South Mountain High School

South Mountain High School

Public High School | Grade 9-12
5401 S 7th St,  Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Union High School District
3.5
4.2
2,146 Students
C
Niche Grade
More commonly called South Mountain High School, the Academies at South Mountain is a public school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from a sprawling campus within the Phoenix Union School District. Unlike other high schools, South Mountain follows an academy model where students can experience work-based learning opportunities to nurture interest in career paths. Here, students thrive in four academies: the Freshman Academy; the Media Arts and Design Academy; the Science, Technology and Aerospace Academy; and the Public and Social Services Academy. Outside of a curriculum that covers core subjects, world languages, physical education, and health, students can also participate in a number of magnet programs that align with the academy offerings including aerospace, communication arts, law, performing arts, and visual arts. Career and technical education is a key offering at South Mountain, with disciplines ranging from auto mechanics and construction to nursing and software development, among many others. To stay engaged after school, students can pursue passions in a number of extracurriculars including anime club, dance club, hiking club, marching band, Junior ROTC, robotics club, and yearbook, only to name a few. The school offers a robust athletics program with a football stadium and other sports facilities on campus to serve a wide range of South Mountain Jaguar teams in football, basketball, track and field, cross country, badminton, wrestling, softball, tennis, and many more.

School Details

Head of School
Lacresha Williams
Student Teacher Ratio
19:1
Average SAT Score
1020
Average ACT Score
20
Math Proficiency
15%
Reading Proficiency
15%
Average GPA
3.25
Graduation Rate
71%

Niche Grade

C
Academics
C
Teachers
C
College Prep
C
Administration
C+
Resources/Facilities
B
Clubs and Activities
A-
Sports
C+
Food
Source: Niche
Niche Grades

Niche grades and rankings are calculated using dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews. Niche data scientists and user researchers rigorously analyze data and user opinions to assess the key aspects of K-12 Schools, Colleges, and Places to Live. Every month, millions of students and families use the Niche grades and report cards to find the right school or neighborhood.

Niche Grade Details

Academics
Average GPA
3.25
Reading Proficiency
15%
Math Proficiency
15%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
19:1
Teachers
111
Full Time Teachers
111
Teachers in First or Second Year
22.1%
College Prep
Average SAT
1020
Math
520
Verbal
490
Average ACT
20
Math
19
English
20
Reading
21
Science
19
Number of AP Courses
7
AP Pass Rate
1.7%
AP Math Enrollment
Very Low
AP Science Enrollment
Very Low
Other AP Enrollment
Very Low
Clubs and Activities
Girls Athletic Participation
Low
Boys Athletic Participation
Average

GreatSchools Rating

Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology

GreatSchools Rating Details

Test Scores

Math
7%
State Average
48%
Science
8%
State Average
30%
GreatSchools Test Scores Rating
GreatSchools
The Test Score Rating reflects annual state test results for this school compared with scores statewide.

Teachers and Staff

Students Per Counselor
1,102:1

Student Diversity

Male
53.1%
Female
46.9%
Hispanic
81.2%
Black
13%
White
2.8%
Two or more races
1.6%
Native American
<1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
<1%
Asian or Pacific Islander
<1%
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Specialty School Programs

AP Programs Offered
IB Programs Offered
Free/Reduced Lunch Offered
Athletics Program

Colleges Students are Considering

Students are most interested in or go on to attend these colleges.
Arizona State University 469 Students
Northern Arizona University 350 Students
University of Arizona 279 Students
Grand Canyon University 254 Students
South Mountain Community College 208 Students
Phoenix College 146 Students
Arizona State University - West Campus 125 Students
University of California - Los Angeles 114 Students
Arizona State University - Polytechnic Campus 87 Students
GateWay Community College - Phoenix 81 Students

What Students Want to Study

Niche users from this school are most interested in the following majors.
Business 95 Students
Nursing 82 Students
Psychology 63 Students
Pre-Medicine Studies 54 Students
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration 38 Students
Biology 34 Students
Pre-Law Studies 28 Students
Nursing Assistant 26 Students
Computer Science 25 Students
Criminology 24 Students

This School’s Reviews

Niche Reviews
3.5 332 Reviews
4.0 Senior
9/24/2024
I think my favorite parts of South Mountain Highschool are the extracurricular activities, and the people. I'm currently doing Track and Field and I'm also part of Trio Upward Bound. All of the staff as well as the students are all very kind and usually aren't rude or disrespectful.
3.0 Senior
1/1/2024
i think my high school experience was pretty good but i do think it could have been better on of these thing was mainly collage readiness during my senior year it was not greatly focused on and we did not really get all the recourses we needed and only some clubs got them .
4.0 Senior
12/24/2023
South Mountain High School is a great place to meet new people and make friends. I have made so many new friendships over these past few years and I know they will last.
GreatSchools Reviews
4.2 4 Reviews
2.0 parent
11/10/2021
The last 3 years many fights... Racial fights this year, boys can't even use the bathroom without getting harassed. Kids patting down other kids not only to steal their belongings but they will beat them up if you resist. If you want to be entertained with fights this is the place. And you have to w...
5.0 student
6/29/2021
South has a bad rep, but if you look closely at the students and how much the campus has improved within the last decade, you realize there is a great outlook in extracurriculars and teachers. South has a great reputation for their law program and classes offered. I've met inspiring teachers who hav...
5.0 student
5/26/2020
I would rate my experience a 9/10, I had my teachers supporting me and I had a lot of positive friends, I really feel like the people who rate this school bad are just people who expected so much from the school but didn’t put in work or time to actually get a difference, so many people complain abo...
5.0 other
12/14/2017
I went to south mountain high school from june 1989-june 1993 and loved it

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