These Are The Best Elementary, Middle Schools In PA: New Ranking

PENNSYLVANIA — New education rankings from U.S. News & World Report aim to give Pennsylvania parents a snapshot of how their child's school compares to others, compiling a list of the best K-8 schools in the state.

The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on student proficiency in core subject areas.

In Pennsylvania, the top 10 public elementary schools are:

1. Bower Hill Elementary School, Peters Township Schools
2. Fairview Elementary School, Fox Chapel Area Schools
3. Bradford Woods Elementary School, North Allegheny Schools
4. Rheems Elementary School, Elizabethtown Area Schools
5. Wexford Elementary School, Pine-Richland Schools
6. Eisenhower Elementary School, Upper Saint Clair Schools
7. Hillside Elementary School, Tredyffrin-Easttown Schools
8. Franklin Elementary School, North Allegheny Schools
9. Markham Elementary School, Mt. Lebanon Schools
10. Valley Forge Elementary School, Tredyffrin-Easttown Schools

The top 10 public middle schools in Pennsylvania are:

1. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School, Philadelphia City Schools
2. Hershey Middle School, Derry Township Schools
3. Boyce Middle School, Upper Saint Clair Schools
4. Valley Forge Middle School, Tredyffrin-Easttown Schools
5. Fort Couch Middle School, Upper Saint Clair Schools
6. Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle School, Tredyffrin-Easttown Schools
7. Bala-Cynwyd Middle School, Lower Merion Schools
8. Radnor Middle School, Radnor Township Schools
9. Welsh Valley Middle School, Lower Merion Schools
10. Jefferson Middle School, Mt. Lebanon Schools

The U.S. News list includes data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

In the analysis, U.S. News looked closely at state assessment of students who were proficient or above-proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while also accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the state and district-level rankings are intended to give parents a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it’s doing within its community.

“Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved,” Jones said.

To be included in district-level rankings, at least two of the top performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for district-level recognition.

Related article:

• PA's Top 100 Public High Schools Ranked By U.S. News