Watervliet School District ranked the 165th lowest in college readiness statewide, based on its students’ performance on the 2023-24 SAT, according to the MI School Data.
Scores show that 19.8% of the 96 students assessed in the district were set for college at the time.
In the previous school year, 20.3% of 118 students tested hit the benchmarks.
Watervliet School District reported that 19.8% of their students were proficient in the math section of the SAT, while 49% fared well in the evidence-based reading and writing portion.
Academic performance in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to the 2024 NAEP results, the share of students reaching the basic benchmark in core subjects is about 10 percentage points lower than in 2019—except for fourth-grade math, which saw a decline of just 2 points.
Achievement gaps between ethnic groups also persist. On average, Hispanic students scored 15 points below white students. The gap was even wider for Black students, who scored about 30 points lower than their white peers.
| Rank | District | College Readiness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgman Public Schools | 62.3% |
| 2 | St. Joseph Public Schools | 49.8% |
| 3 | New Buffalo Area Schools | 48.8% |
| 4 | Lakeshore School District (Berrien) | 42.8% |
| 5 | Watervliet School District | 19.8% |
| 6 | Buchanan Community Schools | 19.3% |
| 7 | Brandywine Community Schools | 16.3% |
| 8 | Niles Community Schools | 14.7% |
| 9 | Coloma Community Schools | 13.4% |
| 10 | Berrien Springs Public Schools | 6.3% |
