Southwestern High School

As a sizable secondary school in Somerset, Kentucky, Southwestern High School serves 1,213 students from grades 9 through 12, operated by Pulaski County. That puts it 117% above the typical public school in Kentucky, which averages around 558 students.

Pulaski County comprises 14 schools with combined enrollment of 7,729 students; Southwestern High School is among them.

On demographics, Southwestern High School logs that nearly all students (86%) are White. Other groups include 7% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 94%.

On the income-and-resources front, Southwestern High School lists 73 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.6:1. The state averages about 16.6:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 61% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Southwestern High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 42.3%; this one delivers 41.5%.

Zooming out to the county, Pulaski County reports that median household income runs about $51,898, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 16%. In all, Pulaski County runs 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,989 students), of which Southwestern High School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Oak Hill Elementary School, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Southwestern High School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Southwestern High School at 7th of 7; the average score across the group is 58.7%.

Southwestern High School operates from an outlying location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 4%: 1,264 students in 2018 compared to 1,213 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share decreased from 93% to 86%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 17.9:1 in 2018 to 16.6:1 today.

On the community side, the feed for Southwestern High School typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.