Adams 12 Five Star Schools

1500 E 128th Avenue
Thornton, CO 80241
(District boundaries shown in map)
8/
10
Top 30%

Top Rankings

Adams 12 Five Star Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Colorado for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 12 public high schools serving 14,092 students in Adams 12 Five Star Schools. This district's average high testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public high schools in Colorado.
Public High Schools in Adams 12 Five Star Schools have an average math proficiency score of 45% (versus the Colorado public high school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 58% (versus the 53% statewide average).
Public High School in Adams 12 Five Star School have a Graduation Rate of 84%, which is more than the Colorado average of 82%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Horizon High School, with 96% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Colorado or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 59% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Colorado public high school average of 51% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CO)
# Schools
54 Schools
536 Schools
# Students
34,466 Students
323,662 Students
# Teachers
1,989 Teachers
18,099 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 176 school districts in Colorado (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 83% has decreased from 84% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CO)
#47 out of 179 school districts
(Top 30%)
34%
33%
43%
45%
(20-21)
28%
29%
83%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.63
0.62
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
7%
3%
% Hispanic
46%
37%
% Black
2%
5%
% White
39%
49%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $15,567 is higher than the state median of $15,520. The school district revenue/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,641 is less than the state median of $15,839. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (CO)
Total Revenue
$537 MM
$13,426 MM
Spending
$539 MM
$13,702 MM
Revenue / Student
$15,567
$15,520
Spending / Student
$15,641
$15,839

Best Adams 12 Five Star Schools Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Stargate Charter School
Charter School
(Math: 75% | Reading: 79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
14530 Washington Street
Broomfield, CO 80023
(303) 450-3936
Gr: K-12 | 1,572 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 52%
Rank: #22.
Legacy High School
(Math: 61% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
2701 West 136th Street
Broomfield, CO 80020
(720) 972-6700
Gr: 9-12 | 2,052 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 39%
Rank: #33.
Prospect Ridge Academy
Charter School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
2555 Preble Creek Pkwy
Broomfield, CO 80023
(720) 399-0300
Gr: K-12 | 1,478 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 36%
Rank: #44.
Horizon High School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
5321 East 136th Avenue
Brighton, CO 80601
(720) 972-4400
Gr: 9-12 | 1,966 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #55.
Mountain Range High School
(Math: 31% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
12500 Huron Street
Denver, CO 80234
(720) 972-6300
Gr: 9-12 | 1,788 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 65%
Rank: #66.
Westgate Community School
Charter School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
12500 Washington St
Thornton, CO 80241
(303) 452-0967
Gr: K-12 | 540 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 48%
Rank: #77.
Northglenn High School
(Math: 17% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
601 West 100th Place
Denver, CO 80221
(720) 972-4600
Gr: 9-12 | 1,844 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 83%
Rank: #88.
Pathways Future Center
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
550 E. 124th Avenue
Thornton, CO 80241
(720) 972-4723
Gr: 6-12 | 386 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 77%
Rank: #99.
New America School - Thornton
Alternative School
Charter School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
8978 Washington St
Denver, CO 80229
(303) 991-0130
Gr: 9-12 | 190 students Student-teacher ratio: 27:1 Minority enrollment: 94%
Rank: #1010.
Thornton High School
(Math: 11% | Reading: 27%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
9351 Washington Street
Denver, CO 80229
(720) 972-4800
Gr: 9-12 | 1,439 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 85%
Rank: #1111.
Vantage Point
Alternative School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 10-14%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
10900 Huron Street
Denver, CO 80234
(720) 972-5800
Gr: 6-12 | 331 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: n/an/a
1865 W. 121st Ave #100
Denver, CO 80234
(720) 972-7430
Gr: 1-12 | 506 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 60%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 54 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 34,466 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 61%
  • : 83% (Top 30% in CO)
  • : Top 30%
  • : 34% (Top 30%)
  • : 43% (Top 50%)
  • : 28% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CO Dept. of Education

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