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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 35803

New rankings! Alabama test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

Schools

2,429

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedMountain Gap Middle School33^rd of 443 Alabama middle schools

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Biggest riser

Challenger Elementary School up 54 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Weatherly Heights Elementary School 15.7 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

See the top-ranked Alabama schools →

Summary:

Zip code 35803 in Huntsville, AL is served by six schools in the Huntsville City district, including four elementary schools and two middle schools, with no high schools located within the zip code itself.

The standout performer in this area is the Mountain Gap campus, which offers a complete PK-8 pipeline of exceptional achievement. Mountain Gap Elementary School ranks 52nd out of 686 Alabama elementary schools (92nd percentile, 5 stars), with math proficiency rates roughly double the district average and English proficiency exceeding state averages by 15-22 points. Its counterpart, Mountain Gap Middle School, ranks 33rd out of 443 middle schools (93rd percentile, 5 stars) and has maintained 5-star status for three consecutive years. Weatherly Heights Elementary School is another strong option, ranking 155th (77th percentile, 4 stars) with the lowest chronic absenteeism in the zip code at just 1.7% and the highest per-student spending at $9,510. Challenger Middle School also performs well at the 88th percentile, while Farley Elementary School (70th percentile) and Challenger Elementary School (63rd percentile) round out the list with solid but less impressive results.

Families should note that science proficiency is a regional strength, likely reflecting Huntsville's STEM-focused economy, with 8th grade science scores at both middle schools exceeding 81% compared to the state average of 54%. English proficiency consistently outpaces math across all schools, with the largest gap at Weatherly Heights (90% English vs. 45.71% math in 5th grade). Chronic absenteeism is generally low—all but one school falls below the state average of 12%—and the socioeconomic profile is relatively uniform (28.6%–35.3% free/reduced lunch), suggesting school-level factors drive performance differences. The main considerations for parents are the transition from Challenger Elementary to middle school, where attendance issues may impact performance, and the lack of in-zip high schools, requiring families to research options in neighboring areas after 8th or 9th grade.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)						Summative Assessment Science (2026)		Summative Assessment English (2026)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Farley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Green Cove Rd SW	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7160	334	19	17.7	28.7%	179 (53.6%)	49 (14.7%)	39 (11.7%)	26 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (12.3%)	68.3	209^th of 686 public elementary schools	69.5%		66.9	220^th of 680 public elementary schools	67.6%	11	46.7	39.7	62.5				55.2		77.3	60.3	85.7				$8,625	$737	$7,888
Mountain Gap Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	821 Mountain Gap Road SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7360	341	20	17.2	31.4%	224 (65.7%)	41 (12.0%)	43 (12.6%)	6 (1.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.3%)	90	52^nd of 686 public elementary schools	92.4%		93.1	29^th of 680 public elementary schools	95.7%	23	77.8	64.6	65.5				75.4		87.0	80.0	85.7
Weatherly Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1307 Cannstatt Drive SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7460	472	30	15.7	28.6%	292 (61.9%)	75 (15.9%)	52 (11.0%)	16 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.6%)	75.1	155^th of 686 public elementary schools	77.4%		69.5	197^th of 680 public elementary schools	71.0%	42	44.6	50.7	45.7				69.0		73.5	81.7	90.0				$9,510	$870	$8,639
Mountain Gap Middle School	Public	6-8	821 Mountain Gap Road SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7720	366	23	15.9	33.6%	234 (63.9%)	63 (17.2%)	36 (9.8%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	91.1	33^rd of 443 public middle schools	92.6%		88	44^th of 439 public middle schools	90.0%	11				51.6	61.3	48.3		81.7				78.0	74.8	78.3	$7,782	$767	$7,014
Challenger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13555 Chaney Thompson Rd	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7060	491	28	17.5	31.8%	241 (49.1%)	111 (22.6%)	93 (18.9%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.3%)	62.7	253^rd of 686 public elementary schools	63.1%		56.8	307^th of 680 public elementary schools	54.9%	54	40.0	48.8	40.7				58.5		70.0	69.1	72.8				$7,486	$524	$6,961
Challenger Middle School	Public	6-9	13555 Chaney Thompson Rd	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7620	425	23	18.4	35.3%	219 (51.5%)	97 (22.8%)	66 (15.5%)	14 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.8%)	82.8	53^rd of 443 public middle schools	88.0%		82	54^th of 439 public middle schools	87.7%	1				31.7	40.6	40.8		85.4				67.2	80.4	80.8	$8,912	$1,270	$7,641

Cities Near Zip Code 35803

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Huntsville	0.37 mi	53	179^th
Big Cove	3.37 mi	1	19^th
Hampton Cove	5.13 mi	2	3^rd
Owens Cross Roads	5.66 mi	1	68^th
Laceys Spring	6.6 mi	1	213^th

See the top AL Alabama cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.