When you’re looking for an elementary school for your child, the process can seem overwhelming. There are so many different schools, not to mention the numerous methods of education. All you want is for your child to receive a quality education, but it’s hard to know what school or type of school to choose. While there are many ways to determine which schools are the best, generally, schools are ranked based on factors such as test scores, class sizes, extracurricular activities, and diversity. Based on some of these factors, we’ve created a list of the best elementary schools in the United States.
Prior to figuring out what elementary school is best for your child, it’s important to understand that there are public and private schools, as well as various methods of education including classical education and Montessori education. Keep in mind that no school is perfect and what school might work best for one child is not necessarily what will work best for another. Read on to find out more about some of the best elementary schools in the United States.
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How We Chose the Best Elementary Schools in the United States
In the United States, there are nearly 65,000 elementary schools. No matter what state you live in, there are likely some schools in your state that stand out above the rest. When it comes to the best schools in the country, the rankings are based on:
- Test scores
- Diversity
- Parent reviews
- Teaching staff
- Extracurriculars
Even if a school made the list of best elementary schools in the United States, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right school for your child. There are so many ways to determine what makes a school excellent and ratings like test scores don’t always tell the whole story.
If you’re looking for a new school for your child, be sure to look into the factors that will impact your child’s specific needs as well as the school rating. Let’s take a look at the best elementary schools in the country.
Best Public Elementary Schools in the United States
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Self Development Academy
1709 N Greenfield Rd, Mesa, AZ 85205
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
(480) 641-2640
Self Development Academy is a highly-rated charter school in Mesa, Arizona. They have a student population of 422 and offer education for students in K-8th grade. This public school is highly rated for its academics, teachers, and diversity.
Self Development Academy was ranked by Niche.com as having the second-best teaching staff out of all the public elementary schools in Arizona. The test scores are well above the state average for English, math, and science. The strongest subject for students is English with 75% of students showing proficiency.
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Mt. Everest Academy
4350 Mt Everest Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117
(619) 605-8700
Mt. Everest Academy is a public K-12 school located in San Diego, California. This school offers a combination of independent study and in-person instruction. They have a total student population of about 227. Mt. Everest Academy is highly rated based on its academics, teachers, diversity, college prep, and administration.
According to Niche.com, Mt. Everest Academy was ranked as the top public elementary school in California. The test scores at this school show that the percentage of students proficient in each core subject is above the state average. Overall, 85% of students are proficient in English.
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BASIS Flagstaff
1700 N Gemini Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
(928) 774-5502
BASIS Flagstaff is a public charter school in Flagstaff, Arizona. They serve over 700 students in grades K-12. This school has been a part of the BASIS Charter School Network since 1998. BASIS Flagstaff is ranked highly based on its academics, diversity, teachers, and college prep.
Starting in kindergarten, they implement a co-teaching model to increase engagement and comprehension. The percentage of students who are proficient in core subjects is above the state average in English, math, and science. The strongest subjects are math and English with 73% of students displaying proficiency in English and 72% of students displaying proficiency in math.
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A.D. Henderson University School
777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561) 297-3970
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
A.D. Henderson University School is a highly-rated public school in Boca Raton, Florida. They serve over 1,200 students in grades K-12. According to Niche.com, this school ranked as the second-best public elementary school in the state of Florida. The test scores are one of the main reasons why this public school ranks so high.
Students at A.D. Henderson University School display high levels of proficiency in nearly every subject. 92% of students are proficient in English, 89% of students are proficient in math, and 86% of students are proficient in science.
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BASIS Mesa
5010 S Eastmark Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85212
(602) 239-4807
BASIS Mesa is a public charter school in Mesa, Arizona. They serve around 808 students in grades K-12. This school ranks highly due to its academics, teachers, diversity, college prep, and administration.
The test scores of students at BASIS Mesa are well above the state average. The strongest subject is English with 74% of students displaying proficiency. Additionally, BASIS Mesa ranked so highly due to the equity displayed at the school. According to Greatschools.org, “Underserved students at this school are performing far better than other students in the state, and this school is successfully closing the achievement gap.”
Best Private Elementary Schools in the United States
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Horace Mann School
231 W 246th St, Bronx, NY 10471
(718) 432-4000
Horace Mann School is a private school in the Bronx, New York with 1,793 students in Pre-K-12th grade. This school is ranked highly based on its academics, diversity, teachers, as well as clubs and activities. The yearly tuition at the Horace Mann School is $61,900.
This college-preparatory school has ranked on Niche.com as the fourth-best private K-12 school in New York. 100% of students and parents at Horace Mann School agree that the students are competitive and 93% say kids are hardworking.
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The Brearley School
610 E 83rd St, New York, NY 10028
The Brearley School is a private, all-girls school in New York City. They serve 776 in grades K-12 and have ranked highly due to their academics, teachers, clubs and activities, and college prep. The yearly tuition for The Brearley School is $58,700.
According to surveys done by Niche.com, 96% of students claimed they feel safe at The Brearley School and 83% of students stated they like their school and feel happy there. This school has also received an A for diversity and most parents agree that students at the school are competitive.
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Riverdale Country School
5250 Fieldston Rd, Bronx, NY 10471
(718) 549-8810
Riverdale Country School in Bronx, New York is an independent school serving students in grades Pre-K-12. This private school was founded in 1907 and has 1,207 students enrolled. The Riverdale Country School was rated highly due to its academics, teachers, clubs and activities, college prep, and sports.
The yearly tuition at Riverdale Country School is $54,545. According to Niche.com, this school was rated the second-best private K-12 school in the state of New York. Additionally, 93% of students and parents agree that students at the school are athletic and 92% of students agree they feel safe at school.
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The Nueva School
6565 CA-35, Hillsborough, CA 94010
(650) 235-7100
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
The Nueva School is a private school in Hillsborough, California with two different campuses. They serve 853 students in grades Pre-K-12 and are rated highly based on their academics, diversity, teachers, as well as clubs and activities.
The yearly tuition to attend The Nueva School is $53,350. According to Niche.com, they were rated as the top private K-12 school in California. 92% of students and parents stated that the students at The Nueva School are creative and artsy. Also, 96% of students stated they feel safe at this school.
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Trinity School
139 W 91st St, New York, NY 10024
(212) 873-1650
Trinity School is a private preparatory school in New York City. This top-rated Christian school serves 1,000 students in grades K-12. Annual tuition for students is $58,495 and according to Niche.com, it was ranked as the top private K-12 school in the United States.
They have a low student-to-teacher ratio of 6 students to each teacher. This school ranked highly because of its academics, diversity, teachers, college prep, and extracurricular activities. One review from Greatschools.org stated, “This is a great school for anyone who wants a quality education. Great prep for college, and amazing teaching staff.”
Deciding on the Best School for Your Child
When it comes to their early education, it can be a challenge to find the right school for your elementary-age child. While we’ve based our list of schools on factors like test scores, diversity, and extracurricular activities, there are other factors for you to consider as a parent.
More specific factors like class sizes, extra support for students with special needs, and how they handle discipline may impact your child. Before you decide on a school, it can also benefit you to tour several schools and talk with the staff to find out which school is the right fit.
Check Out the Other Best Schools in the United States
- Best Middle Schools in the United States
- Best High Schools in the United States
- Best Schools in the United States
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