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.
South Mountain High School
Public High School
|
Grade 9-12
5401 S 7th St,
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Union High School District
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
C
C
C
C+
B
A-
C+
Source: Niche
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 Details
Test Scores
Math
7%
State Average
48%
Science
8%
State Average
30%
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
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.
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 .
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
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...
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...
5/26/2020
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...
12/14/2017
I went to south mountain high school from june 1989-june 1993 and loved it
Agents Specializing in Attendance Zone
-
Allan Harsh
Allan Harsh
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(602) 962-2501
178 Total Sales
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$253K - $335K Price Range
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13 Total Sales
1 in Attendance Zone
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Real Broker
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51 Total Sales
3 in Attendance Zone
$375K - $560K Price Range
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Map
Attendance Zone
About South Mountain
List Price Range
$225K - $1.4M
Homes For Sale
300
Average Home Value
$388,617
Median Lot Size
6,098 Sq Ft
% Renters
39%
Household Income
$83,039
% of College Grads
18.6%
Median Age
34
Average House Size
2,040 Sq Ft
% Commercial Property
61.6%
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
-
-
$1,344 - $2,192 per month
- Parc South Mountain
- 1-3 Beds
- 1-2 Baths
- 726+ Sq Ft
- 3400 E Southern Ave
- Phoenix, AZ
-
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.
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 7th to 12th
- Charter
- Pre-K to 12th
- Private
Parks in this Area
Hayden Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Grills
Highline Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Parking Lot
El Reposo Park
- Basketball
- Grills
- Picnic Area
Nevitt Park
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
- Tennis
Esteban Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Dog Park
- Picnic Area
Esteban Dog Park
- Dog Park
- Parking Lot
Hermoso Park
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
- Pool
Francisco Highland Park
- Basketball
- Grills
- Picnic Area
Grayson Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Multi-Purpose Field
Additional Neighborhoods in this Area
Ahwatukee
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Guadalupe
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Alvarado Historic District
A historic neighborhood in Phoenix's Midtown that is home to popular museums
Downtown Tempe
Bustling heart of the city with various housing options for students and buyers