U.S. News Announces New Rankings of Elementary and Middle Schools

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings, today announced the 2022 Best K-8 Schools rankings. For the first time, U.S. News has published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the country. Schools are ranked at the state and district level, with Best Charter Schools and Best Magnet Schools ranked as stand-alone categories.

"With the publication of our inaugural Best K-8 Schools rankings, U.S. News now provides rankings and data on schools from kindergarten all the way through graduate school," said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News. "Whether you're researching options for a law degree or looking for information on your child's middle school, U.S. News has the data you need to get started."

The methodology for the brand-new rankings focuses on two areas: math and reading proficiency, or how well students perform on state assessments, and math and reading performance, or how well they perform compared to expectations. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, the Best K-8 Schools rankings only include public schools. The state assessment data used in the rankings is from the 2018-2019 school year and therefore pre-dates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.

California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools – the most of any state – followed by Texas (4,446), New York (2,211), Florida (2,128) and Illinois (2,038). California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas (1,942), Illinois (1,243), New York (1,219) and Florida (997).

The K-8 rankings, along with the Best High Schools rankings, now completes U.S. News' K-12 offerings. Separate from the rankings, the U.S. News K-12 Schools directory features information on 95,882 public schools and 22,450 private schools, including grades taught, contact information and enrollment numbers.

In addition to the rankings, U.S. News publishes advice year-round for parents of school-age children, covering topics such as bullying prevention, digital literacy and differences between private and public schools. For more information about the Best K-8 Schools rankings, visit Facebook and Twitter.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report