Best Schools: How Puyallup Ranked In 2022 Niche List

PUYALLUP, WA — The latest school rankings released by the data analysis company Niche offer a look at how K-12 schools in Puyallup compare with each other.

Niche, which released its eighth annual version of the rankings Monday, looks at a variety of criteria in determining a grade for both public and private K-12 schools in Puyallup, including academics, teachers and diversity.

Overall, the Puyallup School District scored better than average, with Niche giving the district an overall B grade. The district scored well in some aspects, earning an A for diversity efforts and a B+ for college prep, but was held back somewhat by middling clubs and activities and health & safety scores.

Niche found that Puyallup School District had a student-teacher ratio of 20-1, and that at least 53 percent of its students were proficient in math, and 66 percent in reading. Niche ultimately ranked the school the 7th best district in Pierce County, and the 63rd best district in Washington (of 252 districts).

Of course, some individual schools performed better than others. Fruitland Elementary and Ridgecrest Elementary both netted high scores, each earning an A- review. Meanwhile the E.B. Walker High School fell behind the pack with a C+. The remaining Puyallup School District schools all ended up in the B range.

Niche said its 2022 best schools rankings offer a more “personal” view of schools than its rankings in recent years. Significantly less importance was placed on SAT and ACT scores this year, Niche said. Any factor in its methodology that is related to test scores was reduced by one third.

The company combined ratings from students, alumni and parents with quantitative data from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources to evaluate teachers, resources, facility, extracurricular activity opportunities and other factors. Read more about the methodology here.

Across the country, Niche ranked 94,491 public schools, 2,489 private schools and 11,846 school districts to come up with its lists and rankings.

Top 5 Public High Schools:

1. The Davidson Academy in Reno, Nevada
2. The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
3. Massachusetts Academy for Math & Science School
4. Maggie Walker Governor’s School in Virginia
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Virginia

Top 5 Private High Schools:

1. Phillips Academy in Massachusetts
2. The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut
3. Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut
4. The College Preparatory School in California
5. Groton School in Massachusetts

Top 5 School Districts:

1. Adlai E. Stevenson High School District in Illinois
2. Glenbrook High School District in Illinois
3. Great Neck Public Schools in New York
4. Community High School District 128 in Illinois
5. Jericho Union Free School District in New York

>> See the full Niche rankings here