Best High Schools in Tucson, AZ

High schools
79
Students
50,497
Avg actual
33%
Avg projected
28%
Impact
exceed expectations

The top high schools in Tucson, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Basis Oro Valley

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

63%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Basis Charter Schools Inc. (90508) • Charter • Grades 5 - 12 • 565 Students

2. University High School

A+

SchoolGrade

84%

Actual Test Scores

78%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Tucson Unified District (4403) • Public • Grades 8 - 12 • 1060 Students

3. Basis Tucson North

A+

SchoolGrade

74%

Actual Test Scores

55%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Basis Charter Schools Inc. (91309) • Charter • Grades 5 - 12 • 801 Students

4. Vail Blended Learning

A+

SchoolGrade

66%

Actual Test Scores

47%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 74 Students

5. Empire High School

A

SchoolGrade

61%

Actual Test Scores

36%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 876 Students

6. Catalina Foothills High School

A

SchoolGrade

60%

Actual Test Scores

52%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1887 Students

7. Tanque Verde High School

A

SchoolGrade

56%

Actual Test Scores

46%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Tanque Verde Unified District (4408) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 712 Students

8. Canyon Del Oro High School

A

SchoolGrade

54%

Actual Test Scores

42%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Amphitheater Unified District (4406) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1691 Students

9. Andrada Polytechnic High School

A-

SchoolGrade

50%

Actual Test Scores

31%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 652 Students

10. Mica Mountain High

A-

SchoolGrade

48%

Actual Test Scores

38%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1161 Students

See all 34 high schools here ranked

Best Middle Schools in Tucson, AZ

Middle schools
44
Students
19,626
Avg actual
30%
Avg projected
25%
Impact
exceed expectations

The top middle schools in Tucson, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Orange Grove Middle School

A+

SchoolGrade

63%

Actual Test Scores

58%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 677 Students

2. Corona Foothills Middle School

A+

SchoolGrade

63%

Actual Test Scores

46%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 606 Students

3. Esperero Canyon Middle School

A+

SchoolGrade

56%

Actual Test Scores

52%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 501 Students

4. Paulo Freire Freedom School - University

A

SchoolGrade

54%

Actual Test Scores

25%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

City Center For Collaborative Learning (85448) • Charter • Grades 6 - 8 • 72 Students

5. Desert Sky Middle School

A

SchoolGrade

53%

Actual Test Scores

38%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 764 Students

6. Rincon Vista Middle School

A

SchoolGrade

51%

Actual Test Scores

36%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 699 Students

7. Lawrence W Cross Middle School

A

SchoolGrade

50%

Actual Test Scores

46%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Amphitheater Unified District (4406) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 756 Students

8. Old Vail Middle School

A-

SchoolGrade

49%

Actual Test Scores

45%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 798 Students

9. Emily Gray Junior High School

A-

SchoolGrade

49%

Actual Test Scores

51%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Tanque Verde Unified District (4408) • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 419 Students

10. Satori Charter School

A-

SchoolGrade

45%

Actual Test Scores

34%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Satori Inc. (85454) • Charter • Grades 2 - 8 • 119 Students

See all 29 middle schools here ranked

Best Elementary Schools in Tucson, AZ

Elementary schools
210
Students
78,503
Avg actual
34%
Avg projected
29%
Impact
exceed expectations

The top elementary schools in Tucson, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Basis Oro Valley Primary

A+

SchoolGrade

79%

Actual Test Scores

56%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Basis Charter Schools Inc. (92318) • Charter • Grades KG - 6 • 666 Students

2. Senita Valley Elementary School

A+

SchoolGrade

75%

Actual Test Scores

53%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades Pre K - 8 • 704 Students

3. Ventana Vista Elementary School

A+

SchoolGrade

74%

Actual Test Scores

51%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 470 Students

4. Sunrise Drive Elementary School

A+

SchoolGrade

70%

Actual Test Scores

59%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 525 Students

5. Ocotillo Ridge Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

68%

Actual Test Scores

51%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 652 Students

6. The Innovation Academy

A+

SchoolGrade

67%

Actual Test Scores

57%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Amphitheater Unified District (4406) • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 411 Students

7. Manzanita School

A+

SchoolGrade

67%

Actual Test Scores

56%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410) • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 595 Students

8. Sam Hughes Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

67%

Actual Test Scores

45%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Tucson Unified District (4403) • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 325 Students

9. Mesquite Elementary School

A+

SchoolGrade

65%

Actual Test Scores

41%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Vail Unified District (4413) • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 736 Students

10. Hermosa Montessori Charter

A

SchoolGrade

65%

Actual Test Scores

51%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Hermosa Montessori Charter School (4426) • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 212 Students

See all 132 elementary schools here ranked

Education & Community Snapshot in Tucson, AZ

City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.

Community Factors

Tucson, AZ has a total population of 1,043,433 with 24% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 90%, and 35% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Students in Tucson, AZ

159,544

K-12 Students

High School Graduates

90%

Adults 25+ with HS diplomas

College Graduates

35%

Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher

Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Tucson, AZ.

Safety

Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.

Overall Crime Grade

D+

25.92 per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crime Grade

D

4.65 per 1,000 Residents

Property Crime Grade

D

21.27 per 1,000 Residents

Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Tucson, AZ.

Connectivity

Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Tucson, AZ.

ISP Report Card

B

Internet Infrastructure Grade

Average Download Speed

2,336 Mbps

Speed Most Residents Can Get

Digital Connectivity Index

67 / 100

ISP Connectivity Demand Report

To read more about these statistics, please visit Tucson, AZ Internet Health Assessment.

Questions About Schools in Tucson, AZ

How many schools are in Tucson, AZ?

Tucson, AZ has 378 public schools: 79 high schools, 44 middle schools and 210 elementary schools, serving 159,544 students in total.

How do schools in Tucson perform on state tests?

On average, 378 schools in Tucson score 33% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 29%, so on average schools in Tucson exceed expectations.

How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Tucson?

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 Tucson, AZ

Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.

South Tucson, AZ

  • Actual: 30%
  • Projected: 24%
  • Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Catalina Foothills, AZ

  • Actual: 45%
  • Projected: 40%
  • Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Flowing Wells, AZ

  • Actual: 33%
  • Projected: 25%
  • Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
Summit, AZ

  • Actual: 32%
  • Projected: 25%
  • Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
Drexel Heights, AZ

  • Actual: 19%
  • Projected: 18%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Tanque Verde, AZ

  • Actual: 46%
  • Projected: 43%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Casas Adobes, AZ

  • Actual: 38%
  • Projected: 33%
  • Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Tucson Estates, AZ

  • Actual: 22%
  • Projected: 23%
  • Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Valencia West, AZ

  • Actual: 17%
  • Projected: 17%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Picture Rocks, AZ

  • Actual: 35%
  • Projected: 35%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations

Every school in Tucson

Average SchoolGrade
C
Meeting or exceeding expectations
74%
Exceeding
44%
Avg actual scores
32%
Avg projected
26.5%

208 of 260 schools in Tucson carry a SchoolGrade (52 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:

A: 39B: 46C: 41D: 50F: 32

All 260 public schools we grade in Tucson. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.

High schools (39)

Middle and junior high schools (32)

Elementary and primary schools (94)

Other schools and academies (95)

Private schools (48)

Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.

Neighborhoods and places within Tucson (46)