Best Middle Schools in Tucson, AZ (2025-26)
Every ranked middle school in Tucson, AZ, 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.
Tucson, AZ rankings: High Schools · Middle Schools · Elementary Schools
Tucson, AZ middle schools ranked
How Tucson, AZ's middle schools compare
A: 9B: 5C: 6D: 5F: 4
48% of the 29 ranked middle schools in Tucson, AZ earn an A or B (9 A grades, 5 B, 6 C, 5 D, 4 F), against 46% of middle schools nationwide. 21 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (72% here, 70% nationally), and 12 exceed it. On average 31% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 26% (national averages: 45% actual, 38% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Paulo Freire Freedom School University (54% against 25%, A), Wakefield Middle School (44% against 18%, A-), Future Investment Middle School (43% against 17%, A-), Flowing Wells Junior High School (35% against 18%, B), Desert Sky Middle School (53% against 38%, A).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 10): Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) (2), Vail Unified District (4413) (2), Tucson Unified District (4403) (2).
The largest ranked middle schools: Flowing Wells Junior High School (818 students, B, #11), Mansfeld Middle Magnet School (817 students, C+, #15), Desert Sky Middle School (764 students, A, #4).
Of the top 25, 0 are magnet schools and 4 are charters. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.
Middle schools in Tucson, AZ 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.
- Pima Partnership Academy, Tucson
About this ranking
- Scope: public middle schools in Tucson, AZ, as grouped on its schools page; the Arizona ranking covers the whole state.
- 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 Tucson, AZ
What is the best middle school in Tucson, AZ?
Orange Grove Middle School in Tucson ranks first among the 29 ranked middle schools in Tucson, AZ with a SchoolGrade of A+, 63% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 58%.
How are middle schools in Tucson, AZ 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 Tucson, AZ have?
SchoolGrade grades 30 public middle schools in Tucson, AZ; 29 are ranked here and 1 are listed as not ranked.