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Public school · Harrisburg City Sd · Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Cougar Academy

Cougar Academy rates 4.6 on our ten-point scale and ranks 2,373 of 2,848 schools in Pennsylvania.

Schools, 1 to 10This campus on our ten-point scale.
4.6this school

4.6 on a one-to-ten scale.

#2,373 of 2,848 schools in Pennsylvania

The brief

A Harrisburg City Sd school where students score 22 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 2,373 of 2,848 schools in Pennsylvania and 5 of 12 in Harrisburg City Sd.

Cougar Academy is listed in Harrisburg City Sd, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math3%40 points below the Pennsylvania average of 43%2025 PSSA
Reading16%35 points below the Pennsylvania average of 51%2025 PSSA
Proficiency has held near 10% across the 10-year record (2016–2025).2025 PSSA; 62 test records from PA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.8
25% of the rating
Academics
2.0
25% of the rating
College Readiness
6.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.2
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 4% (multi-year average, 2016-2025) · reading/ELA 14% (multi-year average, 2016-2025).

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 PSSA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 PSSA. 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 PSSA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 PSSA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · 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 17103; 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, 2016-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

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

The area

Median income
$41,383
Median home value
$113,100
Median rent
$933/mo
College educated
18.4%
Homeownership
40.7%
Poverty rate
31.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 17103; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
78
Very Walkable
Transit Score
39
Some Transit
Bike Score
57
Bikeable
City reported crime
2,445/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Harrisburg. 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 (Harrisburg), 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

Athletics
7 sports
3 boys' · 4 girls' · 16 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
2 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
100%
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. Cougar Academythis school
    4.6
  2. Reach Cyber Cs2.8 mi · charter
    4.0Compare →
  3. 3.4Compare →
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Cougar Academy.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.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Cougar Academy serve?

Cougar Academy serves students in grades Kindergarten through 12th.

How many students attend Cougar Academy?

Cougar Academy has an enrollment of approximately 322 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cougar Academy?

The student-teacher ratio at Cougar Academy is 15.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cougar Academy rank in PA?

Cougar Academy ranks #2,373 of 2,848 schools in PA.

What is Cougar Academy's MySchoolScout rating?

Cougar Academy has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 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 Cougar Academy?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cougar Academy has 4% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2016-2025) and 14% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2016-2025).

Is Cougar Academy a charter school?

No, Cougar Academy is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cougar Academy a Title I school?

No, Cougar Academy is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Cougar Academy?

100.0% of students at Cougar Academy 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
Kindergarten – 12th
Enrollment
322
Student-teacher ratio
15.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
21
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Dauphin County
4-year graduation
80%+
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#5 of 12
Schools in district
12
District spending per student
$19,239
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
36.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 17103)
12,774
Area average commute
20.8 min
Area median age
27.9

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

Related reading

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