Best Middle Schools in Iowa

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Find the best Iowa middle 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)
192184001303	91	Osage Middle School	Public	5-8	820 Sawyer	Osage	50461	Mitchell County	Osage Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 732-3127	268	17	16.2	32.8%	245 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	$10,699	$177	$10,522	69.6	62	131	40
190897002011	92	Cowles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6401 College Ave	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7818	391	22	17.8	16.9%	305 (78.0%)	6 (1.5%)	25 (6.4%)	13 (3.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.7%)	$14,566	$624	$13,942	69.4	81.9	28	64
191473000905	93	Riverbend Middle School	Public	6-8	1124 Union St.	Iowa Falls	50126	Hardin County	Iowa Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 648-6430	288	20	14.4	41.7%	246 (85.4%)	3 (1.0%)	28 (9.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.1%)	$11,292	$148	$11,144	69.2	61.3	136	43
192083002179	94	North Union Middle School	Public	6-8	203 5th St North	Swea City	50590	Kossuth County	North Kossuth Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 272-4361	128	10	12.9	53.1%	116 (90.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.5%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)	$13,665	$322	$13,343	69.1	87.3	10	84
191095000676	95	Emmetsburg Middle School	Public	5-8	205 King Street	Emmetsburg	50536	Palo Alto County	Emmetsburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 852-2892	225	11	20.2	48.0%	195 (86.7%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (8.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.0%)	$11,531	$229	$11,302	69	60	145	50
191545000749	96	Summit Middle School	Public	6-7	9500 Windsor Parkway	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-0318	1,112	69	16	26.8%	738 (66.4%)	126 (11.3%)	83 (7.5%)	106 (9.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (5.2%)	$11,977	$474	$11,503	68.9	74.6	62	34
192094001255	97	North Scott Junior High School	Public	7-8	502 S 5th St	Eldridge	52748	Scott County	North Scott Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 285-8272	541	36	14.8	24.0%	468 (86.5%)	15 (2.8%)	35 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.1%)	$12,673	$110	$12,563	68.9	70.5	85	12
191311000170	98	Nodaway Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	112 1st St	Fontanelle	50846	Adair County	Nodaway Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 745-2291	132	10	13.5	50.0%	116 (87.9%)	1 (0.8%)	11 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	$13,138	$162	$12,976	68.6	70.3	87	11
191875001097	99	Martensdale-St Marys Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	390 Burlington	Martensdale	50160	Warren County	Martensdale-St Marys Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 764-2486	275	20	13.9	22.5%	253 (92.0%)	5 (1.8%)	13 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	$13,788	$409	$13,378	68.4	61.6	135	36
190378000085	100	Westside Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	108 Clinton St	Westside	51467	Crawford County	Ar-We-Va Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 663-4311	106	5	21.8	33.0%	79 (74.5%)	2 (1.9%)	21 (19.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	$20,284	$449	$19,835	68.1	81.9	29	71

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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:

Student-Teacher Ratios and their Impact on Class Sizes & School Selection

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Virtual Schools: The Future of Online Education

School															Students/Teachers											Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)							Ranking (2024 vs 2023)
ID	Rank (of 337)	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)
192184001303	91	Osage Middle School	Public	5-8	820 Sawyer	Osage	50461	Mitchell County	Osage Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 732-3127	268	17	16.2	32.8%	245 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	$10,699			$177			$10,522	69.6	62	131	40
190897002011	92	Cowles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6401 College Ave	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7818	391	22	17.8	16.9%	305 (78.0%)	6 (1.5%)	25 (6.4%)	13 (3.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.7%)	$14,566			$624			$13,942	69.4	81.9	28	64
191473000905	93	Riverbend Middle School	Public	6-8	1124 Union St.	Iowa Falls	50126	Hardin County	Iowa Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 648-6430	288	20	14.4	41.7%	246 (85.4%)	3 (1.0%)	28 (9.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.1%)	$11,292			$148			$11,144	69.2	61.3	136	43
192083002179	94	North Union Middle School	Public	6-8	203 5th St North	Swea City	50590	Kossuth County	North Kossuth Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 272-4361	128	10	12.9	53.1%	116 (90.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.5%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)	$13,665			$322			$13,343	69.1	87.3	10	84
191095000676	95	Emmetsburg Middle School	Public	5-8	205 King Street	Emmetsburg	50536	Palo Alto County	Emmetsburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 852-2892	225	11	20.2	48.0%	195 (86.7%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (8.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.0%)	$11,531			$229			$11,302	69	60	145	50
191545000749	96	Summit Middle School	Public	6-7	9500 Windsor Parkway	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-0318	1,112	69	16	26.8%	738 (66.4%)	126 (11.3%)	83 (7.5%)	106 (9.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (5.2%)	$11,977			$474			$11,503	68.9	74.6	62	34
192094001255	97	North Scott Junior High School	Public	7-8	502 S 5th St	Eldridge	52748	Scott County	North Scott Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 285-8272	541	36	14.8	24.0%	468 (86.5%)	15 (2.8%)	35 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.1%)	$12,673			$110			$12,563	68.9	70.5	85	12
191311000170	98	Nodaway Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	112 1st St	Fontanelle	50846	Adair County	Nodaway Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 745-2291	132	10	13.5	50.0%	116 (87.9%)	1 (0.8%)	11 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	$13,138			$162			$12,976	68.6	70.3	87	11
191875001097	99	Martensdale-St Marys Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	390 Burlington	Martensdale	50160	Warren County	Martensdale-St Marys Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 764-2486	275	20	13.9	22.5%	253 (92.0%)	5 (1.8%)	13 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	$13,788			$409			$13,378	68.4	61.6	135	36
190378000085	100	Westside Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	108 Clinton St	Westside	51467	Crawford County	Ar-We-Va Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 663-4311	106	5	21.8	33.0%	79 (74.5%)	2 (1.9%)	21 (19.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	$20,284			$449			$19,835	68.1	81.9	29	71