New Hampshire's Best Middle Schools Ranked In New Analysis From U.S. News

NASHUA, NH — The Academy for Science and Design Charter School is the best public middle school in New Hampshire, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2026 ranking of the nation’s best public middle schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers ranked more than 23,000 middle schools in its 2026 report, which was released Tuesday.

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The top 25 public middle schools in New Hampshire are:

1. Academy for Science and Design Charter School in Nashua
2. Frances C. Richmond School in Hanover
3. Mckelvie Intermediate School in Bedford
4. North Hampton School
5. Nottingham Elementary Middle School
6. Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford
7. Windham Middle School
8. Portsmouth Middle School
9. Hollis-Brookline Middle School
10. Oyster River Middle School in Durham
11. Rye Junior High School
12. Profile Junior High School
13. Hampton Academy
14. Plymouth Elementary Middle School
15. Hopkinton Middle School
16. David R. Cawley Middle School
17. Greenland Central School
18. Sunapee Middle High School
19. Walpole Elementary School
20. Chesterfield Central School
21. Lebanon Middle School
22. Lin-Wood Public School (Middle)
23. Gilmanton Elementary Middle School
24. Newfound Memorial Middle School
25. Vilas Elementary Middle School

The Woodbury School in Salem ranked 40th, while the Pennichuck Middle School in Nashua ranked 43rd. Londonderry Middle School was 45th on the list and Amherst Middle School was 46th. The Merrimack Valley Middle School in Penacook came in 62nd, while the Milford Middle School was 65th. The Founders Academy Charter School in Manchester was 67th, Rundlett Middle School in Concord was 79th, and the Merrimack Middle School was 83rd. The Great Bay Charter School in Exeter and all of Manchester's other middle schools were ranked between 86th and 115th.

The ranking methodology considered student proficiency on state assessments in math and reading/language arts, adjusting for student backgrounds and core subject achievement. In cases of ties, student-teacher ratios were used to break the tie.

The rankings are intended as an evaluation tool to give parents a snapshot of how well schools provide a high-quality education and prepare students for a successful future, LaMont Jones, managing editor for Education at U.S. News, said in a news release.

Editor's note: This post was scripted by another Patch staffer, not New Hampshire's editor, for publication on New Hampshire sites.