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)
192019001197	221	Nashua-Plainfield Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	612 Greeley St	Nashua	50658	Chickasaw County	Nashua-Plainfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 435-4166	308	24	12.6	29.2%	292 (94.8%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	$15,197	$401	$14,797	43.5	57.7	159	62
190690000297	222	Central Decatur Middle School/High School High School	Public	7-12	1201 NE Poplar St	Leon	50144	Decatur County	Central Decatur Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 446-4816	321	19	16.6	67.6%	304 (94.7%)	2 (0.6%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	$15,573	$600	$14,974	43.3	38	235	13
192973001927	223	Wapello Junior High School	Public	6-8	501 Buchanan St	Wapello	52653	Louisa County	Wapello Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 523-8131	100	6	17.3	44.0%	83 (83.0%)	2 (2.0%)	11 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)	$10,707	$112	$10,595	43.3	29.7	265	42
190897000561	224	Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	651	37	17.3	36.4%	384 (59.0%)	105 (16.1%)	74 (11.4%)	22 (3.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (9.1%)	$12,938	$599	$12,340	42.5	42.4	220	4
192319001373	225	Pocahontas Area Middle/ High School	Public	7-12	205 2nd Ave NW	Pocahontas	50574	Pocahontas County	Pocahontas Area Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 335-4848	374	29	12.7	57.0%	309 (82.6%)	2 (0.5%)	37 (9.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	20 (5.3%)	$15,785	$176	$15,609	42.3	55.3	173	52
193048001723	226	Hoover Middle School	Public	6-8	630 Hillcrest Rd	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2830	831	51	16.2	58.6%	443 (53.3%)	168 (20.2%)	68 (8.2%)	51 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.9%)	85 (10.2%)	$12,322	$288	$12,033	42.2	37.4	238	12
190600002042	227	Calamus-Wheatland Sec Attendance Center	Public	7-12	110 E Park Rd	Wheatland	52777	Clinton County	Calamus-Wheatland Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 374-1292	205	17	11.7	29.3%	194 (94.6%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	$13,932	$184	$13,748	42	45.2	209	18
191338000808	228	H-L-V Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	402 5th Street	Victor	52347	Iowa County	H-L-V Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 647-2161	135	10	14.1	34.1%	127 (94.1%)	3 (2.2%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	$16,288	$495	$15,793	41.9	53.9	179	49
199901902217	229	Southeast Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	30850 Paragon Ave.	Burnside	50521	Webster County	Southeast Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 359-2235	315	22	14.4	40.6%	285 (90.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.9%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	$12,172	$207	$11,965	41.5	47.2	201	28
191971001157	230	Moravia High School	Public	6-12	505 N Trussell Avenue	Moravia	52571	Appanoose County	Moravia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 724-3241	216	15	14.2	41.7%	209 (96.8%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	$13,670	$229	$13,440	41.5	50.6	186	44

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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

No Child Left Behind (NCLB): A Comprehensive Analysis of Its Impact on 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)
192019001197	221	Nashua-Plainfield Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	612 Greeley St	Nashua	50658	Chickasaw County	Nashua-Plainfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 435-4166	308	24	12.6	29.2%	292 (94.8%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	$15,197			$401			$14,797	43.5	57.7	159	62
190690000297	222	Central Decatur Middle School/High School High School	Public	7-12	1201 NE Poplar St	Leon	50144	Decatur County	Central Decatur Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 446-4816	321	19	16.6	67.6%	304 (94.7%)	2 (0.6%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	$15,573			$600			$14,974	43.3	38	235	13
192973001927	223	Wapello Junior High School	Public	6-8	501 Buchanan St	Wapello	52653	Louisa County	Wapello Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 523-8131	100	6	17.3	44.0%	83 (83.0%)	2 (2.0%)	11 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)	$10,707			$112			$10,595	43.3	29.7	265	42
190897000561	224	Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	651	37	17.3	36.4%	384 (59.0%)	105 (16.1%)	74 (11.4%)	22 (3.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (9.1%)	$12,938			$599			$12,340	42.5	42.4	220	4
192319001373	225	Pocahontas Area Middle/ High School	Public	7-12	205 2nd Ave NW	Pocahontas	50574	Pocahontas County	Pocahontas Area Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 335-4848	374	29	12.7	57.0%	309 (82.6%)	2 (0.5%)	37 (9.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	20 (5.3%)	$15,785			$176			$15,609	42.3	55.3	173	52
193048001723	226	Hoover Middle School	Public	6-8	630 Hillcrest Rd	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2830	831	51	16.2	58.6%	443 (53.3%)	168 (20.2%)	68 (8.2%)	51 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.9%)	85 (10.2%)	$12,322			$288			$12,033	42.2	37.4	238	12
190600002042	227	Calamus-Wheatland Sec Attendance Center	Public	7-12	110 E Park Rd	Wheatland	52777	Clinton County	Calamus-Wheatland Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 374-1292	205	17	11.7	29.3%	194 (94.6%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	$13,932			$184			$13,748	42	45.2	209	18
191338000808	228	H-L-V Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	402 5th Street	Victor	52347	Iowa County	H-L-V Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 647-2161	135	10	14.1	34.1%	127 (94.1%)	3 (2.2%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	$16,288			$495			$15,793	41.9	53.9	179	49
199901902217	229	Southeast Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	30850 Paragon Ave.	Burnside	50521	Webster County	Southeast Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 359-2235	315	22	14.4	40.6%	285 (90.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.9%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	$12,172			$207			$11,965	41.5	47.2	201	28
191971001157	230	Moravia High School	Public	6-12	505 N Trussell Avenue	Moravia	52571	Appanoose County	Moravia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 724-3241	216	15	14.2	41.7%	209 (96.8%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	$13,670			$229			$13,440	41.5	50.6	186	44