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)
190001501487	111	Sibley-Ocheyedan High School	Public	9-12	120 11th Ave NE	Sibley	51249	Osceola County	Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 754-3601	227	19	11.9	42.7%	171 (75.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	2 (0.9%)	$14,480	$149	$14,331	66.3	41	227	116
190002200957	112	Union High School	Public	9-12	200 Adams St	La Porte City	50651	Black Hawk County	Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 342-2697	316	27	11.8	27.8%	280 (88.6%)	4 (1.3%)	17 (5.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.1%)	$15,170	$348	$14,821	66.3	55.1	163	51
191458000866	113	Independence Junior Senior High School	Public	7-12	700 20th Ave SW	Independence	50644	Buchanan County	Independence Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 334-7405	701	47	15	32.1%	650 (92.7%)	2 (0.3%)	26 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)	$15,700	$579	$15,121	66.2	78.5	42	71
190762000363	114	Clear Lake High School	Public	9-12	125 N 20th St	Clear Lake	50428	Cerro Gordo County	Clear Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 357-5235	458	30	15.4	32.8%	384 (83.8%)	6 (1.3%)	32 (7.0%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (6.1%)	$16,404	$315	$16,089	65.9	74	62	52
191005000641	115	Earlham Senior High School	Public	9-12	535 N Chestnut Ave	Earlham	50072	Madison County	Earlham Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 758-2235	185	16	11.6	17.8%	173 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	$13,628	$119	$13,509	65.9	58.3	149	34
190852000451	116	Dallas Center-Grimes High School	Public	9-12	2555 W 1st St	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-9747	978	56	17.3	17.9%	859 (87.8%)	35 (3.6%)	47 (4.8%)	17 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.0%)	$12,103	$211	$11,892	65.7	76.4	49	67
192085001245	117	North Mahaska Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	2163 135th St	New Sharon	50207	Mahaska County	North Mahaska Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 637-4187	270	23	11.7	28.9%	257 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	$15,724	$178	$15,545	65.7	58.8	142	25
190327000017	118	Albia High School	Public	9-12	503 B Ave East	Albia	52531	Monroe County	Albia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 932-2161	374	26	14.2	38.0%	341 (91.2%)	2 (0.5%)	16 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	$13,316	$266	$13,050	65.4	67.3	100	18
193078001776	119	West Burlington Arnold Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	408 W Van Weiss Blvd	West Burlington	52655	Des Moines County	West Burlington Ind School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 752-8747	487	31	15.5	40.7%	350 (71.9%)	36 (7.4%)	28 (5.7%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (12.3%)	$21,092	$147	$20,945	65.2	52.1	179	60
191959001150	120	Montezuma High School	Public	9-12	504 N. 4th St.	Montezuma	50171	Poweshiek County	Montezuma Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 623-5121	148	13	11.6	28.4%	141 (95.3%)	3 (2.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	$19,393	$194	$19,199	64.8	69.7	87	33

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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

Alternative Schools vs Public Schools: A Comparison

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)
190001501487	111	Sibley-Ocheyedan High School	Public	9-12	120 11th Ave NE	Sibley	51249	Osceola County	Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 754-3601	227	19	11.9	42.7%	171 (75.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	2 (0.9%)	$14,480			$149			$14,331	66.3	41	227	116
190002200957	112	Union High School	Public	9-12	200 Adams St	La Porte City	50651	Black Hawk County	Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 342-2697	316	27	11.8	27.8%	280 (88.6%)	4 (1.3%)	17 (5.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.1%)	$15,170			$348			$14,821	66.3	55.1	163	51
191458000866	113	Independence Junior Senior High School	Public	7-12	700 20th Ave SW	Independence	50644	Buchanan County	Independence Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 334-7405	701	47	15	32.1%	650 (92.7%)	2 (0.3%)	26 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)	$15,700			$579			$15,121	66.2	78.5	42	71
190762000363	114	Clear Lake High School	Public	9-12	125 N 20th St	Clear Lake	50428	Cerro Gordo County	Clear Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 357-5235	458	30	15.4	32.8%	384 (83.8%)	6 (1.3%)	32 (7.0%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (6.1%)	$16,404			$315			$16,089	65.9	74	62	52
191005000641	115	Earlham Senior High School	Public	9-12	535 N Chestnut Ave	Earlham	50072	Madison County	Earlham Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 758-2235	185	16	11.6	17.8%	173 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	$13,628			$119			$13,509	65.9	58.3	149	34
190852000451	116	Dallas Center-Grimes High School	Public	9-12	2555 W 1st St	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-9747	978	56	17.3	17.9%	859 (87.8%)	35 (3.6%)	47 (4.8%)	17 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.0%)	$12,103			$211			$11,892	65.7	76.4	49	67
192085001245	117	North Mahaska Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	2163 135th St	New Sharon	50207	Mahaska County	North Mahaska Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 637-4187	270	23	11.7	28.9%	257 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	$15,724			$178			$15,545	65.7	58.8	142	25
190327000017	118	Albia High School	Public	9-12	503 B Ave East	Albia	52531	Monroe County	Albia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 932-2161	374	26	14.2	38.0%	341 (91.2%)	2 (0.5%)	16 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	$13,316			$266			$13,050	65.4	67.3	100	18
193078001776	119	West Burlington Arnold Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	408 W Van Weiss Blvd	West Burlington	52655	Des Moines County	West Burlington Ind School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 752-8747	487	31	15.5	40.7%	350 (71.9%)	36 (7.4%)	28 (5.7%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (12.3%)	$21,092			$147			$20,945	65.2	52.1	179	60
191959001150	120	Montezuma High School	Public	9-12	504 N. 4th St.	Montezuma	50171	Poweshiek County	Montezuma Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 623-5121	148	13	11.6	28.4%	141 (95.3%)	3 (2.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	$19,393			$194			$19,199	64.8	69.7	87	33