Best Schools in Van Buren County, MI
Van Buren County, MI has 70 public schools (21 high, 12 middle, 31 elementary) serving 23,047 students. On average they score 36% on state proficiency tests against a projected 30%, so schools in Van Buren County exceed expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Van Buren County, MI
The top high schools in Van Buren County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. St Joseph High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
St. Joseph Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 988 Students
2. Mattawan High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mattawan Consolidated School • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1171 Students
3. Otsego High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Otsego Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 751 Students
4. Marcellus High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Marcellus Community Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 162 Students
5. Gobles High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gobles Public School District • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 330 Students
6. Paw Paw High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Paw Paw Public School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 692 Students
7. Watervliet Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watervliet School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 393 Students
8. Bangor High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bangor Public Schools (van Buren) • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 276 Students
9. Decatur Jr Sr High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Decatur Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 405 Students
10. Union High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dowagiac Union School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 532 Students
Best Middle Schools in Van Buren County, MI
The top middle schools in Van Buren County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Mattawan Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mattawan Consolidated School • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 817 Students
2. Marcellus Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Marcellus Community Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 134 Students
3. Otsego Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Otsego Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 527 Students
4. Watervliet Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watervliet School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 288 Students
5. Lawton Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lawton Community School District • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 307 Students
6. Dowagiac Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dowagiac Union School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 408 Students
7. Paw Paw Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Paw Paw Public School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 475 Students
8. Coloma Junior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Coloma Community Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 254 Students
9. Baseline Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Haven Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 412 Students
10. Bangor Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bangor Public Schools (van Buren) • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 285 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Van Buren County, MI
The top elementary schools in Van Buren County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Mattawan Later Elem School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mattawan Consolidated School • Public • Grades 3 - 5 • 782 Students
2. Alamo Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Otsego Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 285 Students
3. Lincoln School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Haven Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 3 • 234 Students
4. Washington Street Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Otsego Public Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 450 Students
5. Marcellus Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Marcellus Community Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 300 Students
6. Davis Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Decatur Public Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 380 Students
7. Lawton Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lawton Community School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 4 • 401 Students
8. Gobles Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gobles Public School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 359 Students
9. Paw Paw Later Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Paw Paw Public School District • Public • Grades 3 - 5 • 462 Students
10. North Shore Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Haven Public Schools • Public • Grades 4 - 5 • 247 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Van Buren County, MI
County-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Van Buren County, MI has a total population of 75,587 with 22% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 89%, and 23% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Van Buren County, 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 Van Buren County, MI.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
11.99 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.21 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
8.78 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Van Buren County, MI.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Van Buren County, 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 Van Buren County, MI Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Van Buren County, MI
How many schools are in Van Buren County, MI?
Van Buren County, MI has 70 public schools: 21 high schools, 12 middle schools and 31 elementary schools, serving 23,047 students in total.
How do schools in Van Buren County perform on state tests?
On average, 70 schools in Van Buren County score 36% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 30%, so on average schools in Van Buren County exceed expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Van Buren County?
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 Van Buren County, MI
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 39%
- Projected: 37%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 46%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 37%
- Projected: 30%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 39%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 37%
- Projected: 33%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 44%
- Projected: 42%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 34%
- Projected: 33%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 32%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 34%
- Projected: 35%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 34%
- Projected: 33%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Cities, towns and school districts in Van Buren County
11 places in Van Buren County with graded public schools. Each link opens that place's ranked schools.
Cities and towns (11)
- Paw Paw (6)
- Bangor (5)
- Mattawan (5)
- Gobles (4)
- Hartford (4)
- Lawton (4)
- South Haven (4)
- Covert (3)
- Lawrence (3)
- Bloomingdale (2)
- Decatur (2)
School districts (10)
- South Haven Public Schools (6 schools)
- Mattawan Consolidated School (5 schools)
- Paw Paw Public School District (5 schools)
- Bangor Public Schools (Van Buren) (4 schools)
- Hartford Public Schools (4 schools)
- Lawton Community School District (4 schools)
- Bloomingdale Public School District (3 schools)
- Covert Public Schools (3 schools)
- Gobles Public School District (3 schools)
- Van Buren ISD (3 schools)