Towns with the best public schools in Rhode Island
Ranked by how far each town's public schools score above or below the Rhode Island average in math and reading proficiency, weighted by enrollment. 38 towns with 2,500+ residents.
Where Woonsocket lands: #37 of 38
−15.2 pts vs. the RI average in math + reading · Visit Woonsocket →
1
Barrington
Bristol County
+38.6 pts
Math 59.5% · Reading 74.3%
2
Jamestown
Newport County
+33.9 pts
Math 54.8% · Reading 69.6%
3
East Greenwich
Kent County
+33.8 pts
Math 52.8% · Reading 71.6%
How this ranking works
For every public school in a town we take its latest math and reading proficiency and subtract the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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.