Schools
WA's Best K-8 Schools Ranked By U.S. News: FULL LIST
Washington elementary and middle schools were included in the inaugural list ranking more than 80,000 U.S. schools.

WASHINGTON — Several Washington elementary and middle schools in have been ranked among the best in the state, according to a brand-new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
For the inaugural list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the United States.
Schools are ranked at the state and district levels. The best charter schools and best magnet schools ranked as stand-alone categories.
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U.S. News ranked Northstar Middle School in the Lake Washington School District as the best middle school in the state. Cascadia Elementary in Seattle was ranked as the best elementary school in Washington.
Here's a full look at how middle schools in Washington ranked:
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To determine the rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze two areas at each school:
- Math and reading proficiency — or how well students perform on state assessments.
- Math and reading performance — or how well they perform compared with expectations.
The state assessment data used in the rankings is from the 2018-19 school year and, therefore, predates any effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.
Here's a look at how elementary schools in Washington ranked:
Nationally, California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools — the most of any state — followed by Texas at 4,446; New York at 2,211; Florida at 2,128; and Illinois at 2,038 schools.
California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas at 1,942; Illinois at 1,243; New York at 1,219; and Florida at 997.
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