Best High Schools in Iowa

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Find the best Iowa high schools with SchoolDigger.com! Focused on test scores for accurate rankings, our user-friendly site simplifies your search. Empower your decisions by exploring top-rated schools, only on SchoolDigger.com - the ultimate guide to K-12 schools!

Year after year, SchoolDigger is always the first to publish Iowa test scores and rankings. Other sites use stale test score data that are several years old! Be in the know with the very latest performance metrics.

The list is updated annually upon the release of the ISASP test scores by the Iowa Department of Education. The most recent update was on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

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School	Students/Teachers	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)	Ranking (2024 vs 2023)
190396000096	21	Audubon Middle-High School	Public	5-12	800 3rd Ave	Audubon	50025	Audubon County	Audubon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 563-2607	296	24	12.1	39.2%	257 (86.8%)	3 (1.0%)	24 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	$15,381	$486	$14,895	82.9	90.1	12	9
191644000981	22	Lawton-Bronson Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	100 Tara Way	Lawton	51030	Woodbury County	Lawton-Bronson Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 944-5181	326	20	15.9	24.2%	288 (88.3%)	7 (2.1%)	18 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	$15,496	$256	$15,240	82.4	81.8	30	8
193054001749	23	Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School	Public	9-12	1405 4th Ave SW	Waverly	50677	Bremer County	Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 352-2087	771	48	16	19.7%	691 (89.6%)	12 (1.6%)	38 (4.9%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	$15,024	$360	$14,663	82	84.2	25	2
193135001825	24	Cascade Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	505 Johnson St NW	Cascade	52033	Dubuque County	Western Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 258-7114	395	31	12.9	26.8%	360 (91.1%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	$17,184	$110	$17,075	81.9	73.7	64	40
192184001302	25	Osage High School	Public	9-12	820 Sawyer Drive	Osage	50461	Mitchell County	Osage Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 732-3102	313	23	13.6	26.5%	293 (93.6%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	$16,302	$143	$16,159	81.9	77.4	46	21
191803001031	26	Lynnville-Sully High School	Public	9-12	12476 Hwy F62 E	Sully	50251	Jasper County	Lynnville-Sully Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 594-4445	166	11	15.1	19.3%	165 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	$15,419	$151	$15,268	81.9	82	29	3
192520001442	27	St Ansgar High School	Public	9-12	206 East 8th Street	Saint Ansgar	50472	Mitchell County	St Ansgar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 713-4720	171	19	9	24.6%	157 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.7%)	$18,983	$368	$18,616	81.7	91.4	9	18
191575000941	28	Kingsley-Pierson High School	Public	9-12	322 Quest Avenue	Kingsley	51028	Plymouth County	Kingsley-Pierson Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 378-2861	145	14	10.2	31.0%	132 (91.0%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (2.8%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.1%)	3 (2.1%)	$15,209	$606	$14,603	81.1	76.3	50	22
193135001832	29	Western Dubuque High School	Public	9-12	302 5th Ave SW	Epworth	52045	Dubuque County	Western Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 258-4030	920	58	15.8	22.4%	851 (92.5%)	12 (1.3%)	31 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.5%)	$13,456	$147	$13,310	81	67.6	99	70
190375001337	30	Aplington-Parkersburg High School	Public	9-12	610 N Johnson St	Parkersburg	50665	Butler County	Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 346-1571	264	18	14.9	24.6%	255 (96.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	$16,000	$262	$15,738	80.6	81.3	32	2

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About our rankings:

Schooldigger calculates school rankings based on ISASP English Language Arts, ISASP Mathematics, ISASP Science test scores released by the Iowa Department of Education.
These rankings were last updated on September 18, 2024, and are based on the most recent test scores available. We update rankings as we receive new test scores from the Iowa Department of Education, usually on a yearly basis.
Our sources of data include the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Education.
For more information about our ranking process, please see our Ranking FAQ. Details about our methodology are here.

Educational resources:

Per-Pupil Spending: Understanding the Breakdown of Federal, State, and Local Funds

Charter Schools vs Regular Public Schools: Understanding the Key Differences

School															Students/Teachers											Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)							Ranking (2024 vs 2023)
ID	Rank (of 338)	School	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Disc Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel from Federal Funds	Total from Federal Funds	Personnel from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Total from State and Local Funds	Average Standard Score (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Rank (2023)	Rank Change from 2023	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)
190396000096	21	Audubon Middle-High School	Public	5-12	800 3rd Ave	Audubon	50025	Audubon County	Audubon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 563-2607	296	24	12.1	39.2%	257 (86.8%)	3 (1.0%)	24 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	$15,381			$486			$14,895	82.9	90.1	12	9
191644000981	22	Lawton-Bronson Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	100 Tara Way	Lawton	51030	Woodbury County	Lawton-Bronson Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 944-5181	326	20	15.9	24.2%	288 (88.3%)	7 (2.1%)	18 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	$15,496			$256			$15,240	82.4	81.8	30	8
193054001749	23	Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School	Public	9-12	1405 4th Ave SW	Waverly	50677	Bremer County	Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 352-2087	771	48	16	19.7%	691 (89.6%)	12 (1.6%)	38 (4.9%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	$15,024			$360			$14,663	82	84.2	25	2
193135001825	24	Cascade Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	505 Johnson St NW	Cascade	52033	Dubuque County	Western Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 258-7114	395	31	12.9	26.8%	360 (91.1%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	$17,184			$110			$17,075	81.9	73.7	64	40
192184001302	25	Osage High School	Public	9-12	820 Sawyer Drive	Osage	50461	Mitchell County	Osage Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 732-3102	313	23	13.6	26.5%	293 (93.6%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	$16,302			$143			$16,159	81.9	77.4	46	21
191803001031	26	Lynnville-Sully High School	Public	9-12	12476 Hwy F62 E	Sully	50251	Jasper County	Lynnville-Sully Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 594-4445	166	11	15.1	19.3%	165 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	$15,419			$151			$15,268	81.9	82	29	3
192520001442	27	St Ansgar High School	Public	9-12	206 East 8th Street	Saint Ansgar	50472	Mitchell County	St Ansgar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 713-4720	171	19	9	24.6%	157 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.7%)	$18,983			$368			$18,616	81.7	91.4	9	18
191575000941	28	Kingsley-Pierson High School	Public	9-12	322 Quest Avenue	Kingsley	51028	Plymouth County	Kingsley-Pierson Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 378-2861	145	14	10.2	31.0%	132 (91.0%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (2.8%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.1%)	3 (2.1%)	$15,209			$606			$14,603	81.1	76.3	50	22
193135001832	29	Western Dubuque High School	Public	9-12	302 5th Ave SW	Epworth	52045	Dubuque County	Western Dubuque Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 258-4030	920	58	15.8	22.4%	851 (92.5%)	12 (1.3%)	31 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.5%)	$13,456			$147			$13,310	81	67.6	99	70
190375001337	30	Aplington-Parkersburg High School	Public	9-12	610 N Johnson St	Parkersburg	50665	Butler County	Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 346-1571	264	18	14.9	24.6%	255 (96.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	$16,000			$262			$15,738	80.6	81.3	32	2