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KSKansas rankings

Towns with the best public schools in Kansas

Ranked by how far each town's public schools score above or below the Kansas average in math and reading proficiency, weighted by enrollment. 123 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-yearTest scores SY2020–21

Map of Halstead
Kansas · Best schools

Where Halstead lands: #82 of 123

−4.3 pts vs. the KS average in math + reading · Visit Halstead →

St. George 1 St. George Pottawatomie County +27.8 pts Math 57% · Reading 62% Map of Leawood 2 Leawood +26.7 pts Math 52.8% · Reading 64% Map of Prairie Village 3 Prairie Village +26.0 pts Math 54.8% · Reading 60.7%
#Townvs. state averageMathReading
1 St. George St. GeorgePottawatomie County · Rock Creek +27.8 pts 57% 62%
2 Map of Leawood LeawoodBlue Valley +26.7 pts 52.8% 64%
3 Map of Prairie Village Prairie VillageShawnee Mission Pub Sch +26.0 pts 54.8% 60.7%
4 Map of Mission MissionShawnee County · Shawnee Mission Pub Sch +22.9 pts 49.7% 59.6%
5 Morton MortonSedgwick County · Cheney +22.9 pts 51.4% 57.8%
6 Map of Sherman ShermanLeavenworth County · Basehor-Linwood +22.8 pts 54.5% 54.5%
7 AubryJohnson County · Blue Valley +20.3 pts 42% 62%
8 MadisonRiley County · Riley County +19.1 pts 53.4% 48.3%
9 Attica AtticaSedgwick County · Goddard +17.8 pts 43% 56.1%
10 Map of Roeland Park Roeland ParkShawnee Mission Pub Sch +17.8 pts 42% 57%
11 Map of Bruno BrunoButler County · Andover +16.2 pts 41.9% 53.9%
12 Map of Emma EmmaHarvey County · Hesston +16.2 pts 47.1% 48.7%
13 Lenexa LenexaShawnee Mission Pub Sch +16.0 pts 44.9% 50.5%
14 Louisburg LouisburgLouisburg +15.4 pts 39.5% 54.7%
15 Hillsboro HillsboroDurham-Hillsboro-Lehigh +15.1 pts 46.8% 46.8%
16 Map of Valley Center Valley CenterSedgwick County · Valley Center Pub Sch +14.7 pts 44.1% 48.7%
17 Map of Overland Park Overland ParkBlue Valley +14.1 pts 41.8% 49.7%
18 De Soto De SotoDe Soto +13.7 pts 47.1% 43.8%
19 Garden City Garden CityFinney County · Garden City +12.8 pts 42% 47%
20 Map of Smoky Hill Smoky HillGeary County · Geary County Schools +11.7 pts 39.9% 46.8%
21 Shawnee ShawneeShawnee Mission Pub Sch +11.5 pts 40.1% 46.3%
22 Gypsum GypsumSedgwick County · Derby +9.7 pts 39.6% 43.3%
23 Map of Hays HaysHays +9.5 pts 37.2% 45.3%
24 Girard GirardGirard +9.4 pts 35.8% 46.4%
25 Map of Manhattan ManhattanManhattan-Ogden +9.1 pts 37% 44.6%
26 OlatheOlathe +8.8 pts 36.6% 44.5%
27 Auburn AuburnShawnee County · Auburn-Washburn +8.8 pts 34% 47%
28 Larned LarnedFt Larned +8.0 pts 35.5% 44%
29 Fairmount FairmountLeavenworth County · Basehor-Linwood +6.8 pts 34.5% 42.4%
30 Map of Park ParkSedgwick County · Maize +6.4 pts 35.3% 40.9%
31 Map of Franklin FranklinFranklin County · Wellsville +6.3 pts 34.4% 41.6%
32 Clay Center Clay CenterClay County +5.9 pts 37% 38.1%
33 Lawrence LawrenceLawrence +5.8 pts 31.7% 43.3%
34 Map of Beloit BeloitBeloit +5.7 pts 37.5% 37.4%
