The Best School Districts In PA, According To A New Study

PENNSYLVANIA — A new ranking from the Philadelphia Business Journal ranking all of Pennsylvania's school districts by test scores shows an unsurprising dominance in suburban districts around Philly and Pittsburgh.

The recently published 2025 School Guide ranks districts based on scores from the past three years of PSSA and Keystone Exams standardized tests.

Of the top 25 districts, eight are from Allegheny County, four from Delaware County, three from Montgomery County, two from Chester County, and one from Bucks County.

The Business Journal analysis was strictly based on scores, and did not include other metrics sometimes used in similar school rankings, like AP scores, college outcomes, safety, culture and diversity, sports and clubs, and more. While the analysis does provide one window in student performance, it is not a holistic consideration and comparison of every district.

Here's how the top 25 in the state lined up, with the school district and county listed:

1. Fox Chapel Area, Allegheny
2. Upper St. Clair, Allegheny
3. Lower Merion, Montgomery
4. Radnor, Delaware
5. Peters, Washington
6. Hampton, Allegheny
7. South Fayette, Allegheny
8. Unionville-Chadds Ford, Chester
9. Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny
10. Tredyffrin-Easttown, Chester
11. North Allegheny, Allegheny
12. Quaker Valley, Allegheny
13. Derry Township, Dauphin
14. Springfield, Delaware
15. New Hope-Solebury, Bucks
16. Haveford, Delaware
17. Wallingford-Swarthmore, Delaware
18. Fairview, Erie
19. Pine-Richland, Allegheny
20. Norwin, Westmoreland
21. Lewisburg Area, Union
22. Colonial, Montgomery
23. State College Area, Centre
24. Rose Tree Media, Delaware
25. Wissahickon, Montgomery

See the full story and rankings from the Philadelphia Business Journal here.