Best High Schools in West Des Moines, IA

High schools
6
Students
8,991
Avg actual
57%
Avg projected
56%
Impact
don't meet expectations

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

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Norwalk Senior High School

B+

SchoolGrade

77%

Actual Test Scores

72%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Norwalk Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1035 Students

2. Waukee High School

D+

SchoolGrade

67%

Actual Test Scores

74%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Underperforms Expectations

Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades 10 - 12 • 1268 Students

3. Valley High School

D

SchoolGrade

64%

Actual Test Scores

66%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades 10 - 12 • 2152 Students

4. Roosevelt High School

D

SchoolGrade

62%

Actual Test Scores

50%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Des Moines Independent Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1986 Students

5. Lincoln High School

F

SchoolGrade

43%

Actual Test Scores

46%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Des Moines Independent Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2403 Students

6. Walnut Creek Campus

F

SchoolGrade

27%

Actual Test Scores

28%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 147 Students

See all 316 high schools in Iowa ranked

Best Middle Schools in West Des Moines, IA

Middle schools
6
Students
4,313
Avg actual
73%
Avg projected
61%
Impact
meet expectations

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

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. South Middle School

B+

SchoolGrade

81%

Actual Test Scores

71%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 7 • 909 Students

2. Indian Hills Junior High School

B

SchoolGrade

79%

Actual Test Scores

59%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 696 Students

3. Norwalk Middle School

B

SchoolGrade

79%

Actual Test Scores

72%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Norwalk Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 787 Students

4. Merrill Middle School

C

SchoolGrade

73%

Actual Test Scores

61%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Des Moines Independent Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 634 Students

5. Stilwell Junior High School

C-

SchoolGrade

72%

Actual Test Scores

63%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 684 Students

6. Brody Middle School

F

SchoolGrade

51%

Actual Test Scores

40%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Des Moines Independent Comm School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 603 Students

See all 229 middle schools in Iowa ranked

Best Elementary Schools in West Des Moines, IA

Elementary schools
21
Students
9,958
Avg actual
75%
Avg projected
54%
Impact
exceed expectations

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

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. St Francis Of Assisi School

A

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

60%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:N/A

St Francis Of Assisi School • Private • Grades Pre K - 8 • 739 Students

2. Orchard Hills Elementary

A-

SchoolGrade

84%

Actual Test Scores

70%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Norwalk Comm School District • Public • Grades 2 - 3 • 526 Students

3. Woodland Hills Elementary School

A-

SchoolGrade

83%

Actual Test Scores

71%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 537 Students

4. Jordan Creek Elementary School

A-

SchoolGrade

83%

Actual Test Scores

67%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 647 Students

5. Sacred Heart School

A-

SchoolGrade

83%

Actual Test Scores

47%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:N/A

Sacred Heart School • Private • Grades KG - 8 • 481 Students

6. Brookview Elementary School

B+

SchoolGrade

82%

Actual Test Scores

67%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 603 Students

7. Westridge Elementary

B+

SchoolGrade

80%

Actual Test Scores

61%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 748 Students

8. Lakewood Elementary School

B

SchoolGrade

78%

Actual Test Scores

70%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Norwalk Comm School District • Public • Grades 4 - 5 • 544 Students

9. Crossroads Park Elementary School

B

SchoolGrade

78%

Actual Test Scores

48%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

West Des Moines Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 521 Students

10. Maple Grove Elementary School

B-

SchoolGrade

76%

Actual Test Scores

52%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Waukee Comm School District • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 439 Students

See all 599 elementary schools in Iowa ranked

Education & Community Snapshot in West Des Moines, IA

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

Community Factors

West Des Moines, IA has a total population of 67,199 with 23% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 96%, and 55% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Students in West Des Moines, IA

26,256

K-12 Students

High School Graduates

96%

Adults 25+ with HS diplomas

College Graduates

55%

Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher

Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood West Des Moines, IA.

Safety

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

Overall Crime Grade

C+

15.73 per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crime Grade

B-

2.50 per 1,000 Residents

Property Crime Grade

C

13.24 per 1,000 Residents

Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in West Des Moines, IA.

Connectivity

Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for West Des Moines, IA.

ISP Report Card

A

Internet Infrastructure Grade

Average Download Speed

7,139 Mbps

Speed Most Residents Can Get

Digital Connectivity Index

70 / 100

ISP Connectivity Demand Report

To read more about these statistics, please visit West Des Moines, IA Internet Health Assessment.

Questions About Schools in West Des Moines, IA

How many schools are in West Des Moines, IA?

West Des Moines, IA has 37 public schools: 6 high schools, 6 middle schools and 21 elementary schools, serving 26,256 students in total.

How do schools in West Des Moines perform on state tests?

On average, 37 schools in West Des Moines score 71% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 56%, so on average schools in West Des Moines meet expectations.

How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in West Des Moines?

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 West Des Moines, IA

Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.

Clive, IA

  • Actual: 76%
  • Projected: 63%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Windsor Heights, IA

  • Actual: 64%
  • Projected: 52%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Urbandale, IA

  • Actual: 74%
  • Projected: 60%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Waukee, IA

  • Actual: 83%
  • Projected: 67%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Booneville, IA

  • Actual: 79%
  • Projected: 69%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Cumming, IA

  • Actual: 79%
  • Projected: 69%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Johnston, IA

  • Actual: 77%
  • Projected: 64%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Grimes, IA

  • Actual: 81%
  • Projected: 70%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Des Moines, IA

  • Actual: 71%
  • Projected: 56%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Norwalk, IA

  • Actual: 70%
  • Projected: 60%
  • Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations

Every school in West Des Moines

Average SchoolGrade
C
Meeting or exceeding expectations
69%
Exceeding
38%
Avg actual scores
70.4%
Avg projected
56.2%

13 of 14 schools in West Des Moines carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:

A: 2B: 4C: 1D: 4F: 2

All 14 public schools we grade in West Des Moines. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.

High schools (1)

Middle and junior high schools (1)

Elementary and primary schools (9)

Other schools and academies (3)

Private schools (5)

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