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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 80525

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At a glance

Schools

9,481

Students

Districts

5-star schools

Top rankedCompass Community Collaborative School15^th of 338 Colorado high schools

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Biggest riser

Riffenburgh Elementary School up 86 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Linton Elementary School 11.6 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

1★

2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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Summary:

Zip code 80525 in Fort Collins, Colorado serves families through 18 schools across three districts, including 10 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 3 high schools, and 4 alternative schools, with total enrollment of roughly 10,000 students. The area's schools are governed by Poudre School District R-1 (13 schools), Thompson School District R-2J (2 schools), and the State Charter School Institute (3 schools). Poudre is the strongest of the three, ranking 12th out of 115 Colorado districts.

Liberty Common Charter School is the clear academic leader with 71.3% ELA and 67.8% math proficiency on CMAS, 98% SAT reading/writing, 91% SAT math, a 96.2% graduation rate, and only 11.4% chronic absenteeism. Compass Community Collaborative School, the highest-ranked school in the zip at #15 in the state, posts the top CMAS ELA score (76.1%) and a 95.5% graduation rate, but struggles with 44.7% chronic absenteeism. Among elementary schools, Werner Elementary stands out with 68.2% math proficiency. Ridgeview Classical Schools excels in humanities with 100% PSAT reading/writing and 96% SAT reading/writing, though its 76% SAT math trails Liberty's 91%. Fort Collins High School, the largest school at 1,836 students, graduates 91.1% of students and beats state averages on SAT reading and science, yet reports 46.8% chronic absenteeism.

The alternative-school label means little: Liberty Common and Ridgeview are among the state's best, while PSD Global Academy has a 70% graduation rate and 66.7% chronic absenteeism. Higher-poverty schools like Linton Elementary (67.4% free/reduced lunch, 25.8% math proficiency) and Cottonwood Plains Elementary (52.7% FRL, 31.9% math) face real challenges, but O'Dea Elementary (45.2% FRL) posts 67.8% ELA and 60.7% math, showing poverty is not destiny. Reading and writing are regional strengths; math is more uneven. Boltz Middle School, the only traditional middle school, sits below district averages, making charters worth weighing. Attendance is a systemic issue, though the healthiest attendance schools — Shepardson Elementary (9.8%), Coyote Ridge Elementary (10.0%), and Liberty (11.4%) — are also top performers.

