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Best Schools in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines, IA has 293 public schools (53 high, 53 middle, 166 elementary) serving 140,515 students. On average they score 71% on state proficiency tests against a projected 56%, so schools in Des Moines meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Des Moines, IA
The top high schools in Des Moines, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Van Meter High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Van Meter Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 292 Students
2. Adm Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adel Desoto Minburn Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 651 Students
3. Pella High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Pella Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 764 Students
4. Martensdale-st Marys Jr-sr High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Martensdale-st Marys Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 275 Students
5. Earlham Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Earlham Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 185 Students
6. Audubon Middle-high School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Audubon Comm School District • Public • Grades 5 - 12 • 296 Students
7. Ankeny Centennial High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ankeny Comm School District • Public • Grades 10 - 12 • 1443 Students
8. Lynnville-sully High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lynnville-sully Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 166 Students
9. Madrid High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Madrid Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 206 Students
10. Indianola High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indianola Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1120 Students
Best Middle Schools in Des Moines, IA
The top middle schools in Des Moines, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Van Meter Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Van Meter Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 227 Students
2. Pella Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Pella Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 382 Students
3. North Polk Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
North Polk Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 455 Students
4. Adm Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adel Desoto Minburn Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 343 Students
5. Nodaway Valley Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Nodaway Valley Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 132 Students
6. Dc-g Oak View
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dallas Center-grimes Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 578 Students
7. Dallas Center-grimes Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dallas Center-grimes Comm School District • Public • Grades 5 - 6 • 527 Students
8. Parkview Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ankeny Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 7 • 867 Students
9. Waukee Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1069 Students
10. Ballard Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ballard Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 432 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Des Moines, IA
The top elementary schools in Des Moines, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Bergman Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bergman Academy • Private • Grades Pre K - 8 • 321 Students
2. Newton Christian School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Newton Christian School • Private • Grades Pre K - 8 • 98 Students
3. St Augustin Catholic School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
St Augustin Catholic School • Private • Grades Pre K - 8 • 279 Students
4. Mitchellville Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Southeast Polk Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 242 Students
5. Prairie Trail Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ankeny Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 571 Students
6. Runnells Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Southeast Polk Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 269 Students
7. Van Meter Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Van Meter Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 571 Students
8. Walnut Hills Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 625 Students
9. Dallas Center Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dallas Center-grimes Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 4 • 199 Students
10. Shuler Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 658 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Des Moines, IA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Des Moines, IA has a total population of 709,466 with 25% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 93%, and 40% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
15.63 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.04 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
12.60 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Des Moines, IA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Des Moines, IA
How many schools are in Des Moines, IA?
Des Moines, IA has 293 public schools: 53 high schools, 53 middle schools and 166 elementary schools, serving 140,515 students in total.
How do schools in Des Moines perform on state tests?
On average, 293 schools in Des Moines score 71% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 56%, so on average schools in Des Moines meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Des Moines?
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 Des Moines, IA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 52%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 69%
- Projected: 58%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 72%
- Projected: 61%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 74%
- Projected: 60%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 71%
- Projected: 56%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 77%
- Projected: 64%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 75%
- Projected: 65%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 70%
- Projected: 60%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 68%
- Projected: 60%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 75%
- Projected: 69%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Every school in Des Moines
60 of 64 schools in Des Moines carry a SchoolGrade (4 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 1B: 2C: 4D: 15F: 38
All 64 public schools we grade in Des Moines. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (6)
- East High School
- Hoover High School
- Lincoln High School
- North High School
- Roosevelt High School
- Saydel High School
Middle and junior high schools (11)
- Brody Middle School
- Callanan Middle School
- Goodrell Middle School
- Harding Middle School
- Hiatt Middle School
- Hoyt Middle School
- Mccombs Middle School
- Meredith Middle School
- Merrill Middle School
- Weeks Middle School
- Woodside Middle School
Elementary and primary schools (40)
- Brubaker Elementary School
- Capitol View Elementary School
- Carver Elementary
- Cattell Elementary School
- Cornell Elementary School
- Cowles Elementary School
- Delaware Elementary
- Edmunds Elementary School
- Findley Elementary School
- Garton Elementary
- Greenwood Elementary School
- Hanawalt Elementary
- Hillis Elementary School
- Howe Elementary
- Hubbell Elementary
- Jackson Elementary School
- Jefferson Elementary School
- King Elementary School
- Lovejoy Elementary School
- Madison Elementary School
- Mckee Elementary School
- Mckinley Elementary School
- Mitchell Early Childhood Center
- Monroe Elementary School
- Moore Elementary School
- Morris Elementary School
- Moulton Elementary School
- Park Ave Elementary School
- Perkins Elementary School
- Phillips Elementary
- Pleasant Hill Elementary School
- River Woods Elementary School
- Samuelson Elementary School
- South Union Elementary School
- Stowe Elementary School
- Studebaker Elementary School
- Willard Elementary School
- Windsor Elementary
- Woodlawn Early Childhood Center
- Wright Elementary School
Other schools and academies (7)
- Clive Learning Academy
- Downtown School
- Jessie Franklin Taylor
- Oak Park
- Ruby Van Meter
- Virtual Campus
- Walnut Street School
Private schools (13)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.
- Bergman Academy
- Christ The King School
- Des Moines Adventist School
- Grand View Christian School
- Holy Family School
- Holy Trinity
- Joshua Christian Academy
- Mt Olive Lutheran School
- One School Global Des Moines Campus
- St Anthony Elementary School
- St Augustin Catholic School
- St Joseph Elementary School
- St Theresa Catholic School