Best Public Schools in Zip Code 80016

ZIP code 80016 in the Aurora/Centennial area is served entirely by Cherry Creek School District No. 5, one of Colorado's top-ranked districts, and contains 14 schools — eight elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools — serving approximately 14,012 students.

For families looking at standout options, Altitude Elementary School is the clear academic leader in the zip code, ranking 17th in the state with 82.5% ELA and 79% math proficiency, while also posting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (6.1%) and lowest free/reduced lunch rate (12.0%). Black Forest Hills Elementary School is another top performer, ranking 77th statewide with 70.4% ELA and 68.1% math proficiency. Among middle schools, Liberty Middle School ranks highest at 83rd in Colorado and is on the rise, improving from 138th in just one year despite having the highest poverty rate (37.8%) among middle schools in the area. Both high schools — Grandview High School and Cherokee Trail High School — are strong and stable, with graduation rates around 95% and dropout rates below 1%, well outperforming state averages.

However, this zip code is not monolithic. Elementary school state rankings range from 17th to 429th, with ELA proficiency ranging from 45.6% to 82.5%. Schools like Buffalo Trail Elementary School, Coyote Hills Elementary School, and Falcon Creek Middle School show room for growth, particularly in science where several schools fall roughly 10 points below the state average of 36.1%. Chronic absenteeism strongly tracks performance at the elementary level, with top schools like Altitude and Black Forest Hills keeping rates near or below 12%, while middle and high schools see rates closer to the state average. Notably, Liberty Middle School achieves top results despite a 29.3% chronic absenteeism rate, showing that poverty and attendance challenges do not tell the whole story — school-level performance varies significantly across this single zip code.