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Mesa County Valley School District No. 51

2115 Grand Avenue
Grand Junction, CO 81501-8063
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Colorado for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public high schools serving 6,308 students in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51. This district's average high testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in Colorado.
Public High Schools in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have an average math proficiency score of 28% (versus the Colorado public high school average of 33%), and reading proficiency score of 51% (versus the 53% statewide average).
Public High School in Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 have a Graduation Rate of 80%, which is less than the Colorado average of 82%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Fruita Monument High School, with 90% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Colorado or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 32% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Colorado public high school average of 49% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CO)
# Schools
45 Schools
552 Schools
# Students
19,487 Students
325,938 Students
# Teachers
1,189 Teachers
18,376 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 179 school districts in Colorado (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 80% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CO)
#71 out of 179 school districts
(Top 50%)
28%
32%
41%
45%
(20-21)
23%
29%
80%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.46
0.62
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
1%
3%
% Hispanic
25%
36%
% Black
n/a
4%
% White
69%
51%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
4%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,439 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,473. The school district revenue/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,893 is less than the state median of $15,791. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CO)
Total Revenue
$281 MM
$13,426 MM
Spending
$271 MM
$13,702 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,439
$15,473
Spending / Student
$13,893
$15,791

Best Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 Public High Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Mesa Valley Community School
Charter School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
609 25 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81505
(970) 254-7202
Grades: 6-12
| 170 students
Rank: #22.
Gateway School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
42575 Highway 141
Gateway, CO 81522
(970) 254-7080
Grades: PK-12
| 19 students
Rank: #33.
Fruita Monument High School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1102 Wildcat Ave
Fruita, CO 81521
(970) 254-6600
Grades: 10-12
| 1,273 students
Rank: #44.
Palisade High School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 52%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
3679 G Road
Palisade, CO 81526
(970) 254-4800
Grades: 9-12
| 1,069 students
Rank: #55.
Grand Junction High School
(Math: 27% | Reading: 54%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1400 N 5th St
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 254-6900
Grades: 9-12
| 1,590 students
Rank: #66.
Central High School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
3130 E1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81504
(970) 254-6200
Grades: 9-12
| 1,443 students
Rank: #77.
Grand River Academy
(Math: 10-14% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
600 N 14th St
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 254-5343
Grades: K-12
| 516 students
Rank: #88.
R-5 High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
455 N. 22nd St.ste. B
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 254-6880
Grades: 9-12
| 218 students
Rank: n/an/a
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center
Alternative School
360 28 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 242-8445
Grades: 5-12
| 10 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 45 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 19,487 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 31%
  • : 80% (Btm 50% in CO)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 28% (Top 50%)
  • : 41% (Top 50%)
  • : 23% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CO Dept. of Education

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