Best Middle Schools in Delaware (2025-26)
Every ranked middle school in Delaware, ordered by SchoolGrade. A grade rewards actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by school, city or district.
Delaware rankings: High Schools · Middle Schools · Elementary Schools
Delaware middle schools ranked
How Delaware's middle schools compare
A: 8B: 6C: 8D: 8F: 2
44% of the 32 ranked middle schools in Delaware earn an A or B (8 A grades, 6 B, 8 C, 8 D, 2 F), against 46% of middle schools nationwide. 21 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (66% here, 70% nationally), and 9 exceed it. On average 28% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 32% (national averages: 45% actual, 38% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Dover Air Force Base Middle School (59% against 36%, A+), Laurel Middle School (25% against 15%, C).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 10): Appoquinimink School District (3), Caesar Rodney School District (2), Cape Henlopen School District (2).
Cities with the most ranked middle schools: Wilmington (4, 2 at A or B), Middletown (3, 2 at A or B), Newark (3, 0 at A or B), New Castle (3, 0 at A or B).
The largest ranked middle schools: Milford Central Academy (1,068 students, D+, #24), Smyrna Middle School (1,027 students, C, #20), Chipman Wt Middle School (965 students, C+, #15).
Middle schools in Delaware that are not ranked
1 graded middle schools are listed here rather than ranked, each for the reason given. Every one has its own page with its full SchoolGrade report.
Not yet graded (1)
Our source data has no school-level proficiency results for these schools, so they carry no SchoolGrade yet.
- Central Middle School, Dover
About this ranking
- Scope: every public middle school in Delaware.
- Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
- Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
- Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the middle schools.
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works
Questions about middle schools in Delaware
What is the best middle school in Delaware?
Dover Air Force Base Middle School in Dover ranks first among the 32 ranked middle schools in Delaware with a SchoolGrade of A+, 59% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 36%.
How are middle schools in Delaware ranked?
By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.
How many middle schools does Delaware have?
SchoolGrade grades 33 public middle schools in Delaware; 32 are ranked here and 1 are listed as not ranked.