U.S. News & World Report released its 2026 rankings of the best schools, evaluating roughly 30,000 elementary and middle schools across the U.S. to determine which schools rank among the best. These schools join the best high schools, which were announced in September.
Here are the highest achieving schools in Iowa, according to U.S. News & World Report:
How did U.S. News and World Report determine the best schools?
The site used data from the U.S. Department of Education to examine the number of students “proficient or above proficient in their reading/language arts and math state assessments.” U.S. News also incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics, such as the proportion of students of color or who come from low-income households.
The news site also reviewed private elementary, middle and high schools in Iowa, but did not rank them.
Best Iowa elementary school for 2026
Hopewell Elementary in Bettendorf took the top spot in the state out of 937 elementary schools.
The school serves about 687 students in Pre-K through sixth grade, with a 17:1 student-teacher ratio, according to U.S. News. The school reportedly enrolls 4% of economically disadvantaged students, and 98% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 93% scored at or above that level for reading.
Top 10 public elementary schools in Iowa, according to U.S. News & World Report
Best Iowa middle school for 2026
South Hamilton Middle School in Jewell was the No. 1 middle school out of 695 in Iowa.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the school serves 315 students in grades 7-12. There’s a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. About 26% of the school’s students are economically disadvantaged, and it exceeds state expectations in reading and math, but falls short of the district proficiency rate, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Top 10 public middle schools in Iowa, according to U.S. News & World Report
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What are the best elementary, middle schools in Iowa? See the top schools near you.
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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