Downingtown High School West
- Public
- DOWNINGTOWN, PA
Public School
Downingtown High School West
- grade A minusOverall Grade
- Public
- 9-12
- DOWNINGTOWN, PA
- Rating 3.87 out of 5 199 reviews
Report Card
- Academicsgrade A minus
- Diversitygrade B minus
- Teachersgrade B+
- College Prepgrade B+
- Clubs & Activitiesgrade B+
- Administrationgrade B minus
- Sportsgrade A+
- Foodgrade B minus
- Resources & Facilitiesgrade C
editorial
About
Work Here? Claim Your School
Downingtown High School West Rankings
Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and millions of opinions from students and parents.
Academics
Percent Proficient - Reading
89%
Percent Proficient - Math
84%
Average Graduation Rate
94%
Average SAT
1200
512 responses
Average ACT
27
79 responses
AP Enrollment
23%
Popular Colleges
Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges.
Map
Map
Map is loading
Note: School map boundaries may have changed for the current school year. Please contact your school district to verify school assignment for your child.
Home Listings
Claim Your school Today!
Do You Work at Downingtown High School West? Claim Your School Today!
Claim your free account to keep your school's data up-to-date and get insights on user activity for your profile.
- Cost of Livinggrade B minus
- Good for Familiesgrade A
- Housinggrade B
Median Household Income
$72,669
National
$69,021Median Rent
$1,254
National
$1,163Median Home Value
$261,600
National
$244,900Culture & Safety
Poll
90%
of students agree that they feel safe at their school. 20 responsesPoll
65%
of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. 20 responsesStudents
Diversity
grade B minus
Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
Students
1,813
Free or Reduced Lunch
14%
92%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive. 25 responses88%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. 25 responses88%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic. 25 responsesTeachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
National
17:1Average Teacher Salary
$74,666
Teachers in First/Second Year
13.8%
63%
of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons. 32 responses81%
of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 32 responses66%
of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom. 32 responsesClubs & Activities
Clubs & Activities
grade B+
Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.
Girls Athletic Participation
High
Boys Athletic Participation
Very High
Expenses Per Student
$16,571 / year
National
$12,23993%
of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. 28 responses43%
of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. 28 responses79%
of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations. 28 responsesSimilar Schools
Schools like Downingtown High School West
- grade ADowningtown High School East
- Downingtown Area School District, PA
- 9-12
- Rating 4.01 out of 5 285 reviews
- grade APhoenixville Area High School
- Phoenixville Area School District, PA
- 9-12
- Rating 3.92 out of 5 177 reviews
Downingtown High School West Reviews
Rating 3.87 out of 5 199 reviews
Selecting a category below will take you to another page
All Categories
We moved from California to Pennsylvania in 2013. Having grown up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, we intended to have our kids attend Central Bucks schools. I had conducted much research for several years before our move and saw that the Downingtown Area School District (DASD) also had a tremendous reputation, especially with its acclaimed STEM Academy. Our children are both gifted, and we wanted a challenging school experience. We know other DASD graduates that have reported how well-prepared they are compared to some of their Penn State classmates who attended other schools in PA and other states. I had previously worked at Villanova University, and the engineering students were amazed when I would tell them about all the engineering courses our son has taken in high school that they never had the opportunity to take. My wife and I cannot say enough about this district; we are so happy we settled here, as our son is off to Penn State this fall for engineering.
Throughout my years at Downingtown West, I can confidently say that it has been one of the best experiences. I've met incredible friends and have formed bonds with teachers who have encouraged me to be my best everyday. Through the years I have seen improvement within the staff and the efforts they put toward mental health, which is a very serious topic in todays society. They also make sure student are challenging themselves with academics so they can grow and learn at their best ability. Sports and clubs are also very encouraged so students can find out what they truly enjoy doing. Personally, I have made some of the best memories while playing sports. Downingtown West has been a great environment to grow up in through my teenage years.
I think West does a good job preparing students for life after high school. Our academics are strong, especially the English program. However, I think administrative decisions often feel out of touch and are not made with the student body's best interest, but parents. While parents input is important, the school allows a few complaining parents to disrupt everyone else's life. I have seen sacrifices in our curriculum's diversity, student privacy, and technological convenience all because of a small group of parents. Also the school's approach to mental health is surface-level and insufficient. Especially since COVID, students have been facing more and more mental health issues and I have yet to see any meaningful changes put in place to combat this. I know I focused a lot on the cons of West, but overall it is an enjoyable school and the staff do their best to help students no matter what their path after high school may look like.