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Best Schools in Ames, IA
Ames, IA has 24 public schools (5 high, 5 middle, 14 elementary) serving 11,658 students. On average they score 80% on state proficiency tests against a projected 66%, so schools in Ames meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Ames, IA
The top high schools in Ames, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Gilbert High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gilbert Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 537 Students
2. Ballard High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ballard Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 545 Students
3. Ames High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1403 Students
4. Boone High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Boone Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 711 Students
5. Nevada High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Nevada Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 491 Students
Best Middle Schools in Ames, IA
The top middle schools in Ames, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Gilbert Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gilbert Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 409 Students
2. Ballard Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ballard Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 432 Students
3. Nevada Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Nevada Comm School District • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 443 Students
4. Ames Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1002 Students
5. Boone Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Boone Comm School District • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 582 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Ames, IA
The top elementary schools in Ames, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Ames Christian School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Christian School • Private • Grades Pre K - 6 • 87 Students
2. Gilbert Intermediate School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gilbert Comm School District • Public • Grades 3 - 5 • 341 Students
3. Central Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Nevada Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 4 • 608 Students
4. St Cecilia Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
St Cecilia Elementary School • Private • Grades Pre K - 5 • 162 Students
5. Fellows Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 528 Students
6. Meeker Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 351 Students
7. Ballard East Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ballard Comm School District • Public • Grades 3 - 5 • 422 Students
8. Sawyer Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 367 Students
9. Edwards Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 450 Students
10. Mitchell Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ames Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 290 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Ames, IA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Ames, IA has a total population of 69,499 with 51% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 97%, and 64% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Ames, IA
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Ames, IA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
18.31 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.00 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
15.30 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Ames, IA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Ames, IA.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Ames, IA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Ames, IA
How many schools are in Ames, IA?
Ames, IA has 24 public schools: 5 high schools, 5 middle schools and 14 elementary schools, serving 11,658 students in total.
How do schools in Ames perform on state tests?
On average, 24 schools in Ames score 80% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 66%, so on average schools in Ames meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Ames?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Ames, IA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 78%
- Projected: 62%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 87%
- Projected: 73%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 74%
- Projected: 71%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 80%
- Projected: 74%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 81%
- Projected: 68%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 70%
- Projected: 66%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 80%
- Projected: 73%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 76%
- Projected: 61%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 81%
- Projected: 67%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 82%
- Projected: 72%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Every school in Ames
7 of 8 schools in Ames carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 1B: 3C: 3
All 8 public schools we grade in Ames. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (1)
Middle and junior high schools (1)
Elementary and primary schools (5)
- Edwards Elementary School
- Fellows Elementary School
- Meeker Elementary School
- Mitchell Elementary School
- Sawyer Elementary School
Other schools and academies (1)
Private schools (2)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.