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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)				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2026)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2026)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2026)	SAT Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	CMAS English Language Arts (2026)							CMAS Math (2026)							CMAS Science (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	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	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	4800 Wheaton Dr	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 226-2800	240	18	13.7	47.5%	159 (66.3%)	6 (2.5%)	51 (21.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.6%)	26.2	665^th of 943 public elementary schools	29.5%		38.4	541^st of 950 public elementary schools	43.1%	124							21.6	29.4	34.3				28.3	35.1	14.7	29.4				26.7	34.3			$11,858
Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins	Public, Charter	6-12	4424 Innovation Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 377-0044	971	40	24.5	33.5%	714 (73.5%)	20 (2.1%)	164 (16.9%)	29 (3.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (4.0%)	81.7	61^st of 338 public high schools	82.0%		84.2	45^th of 328 public high schools	86.3%	16	86.0	56.0	83.0	51.0	82.0	46.0				51.9	48.1	42.9	47.3				32.7	34.6	35.7	34.5		42.9	47.1	$12,307
Axis International Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	2130 West Horsetooth Road	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	Yes	(970) 658-4199	288	19	15.5	33.3%	151 (52.4%)	9 (3.1%)	82 (28.5%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (13.5%)	72	243^rd of 943 public elementary schools	74.2%		83.6	133^rd of 950 public elementary schools	86.0%	110							50.0	55.6	78.9				58.5	41.7	66.7	68.4				56.1	42.1			$11,840
Kruse Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 McMurry Avenue	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-5625	406	29	14.2	38.9%	266 (65.5%)	5 (1.2%)	101 (24.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (7.1%)	86.1	114^th of 943 public elementary schools	87.9%		88.5	90^th of 950 public elementary schools	90.5%	24							61.9	67.3	73.1				67.6	54.0	74.0	72.1				66.3	54.4			$18,522
Boltz Middle School	Public	6-8	720 Boltz Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 472-3700	551	41	13.4	49.2%	331 (60.1%)	9 (1.6%)	173 (31.4%)	10 (1.8%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.2%)	59.2	162^nd of 469 public middle schools	65.5%		52.9	191^st of 469 public middle schools	59.3%	29										49.1	53.2	49.1	50.5				34.5	39.7	46.4	40.2		30.9		$21,276
Fort Collins High School	Public	9-12	3400 Lambkin Way	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-8021	1,836	99	18.6	37.4%	1,212 (66.0%)	27 (1.5%)	466 (25.4%)	44 (2.4%)	14 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (3.9%)	79.8	71^st of 338 public high schools	79.0%		80.3	61^st of 328 public high schools	81.4%	10	81.0	52.0	81.0	57.0	79.0	44.0																	52.8	$18,735
O'Dea Elementary School	Public	K-5	312 Princeton Road	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4450	398	34	11.7	45.2%	273 (68.6%)	7 (1.8%)	77 (19.3%)	9 (2.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	85.6	124^th of 943 public elementary schools	86.9%		84.2	128^th of 950 public elementary schools	86.5%	4							56.3	70.4	76.6				67.8	60.0	59.7	62.7				60.7	60.3			$22,724
Riffenburgh Elementary School	Public	K-5	1320 East Stuart Street	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-7935	443	30	14.7	34.5%	316 (71.3%)	10 (2.3%)	80 (18.1%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	23 (5.2%)	85.9	119^th of 943 public elementary schools	87.4%		77.6	205^th of 950 public elementary schools	78.4%	86							60.3	76.7	76.2				71.4	53.6	68.6	62.5				62.1	51.6			$18,661
Shepardson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Springwood Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-4525	414	30	13.9	24.2%	339 (81.9%)	3 (0.7%)	39 (9.4%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.3%)	78	191^st of 943 public elementary schools	79.7%		89.5	78^th of 950 public elementary schools	91.8%	113							50.9	70.6	70.3				64.6	56.1	61.8	49.2				55.8	47.0			$20,118
Werner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5400 Mail Creek Lane	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	No	(970) 488-5550	374	24	15.7	22.7%	295 (78.9%)	1 (0.3%)	43 (11.5%)	12 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (5.3%)	88	94^th of 943 public elementary schools	90.0%		87.6	106^th of 950 public elementary schools	88.8%	12							58.9	65.4	75.0				65.7	71.4	68.4	63.6				68.2	60.5			$28,019
Linton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Caribou Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 488-5850	307	26	11.6	67.4%	124 (40.4%)	1 (0.3%)	161 (52.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.2%)	25.7	672^nd of 943 public elementary schools	28.7%		22.4	702^nd of 950 public elementary schools	26.1%	30							40.0	28.0	34.0				33.1	36.7	20.0	25.0				25.8	23.4			$21,151
Liberty Common Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1725 Sharp Point Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 482-9800	1,516	78	19.5		1,235 (81.5%)	14 (0.9%)	101 (6.7%)	75 (4.9%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	88 (5.8%)								(n/a)	96.0	91.0	97.0	91.0	98.0	91.0	76.3	61.4	80.0	80.9	67.2	59.4	71.3	77.0	48.9	64.5	71.8	75.2	69.2	67.8	47.2	58.2	74.2	$12,510
Ridgeview Classical Schools	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1800 South Lemay Avenue	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 494-4620	721	48	15.0		600 (83.2%)	8 (1.1%)	50 (6.9%)	15 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.7%)								(n/a)	100.0	61.0	98.0	71.0	96.0	76.0	60.3	53.4	38.5	57.4	68.1	62.9	57.6	72.4	50.0	53.8	57.4	62.5	48.4	57.6	37.3	46.0	77.3	$14,965
Mountain Sage Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	2310 East Prospect Road Suite	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 568-5456	265	17	15.9	26.0%	216 (81.5%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.7%)	8 (3.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.1%)	44.8	470^th of 943 public elementary schools	50.2%		58	380^th of 950 public elementary schools	60.0%	90							42.9	46.7	57.1			93.8	54.3	22.7	38.6	28.6			68.8	37.1	33.3	75.0		$13,906
Compass Community Collaborative School	Public, Charter	6-12	2105 South College Avenue	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Poudre School District R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(970) 372-4242	179	14	13.0	17.3%	142 (79.3%)	1 (0.6%)	26 (14.5%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.9%)	92.6	15^th of 338 public high schools	95.6%		90	26^th of 328 public high schools	92.1%	11			94.0	65.0						71.4	78.3	78.3	76.1				52.4	56.5	76.9	62.9		48.0		$11,882
Cottonwood Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	525 Turman Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-5900	330	24	13.6	52.7%	146 (44.2%)	3 (0.9%)	159 (48.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.4%)	35.6	568^th of 943 public elementary schools	39.8%		34.9	574^th of 950 public elementary schools	39.6%	6							41.0	38.8	46.3				42.3	38.1	40.8	18.9				31.9	17.0			$18,990
Coyote Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7115 Avondale Road	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 679-9400	242	17	14.1	27.3%	182 (75.2%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (13.2%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.9%)	80.7	170^th of 943 public elementary schools	82.0%		84.7	124^th of 950 public elementary schools	86.9%	46							66.7	70.4	71.8				69.7	66.7	55.6	43.6				54.5	51.3			$18,525

Cities Near Zip Code 80525

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Fort Collins	0.56 mi	49	38^th
Timnath	3.17 mi	3	21^st
Windsor	4.85 mi	15	60^th
Loveland	5.83 mi	25	96^th
Laporte	8.26 mi	2	68^th

See the top CO Colorado cities

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