35 St. Marys St. MarysPottawatomie County · Kaw Valley +5.6 pts 32.3% 42.3%
36 Map of Kechi KechiSedgwick County · Wichita +5.3 pts 37% 37%
37 Map of Edwardsville EdwardsvilleBonner Springs +5.3 pts 32% 42%
38 Union UnionSedgwick County · Renwick +5.3 pts 32% 42%
39 Map of Frontenac FrontenacFrontenac Public Schools +5.1 pts 27.7% 46%
40 Rock Creek Rock CreekJefferson County · Jefferson West +5.1 pts 39.2% 34.4%
41 Osage City Osage CityOsage City +5.0 pts 33.5% 39.9%
42 Burlington BurlingtonBurlington +4.8 pts 36.2% 36.9%
43 Lansing LansingLansing +4.6 pts 31.8% 40.9%
44 Eudora EudoraDouglas County · Eudora +4.4 pts 31.2% 41%
45 Leavenworth LeavenworthLeavenworth +4.3 pts 30.5% 41.6%
46 Pratt PrattPratt +4.0 pts 35.1% 36.3%
47 Map of Wamego WamegoPottawatomie County · Wamego +3.3 pts 31% 39%
48 Gardner GardnerGardner Edgerton +3.1 pts 32.3% 37.3%
49 MerriamShawnee Mission Pub Sch +2.5 pts 30.4% 38.1%
50 Ninnescah NinnescahSedgwick County · Clearwater +2.2 pts 33.4% 34.3%
51 Garnett GarnettGarnett +1.9 pts 34.9% 32.3%
52 Holton HoltonHolton +1.8 pts 29.5% 37.4%
53 SoldierShawnee County · Seaman +1.6 pts 31.2% 35.3%
54 Map of Lindsborg LindsborgSmoky Valley +1.4 pts 27% 39.1%
55 Spring Hill Spring HillSpring Hill +1.1 pts 25.9% 39.6%
56 Map of Baxter Springs Baxter SpringsBaxter Springs +0.9 pts 28.4% 36.7%
57 Junction City Junction CityGeary County Schools +0.5 pts 28% 36.5%
58 Map of Augusta AugustaAugusta +0.4 pts 28.1% 36%
59 Map of Bel Aire Bel AireWichita +0.2 pts 25.8% 37.9%
60 Independence IndependenceIndependence +0.2 pts 30.3% 33.5%
61 Abilene AbileneAbilene −0.2 pts 25.4% 37.6%
62 Map of Ellsworth EllsworthEllsworth −0.5 pts 27.8% 34.7%
63 Paola PaolaPaola −0.7 pts 29.7% 32.2%
64 Palmyra PalmyraDouglas County · Baldwin City −1.0 pts 25.8% 35.5%
65 Norton NortonNorton Community Schools −1.3 pts 24.9% 36%
66 Map of Hoisington HoisingtonHoisington −1.5 pts 32.7% 27.6%
67 Map of Pittsburg PittsburgPittsburg −1.6 pts 27.3% 33%
68 Marysville MarysvilleMarysville −1.7 pts 25% 35%
69 Map of McPherson McPhersonMcPherson −2.2 pts 26.5% 32.5%
70 LincolnLinn County · Prairie View −2.2 pts 22% 37%
71 Neodesha NeodeshaNeodesha −2.3 pts 29.3% 29.6%
72 Map of El Dorado El DoradoEl Dorado −2.4 pts 24.9% 33.8%
73 Colby ColbyColby Public Schools −2.5 pts 27.8% 30.5%
74 Tecumseh TecumsehShawnee County · Shawnee Heights −2.9 pts 26.7% 31%
75 Rockford RockfordSedgwick County · Derby −3.0 pts 24.1% 33.2%
76 Tonganoxie TonganoxieLeavenworth County · Tonganoxie −3.0 pts 24.3% 33.2%
77 MonmouthShawnee County · Shawnee Heights −3.2 pts 27% 30%
78 Chanute ChanuteChanute Public Schools −4.0 pts 21.9% 33.6%
79 Grant GrantSedgwick County · Valley Center Pub Sch −4.3 pts 26.5% 28.4%
80 Concordia ConcordiaConcordia −4.3 pts 20.9% 33.8%
81 Map of Hiawatha HiawathaHiawatha −4.3 pts 25.2% 29.6%
82 Map of Halstead HalsteadHalstead −4.3 pts 25.9% 28.9%
83 Map of Garden GardenCherokee County · Riverton −4.4 pts 20.6% 34%
84 WilliamsportShawnee County · Auburn-Washburn −5.0 pts 21.6% 31.9%
