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Best Schools in Traverse City, MI
Traverse City, MI has 45 public schools (11 high, 6 middle, 21 elementary) serving 16,103 students. On average they score 46% on state proficiency tests against a projected 43%, so schools in Traverse City meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Traverse City, MI
The top high schools in Traverse City, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Elk Rapids High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Elk Rapids Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 380 Students
2. West Senior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1509 Students
3. Kingsley Area High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Kingsley Area Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 457 Students
4. Central High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades 8 - 12 • 1387 Students
5. The Greenspire High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
The Greenspire School • Charter • Grades 9 - 12 • 125 Students
6. Benzie Central Sr High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Benzie County Central Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 348 Students
7. Suttons Bay Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Suttons Bay Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 161 Students
8. The Greenspire School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
The Greenspire School • Charter • Grades 6 - 12 • 120 Students
9. Forest Area High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Forest Area Community Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 158 Students
10. Traverse City High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 158 Students
Best Middle Schools in Traverse City, MI
The top middle schools in Traverse City, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Kingsley Area Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Kingsley Area Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 457 Students
2. Cherryland Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Elk Rapids Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 257 Students
3. West Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1081 Students
4. East Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 786 Students
5. Benzie Central Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Benzie County Central Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 264 Students
6. Forest Area Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Forest Area Community Schools • Public • Grades 4 - 8 • 212 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Traverse City, MI
The top elementary schools in Traverse City, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Tcaps Montessori School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 8 • 307 Students
2. Old Mission Peninsula School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Old Mission Peninsula School • Charter • Grades KG - 6 • 163 Students
3. Central Grade School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 7 • 516 Students
4. Willow Hill Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 421 Students
5. Lakeland Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Elk Rapids Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 313 Students
6. Eastern Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 454 Students
7. Westwoods Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 368 Students
8. Courtade Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Traverse City Area Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 218 Students
9. Kingsley Area Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Kingsley Area Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 571 Students
10. Lake Ann Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Benzie County Central Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 210 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Traverse City, MI
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Traverse City, MI has a total population of 72,843 with 22% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 95%, and 42% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Traverse City, MI
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 Traverse City, MI.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
16.16 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.10 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
13.05 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Traverse City, MI.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Traverse City, MI.
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 Traverse City, MI Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Traverse City, MI
How many schools are in Traverse City, MI?
Traverse City, MI has 45 public schools: 11 high schools, 6 middle schools and 21 elementary schools, serving 16,103 students in total.
How do schools in Traverse City perform on state tests?
On average, 45 schools in Traverse City score 46% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 43%, so on average schools in Traverse City meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Traverse City?
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 Traverse City, MI
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 55%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 54%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 50%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 54%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 53%
- Projected: 54%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 47%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 50%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 55%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Every school in Traverse City
21 of 25 schools in Traverse City carry a SchoolGrade (4 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 8B: 7C: 3D: 3
All 25 public schools we grade in Traverse City. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (4)
Middle and junior high schools (2)
Elementary and primary schools (10)
- Blair Elementary School
- Central Grade School
- Cherry Knoll Elementary School
- Courtade Elementary School
- Eastern Elementary School
- Long Lake Elementary School
- Silver Lake Elementary School
- Traverse Heights Elem School
- Westwoods Elementary School
- Willow Hill Elementary School
Other schools and academies (9)
- Grand Traverse Academy
- Life Skills Center
- North Edbridgeway
- North Edcreekside School
- North Ednew Horizons
- Old Mission Peninsula School
- Tcaps Montessori School
- The Greenspire School
- Woodland School
Private schools (6)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.