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Best Schools in Waterloo, IA
Waterloo, IA has 39 public schools (7 high, 8 middle, 22 elementary) serving 17,904 students. On average they score 71% on state proficiency tests against a projected 51%, so schools in Waterloo exceed expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Waterloo, IA
The top high schools in Waterloo, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Denver Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Denver Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 262 Students
2. Hudson High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hudson Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 342 Students
3. Cedar Falls High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cedar Falls Comm School District • Public • Grades 10 - 12 • 1302 Students
4. Union High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Union Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 316 Students
5. Dunkerton High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dunkerton Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 211 Students
6. West High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1652 Students
7. East High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1022 Students
Best Middle Schools in Waterloo, IA
The top middle schools in Waterloo, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Denver Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Denver Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 207 Students
2. Holmes Junior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cedar Falls Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 9 • 639 Students
3. Union Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Union Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 201 Students
4. Peet Junior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cedar Falls Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 9 • 670 Students
5. Hoover Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 883 Students
6. Bunger Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 431 Students
7. George Washington Carver Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 442 Students
8. Central Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 471 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Waterloo, IA
The top elementary schools in Waterloo, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. K-5 Elementary School Lincoln Street Building
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Denver Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 467 Students
2. Dysart-geneseo Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Union Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 218 Students
3. Hudson Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hudson Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 524 Students
4. Orchard Hill Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cedar Falls Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 436 Students
5. La Porte City Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Union Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 273 Students
6. Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School • Private • Grades 6 - 8 • 148 Students
7. Orange Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 521 Students
8. Dunkerton Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Dunkerton Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 203 Students
9. Kingsley Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waterloo Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 343 Students
10. Cedar Heights Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cedar Falls Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 474 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Waterloo, IA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Waterloo, IA has a total population of 67,349 with 23% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 91%, and 24% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Waterloo, 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 Waterloo, IA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
29.00 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
5.67 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
23.33 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Waterloo, IA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Waterloo, 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 Waterloo, IA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Waterloo, IA
How many schools are in Waterloo, IA?
Waterloo, IA has 39 public schools: 7 high schools, 8 middle schools and 22 elementary schools, serving 17,904 students in total.
How do schools in Waterloo perform on state tests?
On average, 39 schools in Waterloo score 71% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 51%, so on average schools in Waterloo exceed expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Waterloo?
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 Waterloo, IA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 58%
- Projected: 40%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 56%
- Projected: 36%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 74%
- Projected: 61%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 77%
- Projected: 61%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 70%
- Projected: 56%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 81%
- Projected: 67%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 67%
- Projected: 52%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 72%
- Projected: 59%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 85%
- Projected: 72%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Every school in Waterloo
16 of 16 schools in Waterloo carry a SchoolGrade. Grade distribution:
B: 2C: 1D: 8F: 5
All 16 public schools we grade in Waterloo. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (2)
Middle and junior high schools (2)
Elementary and primary schools (9)
- Fred Becker Elementary School
- Highland Elementary School
- Irving Elementary School
- Kingsley Elementary School
- Kittrell Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Lou Henry Elementary School
- Lowell Elementary School
- Orange Elementary School
Other schools and academies (3)
Private schools (5)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.