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

West High School

West High School rates 4.8, above the middle of Waterloo Comm School District's high schools, whose rated median is 4.3.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.8this school

4.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Waterloo Comm School District median is 4.3.

#1,054 of 1,284 schools in Iowa · Waterloo Comm School District: 3 high schools rated, median 4.3

The brief

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

Students at West High School score 63% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 61%).

It ranks 1,054 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 16 of 18 in Waterloo Comm School District.

Math58%9 points below the Iowa average of 67%Grades 9–11 · 1,156 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Reading67%7 points below the Iowa average of 74%Grades 9–11 · 1,154 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Proficiency is down 12 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 63% 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
4.1
25% of the rating
Academics
5.1
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.5
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.5
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 65% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 71% (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 50702; 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.
West 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
$59,784
Median home value
$145,800
Median rent
$926/mo
College educated
21.2%
Homeownership
59.5%
Poverty rate
12.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50702; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
60
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
26
Some Transit
Bike Score
43
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,031/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Waterloo. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Waterloo), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
2 AP courses · IB Programme
10.2% participation · state average 1.7 AP courses · 39 IB enrolled · 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
62.5%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. West High Schoolthis school
    4.8
  2. 4.3Compare →
  3. 3.8Compare →
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than West High School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does West High School serve?

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

How many students attend West High School?

West High School has an enrollment of approximately 1,713 students.

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

The student-teacher ratio at West High School is 17.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does West High School rank in IA?

West High School ranks #1,054 of 1,284 schools in IA.

What is West High School's MySchoolScout rating?

West High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 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 West High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, West High School has 65% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is West High School a charter school?

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

Is West High School a Title I school?

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

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

62.5% of students at West 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
1,713
Student-teacher ratio
17.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
99
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Black Hawk County
4-year graduation
85.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#16 of 18
Schools in district
18
District spending per student
$14,652
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
20.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 50702)
21,197
Area average commute
17.7 min
Area median age
36

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.