About Granite City High School
Granite City Community School District 9 is located in Southwestern Illinois, approximately 6 miles northeast of St. Louis in the Metro East. Granite City is a community of people who care deeply about their town and their school district. GCHS serves a population of nearly 6,500 students. Granite City High School serves approximately 2000 students and is fully accredited by the North Central Association and the Illinois School Board of Education. Over 48% of the 110 professional staff members hold a Master’s Degree or above. The school curriculum offers over 156+ courses, vocational programs, AP classes and honors courses. GCHS offers college prep, technical prep, and applied tech pathways to our students. Granite City High School has developed a partnership with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) and St. Louis University (SLU’s 1818) to offer dual credit courses. District 9’s reputation for educational excellence continues to draw families to the district. It is home to a satellite of Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) and just 12 miles from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).
Graduation Requirements
For current seniors, juniors, and sophomores, a minimum of 20 credits is required for graduation:
Granite City High School uses a five-point weighted system in computing a student’s grade point average. Rank is based on all subject areas exceptfor driver education. Courses at Granite City High School are on the following GPA scale:
English - 4 years
Mathematics - 3 years
Social Studies - 2 years
Science - 2 years
Health, PE, Dr. Ed - 4 years
Consumer Education - 1 semester
Fine Arts & Vocational - 1 year
Class Rank
Granite City High School uses a five-point weighted system in computing a student’s grade point average. Rank is based on all subject areas except for driver education. Courses at Granite City High School are on the following GPA scale:
Regular Courses:
A=5
B=4
C = 3
D = 2
F= 0
Honors, AP Course, & 1818
GCHS offers a variety of honors courses in various disciplines and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. We also offer the SLU 1818 Program with the possibilities for the students to earn credit hours at SLU while still in high school. These classes include:
SWIC Dual Credit Offerings
CEO/CEO A Program Computer Concepts/A
Animate CC
English 7A
English 8A
English 8: Public Speaking
Marketing & Business Ownership
Photoshop CC
Vocational Machine Tech. 1 & 2
Vocational Machine Tech. 3 & 4
Vocational Welding 1 & 2
Vocational Welding 3 & 4
Vocational Building Trades 1 & 2
No Tuition or Fees
SLU 1818 (AP)
American History 1A/2A Biology 3A/4A
Calculus 1A/2A
Chemistry 3A/4A
Global Issues A
Spanish 5/6
Spanish Literature A
Spanish American Literature A
Discounted Tuition
Running Start
Running Start is a dual credit program for qualified high school students to attend SWIC their junior and senior years of high school. The Running Start Program meets the requirements for both a high school diploma from GCHS and an Associate’s Degree from Southwestern Illinois College, so both degrees are earned simultaneously.
Running Start 1.0
Running Start 1.0 is a dual credit program for qualified high school students to attend SWIC their senior year of high school. This program allows students to get a jump start towards earning college credits while completing their high school diploma/graduation requirements.
College Attendance
Of 427 graduates in 2015, 38% will attend four-year universities and colleges, 30% will attend two-year colleges, while the remaining 32% will begin vocational training, join the military, or secure employment.
* Updated Dec. 19, 2023