Academics
6.9
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.9
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 86% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 86% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 51537; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Harlan High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$62,353
Median home value
$161,800
Median rent
$854/mo
College educated
23.9%
Homeownership
73.3%
Poverty rate
8.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 51537; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
21
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
32
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
257/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
1 AP course
0.2% participation · state average 1.7 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
9 sports
9 boys' · 0 girls' · 9 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
27%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Harlan High School serve?

Harlan High School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Harlan High School?

Harlan High School has an enrollment of approximately 477 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Harlan High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Harlan High School is 13.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Harlan High School rank in IA?

Harlan High School ranks #657 of 1,284 schools in IA.

What is Harlan High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Harlan High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Harlan High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Harlan High School has 86% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 86% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Harlan High School a charter school?

No, Harlan High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Harlan High School a Title I school?

No, Harlan High School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Harlan High School?

27.0% of students at Harlan High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
477
Student-teacher ratio
13.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
36
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Town
County
Shelby County
4-year graduation
95%+
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#2 of 4
Schools in district
4
District spending per student
$12,544
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.5%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 51537)
6,480
Area average commute
14.6 min
Area median age
44.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Iowa Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.