In this article, we will look at the 20 cities with the best public schools in the United States. Before that, let’s take a quick look at some statistics related to the education sector in the country.
Overview of the Education Sector in the United States
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the United States spends an average of $15,362 on its per student educational expenses in public elementary and secondary schools as of the academic year 2020-2021, with the amount considered in unadjusted US dollars. It increases to $17,495 when considered in constant 2022-2023 US dollars. The amount is up from the per student educational spending as of the academic year 2019-2020, which was $14,427 in unadjusted dollars and $16,808 in constant 2022-2023 US dollars in public elementary and secondary schools in the country. This amount has been increasing since the academic year 2012-2013. Furthermore, data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that the US has 134,960 educational institutions as of the academic year 2019-2020, of which 128,961 are elementary and secondary schools while 5,999 are postsecondary Title IV institutions.
Further data by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that the total enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools was 49,104,000 in 2021, down from a total enrollment of 50,115,000 in 2015. Of this rate, 45.3% of students were White, 28.4% were Hispanic, and 14.9% were Black. In addition, Asian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students made up 5.4%, 0.4%, and 0.9% of the total enrollment rate in 2021, respectively. American public elementary and secondary schools also enrolled 4.7% of students belonging to two or more races in the same year. Although the rate of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools decreased between 2015 and 2021, the US had an 89.4% high school graduation rate in 2021. The country also had a 36.9% high school graduation and bachelor’s degree attainment rate in 2021 in people aged 25 and older. The percentage increased from 32.3% in 2015, as per statistics by the National Center for Education Statistics. You can also look at 20 Worst States for Education in the US.
Education and Earning: Is There a Connection?
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics also sets a difference between the earnings of people with higher and lower education levels. The pattern of higher educational attainment equaling higher median earnings in full-time workers between 25 and 34 years of age remained consistent between 2010 and 2021. The median earning of individuals in the same age bracket holding a master’s or higher degree was $74,600, while that of individuals with a bachelor’s degree was $61,600. This translates to around 21% higher median earnings by full-time workers with a master’s or higher degree as of 2021. Similarly, the median earnings of full-time workers with a bachelor’s degree were 55% higher than full-time workers who completed high school, with the latter standing at $39,700 as of 2021. Several organizations, such as Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), have been working to promote accessible education. The Live Better U (LBU) program introduced by Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) incentivizes education by partnering up with renowned academic institutions, including Southern New Hampshire University, the University of Arkansas, Purdue Global, the University of Denver, and others. Walmart Inc.’s (NYSE:WMT) program has helped make higher education accessible to around 126,000 of its employees, helping them save over $500 million in college tuition.
Best States for Education in the US
According to our recent research on 20 Best States for Education in the US, the District of Columbia appears to be the best US state for education in the US, with Vermont, New Jersey, and Massachusetts trailing behind. Furthermore, data from the Census Bureau showed that the District of Columbia had the highest rate of individuals aged 25 and older with bachelor’s degrees, standing at 63% as of 2021. Massachusetts came second on the list with a bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 47%, while Colorado, Vermont, and New Jersey had rates of 44%, 44%, and 43% as of the same year.
Now that we have taken an overview of the education sector in the US, let’s look at the 20 cities with the best public schools in the US. You can also look at 50 Most Educated Countries in the World and 25 Most Educated Countries in Asia.
20 Cities with the Best Public Schools in the US
Our Methodology
In order to compile a list of the 20 cities with the best public schools in the US, we have considered pupil to full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher ratio, pupil-to-FTE staff ratio, and the public high school four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR). All three metrics are as of Fall 2021. We have given precedence to the high school adjusted cohort graduation rate as of Fall 2021 and only considered cities that have a graduation rate of at least 97%. As a tie-breaker, we have used the Insider Monkey Score, which is an average of the individual ranks of public school districts in the list of the other two metrics. The lower the Insider Monkey, the better the region in terms of its public schools. Please note that we have considered counties, cities, and public school districts that enrolled more than 15,000 students in Fall 2021 for the list. Only those locations have been considered that have data for all three metrics available.
We hypothesize that the cities with the best public schools in the US have a low pupil-to-teacher ratio, low pupil-to-staff ratio, and high school adjusted cohort graduation rate. Data for pupil-to-teacher ratio, pupil-to-staff ratio, and public high school four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate has been taken from a report by the National Center for Education Statistics. The 20 cities with the best public schools in the US are arranged in ascending order of their Insider Monkey Score.
