These Are The Top Elementary Schools In WI, U.S. News Says In New Ranking

APPLETON, MN — Odyssey/Magellan Magnet School in Appleton is the best public elementary school in Wisconsin, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2026 ranking of the nation’s best public elementary schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. Elementary schools are considered either pre-K-5 or pre-K-6 in the analysis. For schools that have a wider grade span, only tests through fifth grade were considered.

The top 25 public elementary schools in Wisconsin are:

1. Odyssey-Magellan – Appleton Area School District
2. Leonardo Da Vinci School for Gifted Learners – Green Bay Area Public School District
3. Parkview Elementary – Cedarburg School District
4. Wauwatosa STEM – Wauwatosa School District
5. Tonawanda Elementary – Elmbrook School District (Elm Grove)
6. Mill Valley Elementary – Muskego-Norway School District
7. Shorewood Hills Elementary – Madison Metropolitan School District
8. Lincoln Elementary – Wauwatosa School District
9. Lakeview Elementary – Muskego-Norway School District
10. Lake Country School – Lake Country School District (Hartland)
11. Houlton Elementary – Hudson School District
12. Van Hise Elementary – Madison Metropolitan School District
13. Marcy Elementary – Hamilton School District (Menomonee Falls)
14. Stormonth Elementary – Fox Point J2 School District (Milwaukee)
15. Maple Avenue Elementary – Hamilton School District (Sussex)
16. Oriole Lane Elementary – Mequon-Thiensville School District
17. Woodland School – Kimberly Area School District (Appleton)
18. Richards Elementary – Whitefish Bay School District
19. Brookfield Elementary – Elmbrook School District
20. Lake Bluff Elementary – Shorewood School District
21. Elm Lawn Elementary – Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
22. Park Lawn Elementary – Oconomowoc Area School District
23. College Park Elementary – Greendale School District
24. Rib Mountain Elementary – Wausau School District
25. Westlawn Elementary – Cedarburg School District

The report includes about 47,000 public elementary schools ranked at the state and district levels based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education.

For district-level rankings, at least two of the top-performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for recognition.

“The 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings highlight institutions that excel in fostering student achievement and providing exceptional learning environments for all,” U.S. News said of the report.

The rankings methodology focuses on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while accounting for student background and achievement in core subjects. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.