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)
193186001858	171	Winterset Senior High School	Public	9-12	720 Husky Dr	Winterset	50273	Madison County	Winterset Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 462-3320	565	36	15.7	35.0%	532 (94.2%)	2 (0.4%)	16 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.8%)	$14,615	$252	$14,364	55.5	64	114	57
190306000004	172	AGWSR High School	Public	9-12	918 4th Avenue	Ackley	50601	Hardin County	AGWSR Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 847-2633	192	16	11.7	35.4%	166 (86.5%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (10.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	$20,042	$557	$19,486	55	60.7	131	41
191464000872	173	Indianola High School	Public	9-12	1304 E 1st	Indianola	50125	Warren County	Indianola Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 961-9510	1,120	63	17.6	25.3%	991 (88.5%)	14 (1.3%)	60 (5.4%)	10 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (3.8%)	$12,807	$292	$12,516	54.4	60	133	40
191366001963	174	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School	Public	9-12	300 N 8th Ave W	Hartley	51346	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 928-3406	203	19	10.6	47.3%	159 (78.3%)	6 (3.0%)	34 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	$33,752	$177	$33,576	54.2	80.9	34	140
190575000177	175	North Iowa High School	Public	9-12	111 3rd Ave NW	Buffalo Center	50424	Winnebago County	North Iowa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 562-2525	117	11	10.7	42.7%	98 (83.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	$17,022	$541	$16,481	53.5	33.2	257	82
190654000250	176	John F Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	4545 Wenig RD NE	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2251	1,714	96	17.7	31.3%	1,272 (74.2%)	152 (8.9%)	106 (6.2%)	47 (2.7%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	129 (7.5%)	$14,742	$564	$14,177	53.3	53.6	170	6
190345000785	177	North Butler Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	201 N 5th St	Greene	50636	Butler County	North Butler Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 816-5631	271	24	11.2	24.7%	256 (94.5%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	$16,937	$247	$16,689	52.6	67.6	98	79
192750001607	178	West Central Valley High School	Public	9-12	3299 White Pole Rd	Stuart	50250	Guthrie County	West Central Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 523-1313	268	23	11.6	38.8%	231 (86.2%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	$16,199	$995	$15,205	52.5	53.9	166	12
190462000124	179	Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	610 13th Ave South	Belle Plaine	52208	Benton County	Belle Plaine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 444-3720	193	20	9.7	34.7%	182 (94.3%)	3 (1.6%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	$15,770	$267	$15,504	52.5	58.8	140	39
190468000130	180	Belmond-Klemme Community Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	411 10th Ave NE	Belmond	50421	Wright County	Belmond-Klemme Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 444-4300	328	26	12.4	48.8%	228 (69.5%)	3 (0.9%)	94 (28.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	$14,958	$237	$14,719	52.1	37.9	241	61

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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:

State-Administered Standardized Tests: A Comprehensive Guide

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

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)
193186001858	171	Winterset Senior High School	Public	9-12	720 Husky Dr	Winterset	50273	Madison County	Winterset Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 462-3320	565	36	15.7	35.0%	532 (94.2%)	2 (0.4%)	16 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.8%)	$14,615			$252			$14,364	55.5	64	114	57
190306000004	172	AGWSR High School	Public	9-12	918 4th Avenue	Ackley	50601	Hardin County	AGWSR Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 847-2633	192	16	11.7	35.4%	166 (86.5%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (10.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	$20,042			$557			$19,486	55	60.7	131	41
191464000872	173	Indianola High School	Public	9-12	1304 E 1st	Indianola	50125	Warren County	Indianola Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 961-9510	1,120	63	17.6	25.3%	991 (88.5%)	14 (1.3%)	60 (5.4%)	10 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (3.8%)	$12,807			$292			$12,516	54.4	60	133	40
191366001963	174	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School	Public	9-12	300 N 8th Ave W	Hartley	51346	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 928-3406	203	19	10.6	47.3%	159 (78.3%)	6 (3.0%)	34 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	$33,752			$177			$33,576	54.2	80.9	34	140
190575000177	175	North Iowa High School	Public	9-12	111 3rd Ave NW	Buffalo Center	50424	Winnebago County	North Iowa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 562-2525	117	11	10.7	42.7%	98 (83.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	$17,022			$541			$16,481	53.5	33.2	257	82
190654000250	176	John F Kennedy High School	Public	9-12	4545 Wenig RD NE	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2251	1,714	96	17.7	31.3%	1,272 (74.2%)	152 (8.9%)	106 (6.2%)	47 (2.7%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	129 (7.5%)	$14,742			$564			$14,177	53.3	53.6	170	6
190345000785	177	North Butler Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	201 N 5th St	Greene	50636	Butler County	North Butler Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 816-5631	271	24	11.2	24.7%	256 (94.5%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	$16,937			$247			$16,689	52.6	67.6	98	79
192750001607	178	West Central Valley High School	Public	9-12	3299 White Pole Rd	Stuart	50250	Guthrie County	West Central Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 523-1313	268	23	11.6	38.8%	231 (86.2%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	$16,199			$995			$15,205	52.5	53.9	166	12
190462000124	179	Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	610 13th Ave South	Belle Plaine	52208	Benton County	Belle Plaine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 444-3720	193	20	9.7	34.7%	182 (94.3%)	3 (1.6%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.6%)	$15,770			$267			$15,504	52.5	58.8	140	39
190468000130	180	Belmond-Klemme Community Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	411 10th Ave NE	Belmond	50421	Wright County	Belmond-Klemme Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 444-4300	328	26	12.4	48.8%	228 (69.5%)	3 (0.9%)	94 (28.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	$14,958			$237			$14,719	52.1	37.9	241	61