Best Public Schools in Lawrence, KS

Summary:

The city of Lawrence, Kansas is home to 18 schools, including 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The data reveals a wide range of academic performance across the schools, with some standout performers and others struggling to meet proficiency standards.

Langston Hughes Elementary and Quail Run Elementary are the top-performing elementary schools, ranking 16th and 78th out of 653 Kansas elementary schools, respectively. These schools have consistently high test scores, with over 70% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics. In contrast, Prairie Park Elementary, Woodlawn Elementary, and Lawrence Liberty Memorial Central Mid School appear to be struggling, with lower test scores and rankings compared to their peers.

At the high school level, Lawrence Free State High School stands out, ranking 53rd out of 318 Kansas high schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. It outperforms the Lawrence and Kansas averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science proficiency. The data also reveals significant variation in student-teacher ratios across the schools, which could be a factor in the observed differences in performance.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KAP English Language Arts (2024)								KAP Mathematics (2024)								KAP Science (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	KAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	KAP Mathematics 4th Grade	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics 6th Grade	KAP Mathematics 7th Grade	KAP Mathematics 8th Grade	KAP Mathematics 10th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science 8th Grade	KAP Science 11th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunflower Elementary	Public	K-5	2521 Inverness Drive	Lawrence	66047	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5870	468	29	16.1	46.6%	295 (63.0%)	30 (6.4%)	62 (13.2%)	10 (2.1%)	11 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	58 (12.4%)	62	224^th of 653 public elementary schools	65.7%		73.3	138^th of 660 public elementary schools	79.1%	86	42.9	60.0	37.6					45.7	44.0	50.0	41.2					44.7	48.2			48.2	$9,519	$431	$9,088
Prairie Park Elementary	Public	K-5	2711 Kensington Road	Lawrence	66046	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 832-5740	376	25	15.0	55.9%	222 (59.0%)	21 (5.6%)	39 (10.4%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	83 (22.1%)	24.8	517^th of 653 public elementary schools	20.8%		26.8	511^th of 660 public elementary schools	22.6%	6	19.6	26.1	32.9					26.8	22.0	23.2	28.6					24.9	34.3			34.3	$11,322	$604	$10,718
Lawrence Southwest Middle School	Public	6-8	2511 Inverness Drive	Lawrence	66047	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5550	641	45	14.2	26.8%	444 (69.3%)	27 (4.2%)	53 (8.3%)	34 (5.3%)	12 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (11.1%)	81.5	40^th of 362 public middle schools	89.0%		79.3	43^rd of 362 public middle schools	88.1%	3				47.9	39.9	31.0		39.5				44.6	50.8	45.4		46.8		33.6		33.6	$10,158	$462	$9,696
Lawrence Free State High	Public	9-12	4700 Overland Drive	Lawrence	66049	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-6050	1,777	91	19.5	32.2%	1,223 (68.8%)	99 (5.6%)	169 (9.5%)	72 (4.1%)	39 (2.2%)	5 (0.3%)	170 (9.6%)	74.9	53^rd of 318 public high schools	83.3%		80	41^st of 327 public high schools	87.5%	12							39.2	39.2							32.6	32.6			31.4	31.4	$9,582	$442	$9,140
Cordley Elementary	Public	K-5	1837 Vermont St	Lawrence	66044	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 832-5640	275	24	11.6	50.5%	148 (53.8%)	12 (4.4%)	60 (21.8%)	11 (4.0%)	8 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (13.1%)	59	252^nd of 653 public elementary schools	61.4%		46.7	356^th of 660 public elementary schools	46.1%	104	44.7	45.0	37.7					42.5	56.2	41.9	37.7					44.8	49.0			49.0	$13,778	$736	$13,042
Deerfield Elementary	Public	K-5	101 Lawrence Avenue	Lawrence	66049	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5660	457	28	16.5	28.2%	329 (72.0%)	18 (3.9%)	47 (10.3%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (12.3%)	68.7	175^th of 653 public elementary schools	73.2%		66.7	180^th of 660 public elementary schools	72.7%	5	53.6	44.3	47.6					48.1	66.7	45.5	39.0					49.4	51.2			51.2	$8,975	$438	$8,537
Hillcrest Elementary	Public	K-5	1045 Hilltop Dr	Lawrence	66044	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 832-5720	346	32	10.7	59.8%	151 (43.6%)	23 (6.6%)	108 (31.2%)	28 (8.1%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	29 (8.4%)	45.9	362^nd of 653 public elementary schools	44.6%		50.8	323^rd of 660 public elementary schools	51.1%	39	37.3	49.3	36.8					41.5	46.4	28.4	26.4					33.3	43.1			43.1	$12,172	$1,501	$10,672