85 Hugoton HugotonHugoton Public Schools −5.1 pts 23.9% 29.2%
86 Great Bend Great BendGreat Bend −5.2 pts 23.9% 29.1%
87 Emporia EmporiaEmporia −5.3 pts 21.2% 31.6%
88 SalinaSalina −5.4 pts 21.1% 31.5%
89 Galena GalenaGalena −5.5 pts 20.6% 31.9%
90 TowandaButler County · Circle −5.6 pts 20.2% 32%
91 Map of Goodland GoodlandGoodland −5.8 pts 26.5% 25.2%
92 Ottawa OttawaOttawa −5.9 pts 22% 29.7%
93 Newton NewtonNewton −6.8 pts 18.6% 31.2%
94 Hutchinson HutchinsonHutchinson Public Schools −6.9 pts 19% 30.6%
95 WinfieldWinfield −7.2 pts 19.5% 29.5%
96 Russell RussellRussell County −7.6 pts 23.4% 24.7%
97 Columbus ColumbusColumbus −7.6 pts 13.5% 34.7%
98 Parsons ParsonsParsons −7.7 pts 22.1% 25.9%
99 Map of Wellington WellingtonWellington −7.8 pts 22.7% 25.1%
100 Map of Richland RichlandButler County · Rose Hill Public Schools −8.2 pts 20% 27.1%
101 RenoReno County · Nickerson −8.3 pts 21.3% 25.4%
102 Riverside RiversideSedgwick County · Haysville −8.6 pts 17.5% 28.7%
103 Map of Scott City Scott CityScott County −9.4 pts 20.1% 24.5%
104 Iola IolaIola −9.7 pts 19.9% 24.2%
105 Map of Bonner Springs Bonner SpringsBonner Springs −9.8 pts 17.3% 26.4%
106 Map of Atchison AtchisonAtchison Public Schools −10.3 pts 17.4% 25.4%
107 Kingman KingmanKingman - Norwich −10.4 pts 17.8% 24.7%
108 Garden City Garden CityGarden City −10.8 pts 18.4% 23.3%
109 Osawatomie OsawatomieOsawatomie −10.9 pts 17.9% 23.6%
110 Topeka TopekaTopeka Public Schools −11.0 pts 17.5% 23.8%
111 Fort Scott Fort ScottFort Scott −11.1 pts 16.7% 24.5%
112 Dodge City Dodge CityDodge City −11.6 pts 18.5% 21.8%
113 Wichita WichitaWichita −11.8 pts 16% 23.7%
114 LyonsLyons −12.6 pts 19.9% 18.2%
115 Map of Washington WashingtonDoniphan County · Riverside −12.8 pts 12.3% 25.4%
116 Map of Washington WashingtonCrawford County · Northeast −13.8 pts 16.5% 19.4%
117 Map of Sherlock SherlockFinney County · Holcomb −14.6 pts 16.1% 18.1%
118 Coffeyville CoffeyvilleCoffeyville −14.8 pts 11.2% 22.6%
119 Arkansas City Arkansas CityArkansas City −16.4 pts 10.8% 19.9%
120 Belle Plaine Belle PlaineSumner County · Belle Plaine −17.0 pts 11.6% 17.8%
121 Map of Kansas City Kansas CityKansas City −17.6 pts 10.5% 17.8%
122 Map of Ulysses UlyssesUlysses −19.1 pts 10.1% 15.1%
123 Liberal LiberalLiberal −20.7 pts 7.5% 14.6%

How this ranking works

For every public school in a town we take its latest math and reading proficiency and subtract the Kansas average for the same test. The town’s score is the average of those gaps, weighted by each school’s enrollment, so a big high school counts more than a small annex. Private schools aren’t included.

Each state writes its own tests, so these scores compare towns within Kansas only. We don’t rank a town unless at least 150 students in its schools were tested. Test data: EDFacts via Urban Institute Education Data Portal (SY2020-21).

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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