Page Created:  

September 21, 2025

 

SMNW FACTS

History

Shawnee Mission Northwest was founded in 1969 to help educate the increasing number of students due to the emerging population of Shawnee and Overland Park.

In 1998, a mural of evolution was painted near the science rooms, which created controversy throughout the school and the city.  The mural depicted many things, including DNA, cells, photosynthesis, and a four-chambered heart.  In addition, the mural also displayed a series of walking figures, the evolution of man, from a hunched-over, hairy, apelike creature to the modern man. The mural offended many students and their parents, and a considerable debate was held on whether to paint over it.  As of 2025, the school’s Murals Club has repainted the mural.

The school launched the International Baccalaureate program at the start of the 2008-09 school year.  Shawnee Mission Northwest is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs.  The Athletic teams compete in the 6A division as the Cougars. 

 

SchoolDigger Rankings

Shawnee Mission School District

46th of 266 Kansas districts

The Shawnee Mission Pub School District in Kansas serves 45 schools, including 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, and six high schools. The district is home to several standout high-performing schools and some lower-performing institutions. Overall, the Shawnee Mission district outperforms the state averages in Kansas for proficiency in English Language Arts, Math, and Science at both the elementary and secondary levels.

Among the district's top-performing schools are Westwood View Elementary, ranked 2nd out of 653 Kansas elementary schools, and Highlands Elementary, ranked 12th. These schools have exceptional test scores, with over 70% of students proficient or better in ELA and Math. Other high-achieving elementary schools include Briarwood Elementary, Corinth Elementary, and Prairie Elementary. At the middle school level, Indian Hills Middle stands out as the top-ranked school in the state.

On the high school side, Shawnee Mission East High is the highest-performing, ranking 34th out of 318 Kansas high schools. However, there is a wide range in performance between the district's schools and some struggling institutions. The data suggests a strong correlation between socioeconomic factors and academic achievement, with the highest-performing schools tending to have lower poverty rates. Overall, the Shawnee Mission Pub School district appears to be a strong-performing system, with several standout schools that are among the best in the state.

Shawnee Mission Northwest High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,626 students in Shawnee, Kansas, which is part of the Shawnee Mission Public School District. This highly ranked school has consistently performed well, earning a 4—or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking among the top high schools in the state.

Shawnee Mission Northwest High's academic achievement is substantial, with test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science exceeding state and district averages. The school's 10th-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate has consistently been around 35-37%, outperforming the state average of around 27%. However, the school has struggled somewhat with its Hispanic and English Language Learner student populations, ranking lower in the state for these groups. In contrast, the school's Asian, African American, and multi-racial student populations perform exceptionally well, ranking among the top in the state.

Compared to other high schools in the area, Shawnee Mission Northwest High performs well within the Shawnee Mission Public School District, such as Shawnee Mission East High and Shawnee Mission South High, which also rank highly in the state. However, the school lags behind the highly-ranked Olathe Northwest High School, which is located just a few miles away but is part of a different school district, the Olathe School District.

SchoolDigger Rank:

Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

Current Ranking for 2024
98th of 318 Kansas High Schools

Kansas Ranking

                                     Year  Position    Rank Change   Year   Position

        2023  61st        37     2024    98th

 

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,253 

Feeder schools for Shawnee Mission Northwest High:
Broken Arrow Elementary

Mill Creek Elementary

Ray Marsh Elementary

Rhein Benninghoven Elementory

Trailridge Middle School

 

Student/teacher ratio:  16.6 

Number of students:  1,619

Racial breakdown:
White:

56.6%

Hispanic:

23.1%

African American:

10.3%

more

 

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  39%

 

SchoolDigger data sources include the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Kansas State Department of Education.