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NENebraska rankings

Towns with the best public schools in Nebraska

Ranked by how far each town's public schools score above or below the Nebraska average in math and reading proficiency, weighted by enrollment. 57 towns with 2,500+ residents.

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

Wayne
Nebraska · Best schools

Where Wayne lands: #2 of 57

+15.4 pts vs. the NE average in math + reading · Visit Wayne →

Seward 1 Seward +19.6 pts Math 71.1% · Reading 62.3% Wayne 2 Wayne +15.4 pts Math 63.2% · Reading 61.9% 3 Township 7 Washington County +15.1 pts Math 69.9% · Reading 54.6%
#Townvs. state averageMathReading
1 Seward SewardSEWARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS +19.6 pts 71.1% 62.3%
2 Wayne WayneWAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS +15.4 pts 63.2% 61.9%
3 Township 7Washington County · ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS +15.1 pts 69.9% 54.6%
4 Gretna GretnaGRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS +14.9 pts 61.1% 62.9%
5 Township 1Washington County · FORT CALHOUN COMMUNITY SCHS +13.5 pts 59.3% 62.1%
6 McCook McCookMC COOK PUBLIC SCHOOLS +12.6 pts 59% 60.6%
7 Map of Ashland AshlandSaunders County · ASHLAND-GREENWOOD PUBLIC SCHS +12.4 pts 60% 59%
8 David City David CityDAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS +9.9 pts 57% 57%
9 Map of Union UnionSaunders County · YUTAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS +9.6 pts 56.5% 57%
10 Aurora AuroraAURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS +9.4 pts 54.2% 58.9%
11 Papillion PapillionPAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS +9.1 pts 55.2% 57.3%
12 Map of Chadron ChadronCHADRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS +8.9 pts 55.9% 56.2%
13 Map of West Point West PointWEST POINT PUBLIC SCHOOLS +8.7 pts 52.7% 59%
14 Map of Valentine ValentineVALENTINE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS +8.3 pts 53.7% 57.1%
15 Sidney SidneySIDNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS +8.0 pts 49.7% 60.5%
16 Minden MindenMINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS +7.5 pts 57% 52.4%
17 Map of Milford MilfordMILFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS +7.5 pts 55.9% 53.3%
18 Kearney KearneyKEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS +6.3 pts 53.6% 53.2%
19 Map of Wahoo WahooWAHOO PUBLIC SCHOOLS +6.1 pts 55% 51.4%
20 Map of Auburn AuburnAUBURN PUBLIC SCHOOLS +6.0 pts 50% 56.3%
21 Map of Waverly WaverlyWAVERLY SCHOOL DISTRICT 145 +5.4 pts 55.4% 49.7%
22 Map of York YorkYORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS +5.1 pts 55% 49.4%
23 Blair BlairBLAIR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS +5.0 pts 52.8% 51.4%
24 Holdrege HoldregeHOLDREGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS +4.6 pts 49.3% 54.3%
25 Broken Bow Broken BowBROKEN BOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS +3.2 pts 49.9% 50.8%
26 Lincoln LincolnLINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS +3.1 pts 48.6% 51.9%
27 La Vista La VistaPAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS +1.4 pts 45.6% 51.5%
28 Map of Beatrice BeatriceBEATRICE PUBLIC SCHOOLS +0.8 pts 44.9% 51%
29 Map of Central City Central CityCENTRAL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS +0.3 pts 44.7% 50.2%
30 St. Paul St. PaulST PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS −0.3 pts 49% 44.7%
31 Ogallala OgallalaOGALLALA PUBLIC SCHOOLS −0.8 pts 43.1% 49.6%
32 Map of Gothenburg GothenburgGOTHENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS −1.0 pts 40.9% 51.5%
33 O'Neill O'NeillO'NEILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS −1.6 pts 44.1% 47%
34 Map of Offutt AFB Offutt AFBBELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS −1.9 pts 45.4% 45.1%
35 Map of Valley ValleyDOUGLAS CO WEST COMMUNITY SCHS −2.2 pts 46.4% 43.6%
36 Norfolk NorfolkNORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS −2.8 pts 43.9% 44.9%
37 Scottsbluff ScottsbluffSCOTTSBLUFF PUBLIC SCHOOLS −3.2 pts 44.5% 43.5%
38 Map of Falls City Falls CityFALLS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS −3.4 pts 43% 44.5%
39 Map of Gering GeringGERING PUBLIC SCHOOLS −3.6 pts 43.7% 43.4%
40 Plattsmouth PlattsmouthPLATTSMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS −4.5 pts 40.8% 44.6%
41 Map of North Platte North PlatteNORTH PLATTE PUBLIC SCHOOLS −4.7 pts 42.8% 42.2%
42 Cozad CozadCOZAD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS −5.2 pts 41.8% 42%
43 Map of Dakota City Dakota CitySO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS −5.2 pts 47% 37%
44 Map of Crete CreteCRETE PUBLIC SCHOOLS −5.3 pts 43.5% 40.2%
45 Columbus ColumbusCOLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS −6.3 pts 38.8% 42.9%
46 Omaha OmahaOMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS −7.6 pts 36.7% 42.4%
47 Bellevue BellevueBELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS −7.6 pts 38.1% 41.1%
48 Map of Hastings HastingsHASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS −7.6 pts 37% 42.1%
49 Fairbury FairburyFAIRBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS −8.4 pts 39.9% 37.5%
50 Map of South Sioux City South Sioux CitySO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS −9.1 pts 40.2% 35.9%
51 Map of Fremont FremontFREMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS −9.5 pts 36% 39.2%
52 Map of Alliance AllianceALLIANCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS −11.4 pts 31.6% 39.8%
53 Map of Schuyler SchuylerSCHUYLER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS −12.0 pts 39% 31.2%
54 Map of Ralston RalstonRALSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS −12.0 pts 31.9% 38.4%
55 Grand Island Grand IslandGRAND ISLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS −13.2 pts 33.5% 34.4%
56 Lexington LexingtonLEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS −15.6 pts 31.4% 31.7%
57 Nebraska City Nebraska CityNEBRASKA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS −17.6 pts 25.9% 33.2%

How this ranking works

For every public school in a town we take its latest math and reading proficiency and subtract the Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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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