WI's Best Middle Schools Ranked In New Analysis

Leonardo Da Vinci School for Gifted Learners is the best public middle school in Wisconsin, 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.

The top public middle schools in Wisconsin are:

1. Leonardo Da Vinci School for Gifted Learners – Green Bay, WI
2. Woodland Intermediate – Appleton, WI
3. North Shore Middle – Hartland, WI
4. Lake Country School – Hartland, WI
5. Bayside Middle – Milwaukee, WI
6. Merton Intermediate – Merton, WI
7. Webster Middle – Cedarburg, WI
8. Muskego Lakes Middle – Muskego, WI
9. North Lake Elementary – North Lake, WI
10. Swallow Elementary – Hartland, WI

The ranking methodology considered student proficiency in math and reading/language arts state assessments, adjusting for student backgrounds and core subject achievements. In cases of ties, student-teacher ratios were used as a deciding factor.

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.