Southwest High

Southwest High is a well-populated 9-12 campus in MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, overseen by Minneapolis Public School District. The school hosts 1,195 students in grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 222% above the state mean of about 371.

Southwest High is one of 86 schools operated by Minneapolis Public School District, a district that instructs 29,928 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Southwest High records that 66% of the student body identifies as White; the rest is composed of 15% Black, 9% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Asian. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Southwest High has 76 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.7:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 26% of students at Southwest High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is south of Hennepin County's rate of about 43%.

With demographic context factored in, Southwest High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 51.3%; this one delivers 58.7%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Hennepin County indicate median household earnings sit near $97,653, roughly 54% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. In all, Hennepin County runs 496 public schools (combined enrollment of about 177,509 students), of which Southwest High is one.

The closest other public school is Southwest High - SWS, roughly 0.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Southwest High ranks 4th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 65.9%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Southwest High has decreased 37%, going from 1,908 students in 2018 to 1,195 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 28% to 15% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 18.4:1 in 2018 to 15.7:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.