New York Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	936 New York Street	Lawrence	66044	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 832-5780	416	21	19.5	56.7%	240 (57.7%)	33 (7.9%)	59 (14.2%)	9 (2.2%)	14 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	60 (14.4%)	47.9	349^th of 653 public elementary schools	46.6%		51.6	315^th of 660 public elementary schools	52.3%	34	27.8	40.0	37.5					34.4	55.6	44.0	25.0					41.9	46.9			46.9	$11,203	$1,332	$9,871
Schwegler Elementary	Public	K-5	2201 Ousdahl Rd	Lawrence	66046	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 832-5860	314	24	13.1	56.4%	146 (46.5%)	21 (6.7%)	83 (26.4%)	6 (1.9%)	8 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	49 (15.6%)	41.2	406^th of 653 public elementary schools	37.8%		60.6	227^th of 660 public elementary schools	65.6%	179	41.9	41.9	31.5					38.8	43.5	25.8	33.3					34.3	33.3			33.3	$11,520	$1,764	$9,756
Sunset Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	901 Schwarz Rd	Lawrence	66049	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5880	378	22	17.1	48.9%	238 (63.0%)	13 (3.4%)	42 (11.1%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (20.4%)	45.8	364^th of 653 public elementary schools	44.3%		49.7	332^nd of 660 public elementary schools	49.7%	32	22.4	48.4	45.9					39.7	41.4	32.8	31.5					34.9	43.2			43.2	$9,587	$609	$8,978
Woodlawn Elementary	Public	K-5	508 Elm St	Lawrence	66044	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 832-5920	211	15	14.2	52.1%	139 (65.9%)	16 (7.6%)	11 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (19.0%)	17	567^th of 653 public elementary schools	13.2%		31.6	480^th of 660 public elementary schools	27.3%	87	15.0	24.3	25.6					21.5	27.5	24.3	10.3					20.7	28.9			28.9	$12,533	$1,290	$11,243
Lawrence Liberty Memorial Central Mid School	Public	6-8	1400 Massachusetts St	Lawrence	66044	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5400	422	32	13.1	66.8%	252 (59.7%)	34 (8.1%)	60 (14.2%)	9 (2.1%)	14 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (12.6%)	36.8	227^th of 362 public middle schools	37.3%		33.4	242^nd of 362 public middle schools	33.1%	15				27.9	26.3	24.0		26.0				14.8	14.1	16.0		15.1		28.0		28.0	$12,239	$682	$11,558
Billy Mills Middle School	Public	6-8	2734 Louisiana St	Lawrence	66046	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5450	516	40	12.8	58.5%	282 (54.7%)	46 (8.9%)	84 (16.3%)	11 (2.1%)	28 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.6%)	31	264^th of 362 public middle schools	27.1%		27.5	283^rd of 362 public middle schools	21.8%	19				29.8	22.8	16.1		22.8				19.0	16.5	15.7		17.1		21.6		21.6	$12,207	$703	$11,504
Lawrence West Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 Harvard Road	Lawrence	66049	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5500	609	43	14.2	43.0%	418 (68.6%)	30 (4.9%)	62 (10.2%)	15 (2.5%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	77 (12.6%)	49.6	154^th of 362 public middle schools	57.5%		47.8	161^st of 362 public middle schools	55.5%	7				31.0	40.2	19.9		30.5				25.8	32.4	14.0		24.2		28.4		28.4	$10,448	$560	$9,889
Lawrence High	Public	9-12	1901 Louisiana St	Lawrence	66046	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5050	1,589	88	18.1	49.5%	964 (60.7%)	116 (7.3%)	209 (13.2%)	46 (2.9%)	72 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	182 (11.5%)	54.6	131^st of 318 public high schools	58.8%		63.6	98^th of 327 public high schools	70.0%	33							28.6	28.6							21.2	21.2			31.9	31.9	$10,851	$731	$10,120
Quail Run Elementary	Public	K-5	1130 Inverness Drive	Lawrence	66049	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5820	393	25	15.7	27.5%	286 (72.8%)	7 (1.8%)	25 (6.4%)	16 (4.1%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (13.5%)	84.9	78^th of 653 public elementary schools	88.1%		87.7	58^th of 660 public elementary schools	91.2%	20	56.9	56.7	64.7					59.6	69.2	56.7	55.9					60.6	58.8			58.8	$8,390	$412	$7,978
Langston Hughes Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 George Williams Way	Lawrence	66049	Douglas County	Lawrence	No	No	No	No	(785) 832-5890	476	24	19.8	13.9%	350 (73.5%)	11 (2.3%)	29 (6.1%)	38 (8.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.5%)	94.3	16^th of 653 public elementary schools	97.5%		91.1	34^th of 660 public elementary schools	94.8%	18	72.3	80.3	62.8					71.0	77.7	63.6	72.0					72.3	69.1			69.1	$8,150	$573	$7,577
Lawrence Virtual School	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	110 McDonald Drive	Lawrence	66044	Douglas County	Lawrence	Yes	No	Yes	No	(785) 832-5620	766	35	21.9	0.4%	500 (65.3%)	65 (8.5%)	98 (12.8%)	15 (2.0%)	16 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (9.4%)								(n/a)	33.3		60.0	42.1	47.6	31.4	36.4	40.5	53.3		60.0	26.3	39.0	16.7	15.0	28.6	50.0	26.5	28.1	29.7	$6,505	$33	$6,473

Cities Near Lawrence

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Eudora	7.97 mi	4	67^th
Lecompton	9.24 mi	1	217^th
Perry	10.55 mi	2	188^th
Baldwin City	12.73 mi	4	79^th
Tonganoxie	13.25 mi	3	207^th

See the top KS Kansas cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kansas State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.