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20 Cities with the Best Public Schools in the US
20. San Ramon Valley Unified, California
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 23.7
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 11.9
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 458.5
Sam Ramon Valley Unified is a public school district in California’s Contra Costa County, with more than 32,000 students. It ranks 20th on our list of the 20 cities with the best public schools in the US with an Insider Monkey Score of 458.5 as of 2021.
19. Capistrano Unified, California
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 22.3
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 11.0
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 428.5
California’s Capistrano Unified ranks 19th on our list with an Insider Monkey Score of 428.5. It has a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 97 as of Fall 2021.
18. Rockwall ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 16.7
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.7
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 98
Insider Monkey Score: 305.5
Rockwall ISD is located in Texas and has an Insider Monkey Score of 305.5. It ranks 18th on our list with a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 98 as of Fall 2021.
17. Allen ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 15.9
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.6
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 278.5
With a 97 high school adjusted cohort graduation rate, Allen International School District ranks 17th on our list. It is located in Texas and has an Insider Monkey Score of 278.5.
16. Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 15.9
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.5
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 271.5
Located in Texas, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD has an Insider Monkey Score of 271.5. As of Fall 2021, the public school district’s high school adjusted cohort graduation rate was 97.
15. Wylie ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 16.1
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.2
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 268
With a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 16.1 and a pupil-to-staff ratio of 8.2, Wylie ISD ranks 15th on our list. The public school district has an Insider Monkey Score of 268.
14. Warren County, Kentucky
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 16.9
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 7.9
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 268
With an Insider Monkey Score of 268, Warren County ranks 14th on our list of the 20 cities with the best public schools in the US. It is located in Kentucky and has a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 97 as of Fall 2021.
13. Comal ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 16.0
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.3
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 265.5
Comal ISD has a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 16.0 and a pupil-to-staff ratio of 8.3 as of Fall 2021. With a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 97, it ranks 13th on our list.
12. Pearland ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 16.2
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.2
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 265.5
Pearland ISD is located in the US state of Texas and ranks 12th on our list with a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 16.2 and pupil-to-staff ratio of 8.2 as of Fall 2021. It has an Insider Monkey Score of 265.5.
11. Prosper ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 15.2
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.9
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 98
Insider Monkey Score: 263.5
With an Insider Monkey Score of 263.5, Prosper ISD ranks on our list. It has a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 98 as of Fall 2022, placing it at the 11th spot on our list.
10. Hamilton Southeastern, Indiana
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 18.9
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.9
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 254
Located in Indiana, Hamilton Southeastern ranks 10th on our list. It has a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 18.9 as of Fall 2021, and a pupil-to-staff ratio of 8.9 as of the same year.
9. Frisco ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 14.9
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 8.5
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 237
Frisco ISD ranks ninth on our list of the 20 cities with the best public schools in the US with an Insider Monkey Score of 237. Located in Texas, it has a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 97 as of Fall 2021.
8. Olentangy Local, Ohio
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 19.5
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 6.7
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 237
Located in Ohio, Olentangy Local is considered a school district with one of the best public schools in the United States. It ranks eighth on our list with an Insider Monkey Score of 237.
7. Clear Creek ISD, Texas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 15.9
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 7.7
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 221
The Clear Creek International School District is located in Michigan. It ranks seventh on our list with a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 15.9 and a pupil-to-staff ratio of 7.7 as of Fall 2021. The public school district has an Insider Monkey Score of 221.
6. Carmel Clay, Indiana
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 16.1
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 7.0
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 182.5
Carmel Clay is located in the US state of Indiana and ranks sixth on our list with an Insider Monkey Score of 182.5. It has a high school adjusted cohort graduation rate of 97 as of Fall 2021, a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 16.1, and a pupil-to-staff ratio of 7.0.
5. Blue Valley, Kansas
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio as of Fall 2021: 14.3
Pupil-to-Staff Ratio as of Fall 2021: 7.9
High School Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) as of Fall 2021: 97
Insider Monkey Score: 161.5
Located in Kansas, Blue Valley ranks on our list of the cities with the best public schools in the US. Milwaukee has a pupil-to-staff ratio of 7.9 as of Fall 2021, and a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 14.3 as of the same year. It ranks fifth on our list.
