Home › Colorado › Adams County
Best Schools in Thornton, CO
Thornton, CO has 64 public schools (14 high, 9 middle, 37 elementary) serving 36,194 students. On average they score 25% on state proficiency tests against a projected 25%, so schools in Thornton don't meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Thornton, CO
The top high schools in Thornton, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Horizon High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2026 Students
2. Mountain Range High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1761 Students
3. Riverdale Ridge High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District 27j • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1463 Students
4. Northglenn High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1959 Students
5. Academy High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mapleton School District No. 1 In The County Of Adams & St • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 420 Students
6. Adams City High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District N. 14 In The County Of Adams & State Of Colo • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1666 Students
7. Mapleton Expeditionary School Of The Arts
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mapleton School District No. 1 In The County Of Adams & St • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 478 Students
8. Mapleton Early Career Preparation
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mapleton School District No. 1 In The County Of Adams & St • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 319 Students
9. Pathways Future Center
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 390 Students
10. Global Leadership Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mapleton School District No. 1 In The County Of Adams & St • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 366 Students
Best Middle Schools in Thornton, CO
The top middle schools in Thornton, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Rocky Top Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1001 Students
2. Century Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 827 Students
3. Rodger Quist Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District 27j • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 923 Students
4. Prairie View Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District 27j • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 658 Students
5. Silver Hills Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 957 Students
6. Shadow Ridge Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 672 Students
7. Northglenn Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 684 Students
8. Adams City Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District N. 14 In The County Of Adams & State Of Colo • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 550 Students
9. Thornton Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 732 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Thornton, CO
The top elementary schools in Thornton, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Kenneth Homyak Pk-8
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Weld Re-8 Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 8 • 316 Students
2. Silver Creek Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 565 Students
3. Prairie Hills Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 449 Students
4. Eagleview Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 493 Students
5. Brantner Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District 27j • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 682 Students
6. Stellar Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 406 Students
7. Tarver Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 484 Students
8. Hunters Glen Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 459 Students
9. Stem Launch
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Adams 12 Five Star Schools • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 738 Students
10. John W Thimmig Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
School District 27j • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 528 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Thornton, CO
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Thornton, CO has a total population of 88,784 with 27% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 83%, and 28% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Thornton, CO
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 Thornton, CO.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
29.61 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
4.16 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
25.44 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Thornton, CO.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Thornton, CO.
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 Thornton, CO Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Thornton, CO
How many schools are in Thornton, CO?
Thornton, CO has 64 public schools: 14 high schools, 9 middle schools and 37 elementary schools, serving 36,194 students in total.
How do schools in Thornton perform on state tests?
On average, 64 schools in Thornton score 25% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 25%, so on average schools in Thornton don't meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Thornton?
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 Thornton, CO
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 26%
- Projected: 24%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 18%
- Projected: 15%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 16%
- Projected: 16%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 19%
- Projected: 16%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 13%
- Projected: 12%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 21%
- Projected: 25%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 50%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 18%
- Projected: 14%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 26%
- Projected: 25%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Every school in Thornton
36 of 40 schools in Thornton carry a SchoolGrade (4 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 3B: 5C: 9D: 14F: 5
All 40 public schools we grade in Thornton. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (3)
Middle and junior high schools (5)
- Century Middle School
- Rocky Top Middle School
- Rodger Quist Middle School
- Shadow Ridge Middle School
- Thornton Middle School
Elementary and primary schools (16)
- Brantner Elementary School
- Cherry Drive Elementary School
- Coronado Hills Elementary School
- Eagleview Elementary School
- Hunters Glen Elementary School
- Mapleton Early Career Preparation
- Mcelwain Elementary School
- Prairie Hills Elementary School
- Riverdale Elementary School
- Silver Creek Elementary
- Skyview Elementary School
- Stellar Elementary School
- Tarver Elementary School
- Thornton Elementary School
- West Ridge Elementary
- Woodglen Elementary School
Other schools and academies (16)
- Achieve Academy
- Adams12 Five Star Preschool
- Bright Horizons Preschool
- Clayton Partnership School
- Explore Pk 8
- Five Star Online Academy
- Mapleton Expeditionary School Of The Arts
- Meadow Community School
- New America School Thornton
- North Valley School For Young Adults
- Pathways Future Center
- Preschool On Poze
- Stargate Charter School
- Stem Launch
- Westgate Community School
- York International
Private schools (6)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.
- A Child's Touch
- Eastlake Montessori School
- Frassati Catholic Academy
- Hope Montessori Academy
- Lord Of Life Lutheran School
- Primrose School Of Thornton