Towns with the best public schools in Vermont
Ranked by how far each town's public schools score above or below the Vermont average in math and reading proficiency, weighted by enrollment. 70 towns with 2,500+ residents.
South Burlington ranks #12 of 70
+11.6 pts vs. the VT average in math + reading · Visit South Burlington →
1
Norwich
Windsor County
+41.3 pts
Math 82% · Reading 82%
2
Underhill
Chittenden County
+23.8 pts
Math 64.5% · Reading 64.5%
3
Charlotte
Chittenden County
+22.3 pts
Math 58% · Reading 68%
East MontpelierWashington County · Washington Central Unified Union School District #92
40.9%
60.1%
How this ranking works
For every public school in a town we take its latest math and reading proficiency and subtract the Vermont 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 Vermont 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.