Best Middle Schools in Pennsylvania

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Find the best Pennsylvania 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!

JUST IN! Pennsylvania PSSA test scores and updated rankings for the 2023-24 school year were recently posted to SchoolDigger!

Year after year, SchoolDigger is always the first to publish Pennsylvania 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.

School	Students/Teachers	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)	Ranking (2024 vs 2023)
422511007619	481	Waynesboro Area Middle School	Public	6-8	702 E 2nd St	Waynesboro	17268	Franklin County	Waynesboro Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 762-1191	990	66	15	53.5%	827 (83.5%)	35 (3.5%)	58 (5.9%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (6.6%)	$12,705	$1,410	$11,295	48.4	53.3	434	47
420915006418	482	Elk Lake Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	2380 Elk Lake School Road	Dimock	18844	Susquehanna County	Elk Lake School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 278-1106	555	63	8.8	33.9%	496 (89.4%)	4 (0.7%)	36 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.2%)	$20,894	$1,303	$19,591	48.2	52.8	439	43
421020004106	483	Franklin Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	246 Pone Lane	Franklin	16323	Venango County	Franklin Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 432-2121	834	55	15.1	84.3%	752 (90.2%)	14 (1.7%)	14 (1.7%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	41 (4.9%)	$15,818	$442	$15,377	48	49.5	476	7
420705004098	484	Cranberry Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	1 Education Dr	Seneca	16346	Venango County	Cranberry Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 676-8504	557	48	11.6	40.9%	535 (96.1%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.3%)	$21,859	$12	$21,847	47.9	57.1	386	98
421899007511	485	Vare-Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1198 S 5th St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8120	339	35	9.6	100.0%	56 (16.5%)	74 (21.8%)	140 (41.3%)	44 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (7.1%)	$20,746	$9,115	$11,631	47.8	70.9	235	250
422436006339	486	Upper Dauphin Area Middle School	Public	5-8	5668 State Route 209	Lykens	17048	Dauphin County	Upper Dauphin Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 362-8177	312	24	13.2	48.1%	278 (89.1%)	11 (3.5%)	13 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	$14,926	$790	$14,136	47.8	61.4	339	147
420501007010	487	Wilson Middle School	Public	6-8	900 Waggoner's Gap Rd	Carlisle	17013	Cumberland County	Carlisle Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 240-6800	577	45	12.8	51.5%	326 (56.5%)	83 (14.4%)	52 (9.0%)	35 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	80 (13.9%)	$18,210	$332	$17,878	47.7	47.7	497	10
420007400529	488	Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2600 S Broad Street	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 551-4000	2,721	166	16.3	61.9%	888 (32.6%)	887 (32.6%)	291 (10.7%)	422 (15.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	230 (8.5%)	$18,384	$3,346	$15,039	47.7	50.6	461	27
422091003935	489	Schuylkill Haven Middle School	Public	5-7	120 Haven Street	Schuylkill Haven	17972	Schuylkill County	Schuylkill Haven Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 385-6708	260	20	13.3	50.4%	229 (88.1%)	3 (1.2%)	21 (8.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	$16,904	$1,358	$15,546	47.6	47.3	501	12
421917006755	490	Pittsburgh Brookline K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	500 Woodbourne Ave	Pittsburgh	15226	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 529-7380	388	32	12.2	97.9%	249 (64.2%)	64 (16.5%)	24 (6.2%)	11 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.3%)	$26,160	$3,366	$22,794	47.5	57.7	378	112

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New! SchoolDigger ranking lists for PA student subgroups:

Female Students Male Students Asian Students African American Students Hispanic Students White Students Multi-racial Students English Language Learner Students Low Socio Economic Status Students Disabled Students

About our rankings:

Schooldigger calculates school rankings based on PSSA Math, PSSA English Language Arts, PSSA Science test scores released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
These rankings were last updated on November 13, 2024, and are based on the most recent test scores available. We update rankings as we receive new test scores from the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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

Charter Schools vs Regular Public Schools: Understanding the Key Differences

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

School															Students/Teachers											Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)							Ranking (2024 vs 2023)
ID	Rank (of 891)	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)
422511007619	481	Waynesboro Area Middle School	Public	6-8	702 E 2nd St	Waynesboro	17268	Franklin County	Waynesboro Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 762-1191	990	66	15	53.5%	827 (83.5%)	35 (3.5%)	58 (5.9%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (6.6%)	$12,705			$1,410			$11,295	48.4	53.3	434	47
420915006418	482	Elk Lake Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	2380 Elk Lake School Road	Dimock	18844	Susquehanna County	Elk Lake School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 278-1106	555	63	8.8	33.9%	496 (89.4%)	4 (0.7%)	36 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.2%)	$20,894			$1,303			$19,591	48.2	52.8	439	43
421020004106	483	Franklin Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	246 Pone Lane	Franklin	16323	Venango County	Franklin Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 432-2121	834	55	15.1	84.3%	752 (90.2%)	14 (1.7%)	14 (1.7%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	41 (4.9%)	$15,818			$442			$15,377	48	49.5	476	7
420705004098	484	Cranberry Area Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	1 Education Dr	Seneca	16346	Venango County	Cranberry Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 676-8504	557	48	11.6	40.9%	535 (96.1%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.3%)	$21,859			$12			$21,847	47.9	57.1	386	98
421899007511	485	Vare-Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1198 S 5th St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8120	339	35	9.6	100.0%	56 (16.5%)	74 (21.8%)	140 (41.3%)	44 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (7.1%)	$20,746			$9,115			$11,631	47.8	70.9	235	250
422436006339	486	Upper Dauphin Area Middle School	Public	5-8	5668 State Route 209	Lykens	17048	Dauphin County	Upper Dauphin Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 362-8177	312	24	13.2	48.1%	278 (89.1%)	11 (3.5%)	13 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	$14,926			$790			$14,136	47.8	61.4	339	147
420501007010	487	Wilson Middle School	Public	6-8	900 Waggoner's Gap Rd	Carlisle	17013	Cumberland County	Carlisle Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 240-6800	577	45	12.8	51.5%	326 (56.5%)	83 (14.4%)	52 (9.0%)	35 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	80 (13.9%)	$18,210			$332			$17,878	47.7	47.7	497	10
420007400529	488	Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2600 S Broad Street	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 551-4000	2,721	166	16.3	61.9%	888 (32.6%)	887 (32.6%)	291 (10.7%)	422 (15.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	230 (8.5%)	$18,384			$3,346			$15,039	47.7	50.6	461	27
422091003935	489	Schuylkill Haven Middle School	Public	5-7	120 Haven Street	Schuylkill Haven	17972	Schuylkill County	Schuylkill Haven Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 385-6708	260	20	13.3	50.4%	229 (88.1%)	3 (1.2%)	21 (8.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	$16,904			$1,358			$15,546	47.6	47.3	501	12
421917006755	490	Pittsburgh Brookline K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	500 Woodbourne Ave	Pittsburgh	15226	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 529-7380	388	32	12.2	97.9%	249 (64.2%)	64 (16.5%)	24 (6.2%)	11 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.3%)	$26,160			$3,366			$22,794	47.5	57.7	378	112