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Best Schools in Bellingham, WA
Bellingham, WA has 70 public schools (17 high, 10 middle, 38 elementary) serving 27,217 students. On average they score 48% on state proficiency tests against a projected 42%, so schools in Bellingham meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Bellingham, WA
The top high schools in Bellingham, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Sehome High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1163 Students
2. Bellingham High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1218 Students
3. Ferndale High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ferndale School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1323 Students
4. Meridian High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meridian School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 487 Students
5. Squalicum High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1280 Students
6. Sedro Woolley Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Sedro-woolley School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1276 Students
7. Lynden High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lynden School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 962 Students
8. Mount Baker Senior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mount Baker School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 517 Students
9. Intergenerational High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Intergenerational High School • Charter • Grades 9 - 12 • 69 Students
10. Blaine Re-engagement
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Blaine School District • Public • Grades 10 - 12 • 13 Students
Best Middle Schools in Bellingham, WA
The top middle schools in Bellingham, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Fairhaven Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 597 Students
2. Kulshan Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 623 Students
3. Whatcom Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 600 Students
4. Meridian Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meridian School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 382 Students
5. Lynden Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lynden School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 643 Students
6. Vista Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ferndale School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 572 Students
7. Horizon Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ferndale School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 449 Students
8. Shuksan Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 579 Students
9. Cascade Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Sedro-woolley School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 697 Students
10. Mount Baker Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mount Baker School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 278 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Bellingham, WA
The top elementary schools in Bellingham, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Silver Beach Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 349 Students
2. Lowell Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 303 Students
3. Geneva Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 432 Students
4. Edison Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Burlington-edison School District • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 361 Students
5. Lyman Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Sedro-woolley School District • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 164 Students
6. Wade King Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 346 Students
7. Sunnyland Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 316 Students
8. Parkview Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 399 Students
9. Meridian Parent Partnership Program
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meridian School District • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 217 Students
10. Columbia Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bellingham School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 231 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Bellingham, WA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Bellingham, WA has a total population of 118,381 with 26% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 95%, and 45% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Bellingham, WA
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 Bellingham, WA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
44.34 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
4.83 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
39.52 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Bellingham, WA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Bellingham, WA.
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 Bellingham, WA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Bellingham, WA
How many schools are in Bellingham, WA?
Bellingham, WA has 70 public schools: 17 high schools, 10 middle schools and 38 elementary schools, serving 27,217 students in total.
How do schools in Bellingham perform on state tests?
On average, 70 schools in Bellingham score 48% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 42%, so on average schools in Bellingham meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Bellingham?
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 Bellingham, WA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 61%
- Projected: 51%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 62%
- Projected: 50%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 59%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 47%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 46%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 44%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 44%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 47%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Every school in Bellingham
25 of 36 schools in Bellingham carry a SchoolGrade (11 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 7B: 10C: 4D: 4
All 36 public schools we grade in Bellingham. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (7)
- Bellingham High School
- Intergenerational High School
- Lummi High School
- Meridian High School
- Options High School
- Sehome High School
- Squalicum High School
Middle and junior high schools (4)
Elementary and primary schools (16)
- Alderwood Elementary School
- Birchwood Elementary School
- Carl Cozier Elementary School
- Columbia Elementary School
- Cordata Elementary School
- Geneva Elementary School
- Happy Valley Elementary School
- Harmony Elementary
- Lowell Elementary School
- Lummi Elementary School
- Northern Heights Elementary Schl
- Parkview Elementary School
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- Silver Beach Elementary School
- Sunnyland Elementary School
- Wade King Elementary School
Other schools and academies (9)
- Bellingham Family Partnership Program
- Bellingham Re Engagement Program
- Blaine Re Engagement
- Meridian Impact Re Engagement
- Meridian Parent Partnership Program
- Meridian Special Programs
- North Bell Learning Center
- Visions Seamar Youth Center
- Whatcom Co Detention Center
Private schools (12)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.
- Assumption Catholic School
- Bellingham Christian School
- Blue Heron Montessori School
- Cascades Montessori Middle
- Cedar Tree Montessori
- Explorations Academy
- Gardenview Montessori
- Independence High School
- Montessori At Samish Woods
- St Paul's Academy
- The Franklin Academy
- Whatcom Hills Waldorf School