State College students continue to score significantly higher than state and national averages on all three counts.

Over 30% of the senior class has a minimum GPA of 3.5, and more than 80% continue with post secondary education and training. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) annually results in scores above state and national levels and an impressive number of National Merit Scholars (21 finalists in 2011).

Mathematics

Reading

Science

Writing

SCASD students at all levels regularly participate and excel in many local, regional, and national academic, vocational, artistic, and athletic competitions. Many participate in quiz bowl teams. With all-state athletes in many sports and award winners in career and technical fields, art, and music, students engage in a stimulating range of extracurricular opportunities.

District/University Collaboration
The proximity of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University offers high school students the advantage of enrolling in college-level courses as part-time non-degree students. Many collaborative projects between the university and the district benefit faculty and students at all levels on both sides of College Avenue. The district received the American School Board Journal’s Magna Award for Lifelink PSU, a collaborative program helping students with special needs make the transition to adulthood and greater independence. The Professional Development School, a partnership with PSU’s College of Education, was named the “best university/school district partnership in the nation” at the Holmes Partnership annual conference.

Academic and Extracurricular Achievements
Benefiting from a supportive community, the district is proud of many academic and extracurricular achievements. For the sixth consecutive year, State High's music program has been a finalist in the Grammy Signature Schools for music education program and a winner three times. During the past three years the State High Science Bowl Team has placed first and second in the National Science Bowl competition. A high number of students routinely qualify as National Merit Semifinalists - 21 in 2011.

In Centre County, educational services account for the highest number of jobs. The State College Area School District ranks second after Penn State with a payroll of 1,374 faculty and staff. Approximately 2.3 percent of the more than 675 faculty members have doctoral degrees, and 80 percent have completed 30 or more credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Faculty members often receive professional recognition for being outstanding educators with a teacher at Park Forest Elementary receiving the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2011.

The State College Area School District provides schooling for approximately 7,000 students at a total cost of $111,869,367 for the 2011-12 school year. Per student budget allocations compare favorably with Pennsylvania’s other 500 school districts. Although the district spends less than the average, it consistently produces educational outcomes above state and national averages.

National Recognition
The district’s balanced academic competitiveness, accreditation, recognition for excellence, instructional expenditures, and small class size have received national acknowledgment. State College Area High School earned a silver medal in U.S. News and World Report's premiere ranking of the nation's best high schools in 2008 and was rated one of the "Top High Schools in the Country" by Newsweek magazine in 2007.

Clearly, the quality of education at the district results from many factors, not the least of which is the strong partnership between the community and the school system. The district is fortunate to be surrounded by a highly supportive parent community, which generously volunteers its expertise for the benefit of all students.