ÎÛÎÛÂþ»­

Waterloo Community School District

1516 Washington St
Waterloo, IA 50702
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Waterloo Community School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Iowa for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 3 public high schools serving 3,304 students in Waterloo Community School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Iowa.
ÎÛÎÛÂþ»­ High Schools in Waterloo Community School District have an average math proficiency score of 48% (versus the Iowa public high school average of 65%), and reading proficiency score of 59% (versus the 71% statewide average).
ÎÛÎÛÂþ»­ High School in Waterloo Community School District have a Graduation Rate of 71%, which is less than the Iowa average of 87%.
The school with highest graduation rate is West High School, with 85% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Iowa or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 57% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Iowa public high school average of 27% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
19 Schools
365 Schools
# Students
10,619 Students
171,507 Students
# Teachers
716 Teachers
11,091 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Waterloo Community School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 325 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 71% has decreased from 84% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IA)
#307 out of 327 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
57%
68%
57%
70%
50%
63%
71%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.73
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
3%
2%
% Hispanic
14%
13%
% Black
28%
6%
% White
40%
73%
% Hawaiian
4%
1%
% Two or more races
11%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,536 is higher than the state median of $16,468. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,469 is less than the state median of $16,042. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$176 MM
$8,262 MM
Spending
$164 MM
$8,048 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,536
$16,468
Spending / Student
$15,469
$16,042

Best Waterloo Community School District ÎÛÎÛÂþ»­ High Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
West High School
(Math: 58% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
425 E Ridgeway Ave
Waterloo, IA 50702
(319) 433-2700
Gr: 9-12 | 1,713 student Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #22.
East High School
(Math: 45% | Reading: 57%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
214 High St
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-2400
Gr: 9-12 | 1,013 student Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #33.
Expo Alternative Learning Center
Alternative School
(Math: 19% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1410 Independence Ave
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-1930
Gr: 6-12 | 578 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 61%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 19 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 10,619 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 60%
  • : 71% (Top 50% in IA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 57% (Btm 50%)
  • : 57% (Btm 50%)
  • : 50% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IA Dept. of Education

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