The Paxon School for Advanced Studies is ranked by U.S. News & World Reports as one of the best high schools and magnet schools throughout the nation. It is an International Baccalaureate school with a strong emphasis on science and math. The school’s 1,500 students are encouraged to take advanced placement courses, and student achievements include winning competitions such as the International Science Fair and the Florida Science Fair. Paxon graduates have been admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy and Ivy League universities.
The Paxon Eagles participate in athletics, including basketball, baseball, football, flag football, volleyball, bowling, cross country, track and field, soccer, cheerleading, softball, tennis, golf, lacrosse and wrestling. The school’s outdoor swimming pool supports the swim and dive teams. Students have a choice of many clubs that enrich academics, community service, the arts and foreign languages. Choices range from the National Honor Society to African Dance & Culture Club to Poetic Justice.
Paxon opened in 1954 as the Paxon Field Junior-Senior High School. When a junior high opened three years later, Paxon became a senior high for grades nine through 12. In 1996 Paxon was designated a magnet school for high achieving students throughout Duval County. Students may apply to Paxon through the Duval County School Choice Office.
Paxon School for Advanced Studies
Public High School
|
Grade 9-12
3239 Norman E Thagard Blvd,
Jacksonville, FL
Duval County Public Schools
School Details
Head of School
Mr. Royce Turner
Student Teacher Ratio
20:1
Average SAT Score
1200
Average ACT Score
25
Math Proficiency
76%
Reading Proficiency
80%
Average GPA
3.45
Graduation Rate
99%
Niche Grade
A
A
A+
B+
C+
B+
B
C+
Source: Niche
Niche Grade Details
Academics
Average GPA
3.45
Reading Proficiency
80%
Math Proficiency
76%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
20:1
Teachers
63
Full Time Teachers
63
Teachers in First or Second Year
16.9%
College Prep
Average SAT
1200
Math
590
Verbal
610
Average ACT
25
Math
23
English
25
Reading
27
Science
24
Number of AP Courses
20
AP Pass Rate
34.7%
AP Math Enrollment
High
AP Science Enrollment
High
Other AP Enrollment
Very Low
Clubs and Activities
Girls Athletic Participation
Average
Boys Athletic Participation
Low
GreatSchools Rating
Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating Details
Teachers and Staff
Students Per Counselor
459:1
Student Diversity
Female
55.4%
Male
44.6%
Black
48.8%
White
27.8%
Hispanic
10.3%
Asian or Pacific Islander
7.6%
Two or more races
4.6%
Native American
<1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
<1%
School Rankings
#8
Niche Standout HS in Florida
#12
Best Magnet HS in Florida
#22
Best College Prep Public HS in Florida
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.
University of North Florida
901 Students
University of Central Florida
763 Students
Florida State University
755 Students
University of Florida
709 Students
University of South Florida
459 Students
Florida A&M University
456 Students
University of Miami
358 Students
Florida International University
330 Students
Jacksonville University
313 Students
Florida Atlantic University
307 Students
What Students Want to Study
Niche users from this school are most interested in the following majors.
Biology
178 Students
Psychology
177 Students
Nursing
170 Students
Business
167 Students
Pre-Medicine Studies
126 Students
Computer Science
95 Students
Pre-Law Studies
65 Students
Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Medicine
63 Students
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration
59 Students
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
59 Students
This School’s Reviews
Niche Reviews
8/23/2025
Attending Paxon from the 2021-2025 was overall a positive experience. I came out of the school with new interests specifically my interest in news and digital media. I won a couple contests in that area and would love to enter way more and without attending Paxon i would've never got those opportunities. I think the worst part about Paxon was the teachers for the the freshmen and sophomores are terrible. Those first two years at paxon are some of the most important times of your high school experience because you need to build easy GPA and knowledge during that time. The fact that some teachers are literally incompetent and refuse to teach in some cases is criminal and ruins the experience for some people shifting their high school career for the worst. Its not all teachers so its pretty luck based so at least there is good side to that bad coin.
7/25/2025
I have been going to Paxon since my Freshman year, the school is difficult but the teachers (for the most part) do their best to help their students and set them on the right path for college. Counselors are absolutely amazing, especially Ms. Culpepper. The school in general provide you with a plethora of resources and opportunities to have you set and ready for college. And the community at Paxon, honestly, is very tight-knit and welcoming if you put in the effort to welcome yourself.
3/27/2025
During my 3 years spent at Paxon, I've met amazing people who I now call my closest friends. The school is definitely an environment in which I can grow and achieve things. While the staff and admin may be rough around the edges, I know they take their tasks of keeping the students and staff safe and well taken care of throughout the school year. Being a college preparation school does mean the workload is more challenging but it's great because i've been becoming a person who is ready to face on my future and i'll have more of a steady standing when I go off the college.
GreatSchools Reviews
2/24/2023
We have had such an amazing experience at Paxon. It truly is a well-rounded education. Not only is my child receiving top notch instruction, but they truly care about the whole child. Paxon works at molding students into good people. My daughter's teachers and counselors have always been so responsi...
11/9/2019
Bad. School counselor didn't email my parent back for weeks when told I was having problems and stressed. Then more administration was contacted to no avail other than to accuse my parents of not contacting the right people. And they tried to use excuses saying they didn't get phone messages. Well t...
9/20/2017
This school does not live up to the reputation that it has. It is average, at best. The chemistry class my child took didn't perform any labs, how is that even possible!?! Labs are what support the theory being taught. Biology focused more on plants than anything else. That is botany not biology.The...
4/20/2014
Paxon's offers great courses, looks great on college applications, and is very diverse. If you or your child want this, definitely go here. But be prepared to have the life sucked out of you. The courses are lovely - APs, IB, decent electives. But you won't learn hardly anything. At Paxon, you cram...
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Map
List Price Range
$55K - $302K
Homes For Sale
98
Average Home Value
$136,156
Median Lot Size
7,405 Sq Ft
% Renters
59%
Average Household Income
$42,360
% of College Grads
5.5%
Median Age
37
Average House Size
1,137 Sq Ft
% Commercial Property
73.4%
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
Additional Schools in the Area
Public Schools shown may be Choice Schools
Choice Schools
Choice schools may not serve this home. Please check the school district website to see all schools serving this home.
- 6th to 12th
- Public
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 9th to 12th
- Public
Parks in this Area
Hammond Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Grills
Woodstock Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Grills
Terrace Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
Ryder Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Grills
Westbrook Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Community Center
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A Northside Jacksonville suburb filled with local tradition and history
Paxon School for Advanced Studies is a public school for students in grades 9-12 in Jacksonville, FL and is served by the Duval County Public Schools in Florida. Annual tuition is $0. The school has a total enrollment of 1,322 students and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 20:1. Academic records show that 76% of students achieve proficiency in math, and 80% are proficient in reading. Paxon School for Advanced Studies has received feedback and ratings, with a Niche grade of A+ and a GreatSchools Rating of 7 out of 10. The average GPA is 3.45, the graduation rate is 99%, and average standardized test scores include an SAT score of 1200 and an ACT score of 25. The average home value in this area is $136,156. Discover additional schools in the area, like Palm Avenue Exceptional Student Center, Riverside High School, William M. Raines High School, and more. Learn more about what Jacksonville has to offer, and browse homes for sale and for rent near Paxon School for Advanced Studies.