Best Public Schools in Washington, DC

The city of Washington, District of Columbia, has 233 public schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, including 144 elementary, 42 middle, 44 high, and 3 alternative schools, across both the District of Columbia Public Schools system and dozens of public charter school networks. The 2025-2026 test data show statewide averages of 39.6% proficiency in English Language Arts and 28.2% in Math, with math proficiency lagging behind ELA at nearly every school in the city.

Ross Elementary School is the top-ranked elementary school at #1 of 124 with an impressive 84.4% ELA and 87.1% Math proficiency, followed by Janney Elementary School, Lafayette Elementary School, and Key Elementary School, all of which rank in the top 4. Among middle schools, Deal Middle School leads the city at #1 of 67 with 81% ELA proficiency, while the two Washington Latin PCS middle schools also rank in the top 6. At the high school level, Basis Dc Pcs is #1 with 78.6% ELA and 70.8% Math proficiency, followed by Benjamin Banneker High School, McKinley Technology High School, and School Without Walls High School, which posts a remarkable 95.9% ELA proficiency.

The gap between the top and bottom schools is staggering, with top elementary schools averaging about 82% proficiency while the lowest-performing schools sit at roughly 5-7%. Algebra I is a critical bottleneck, with even strong schools like Jackson-Reed High School showing just 20.7% Algebra I proficiency. Higher spending does not guarantee results, as Monument Academy PCS spends over $93,000 per student yet reports only 4.6% ELA proficiency. However, there are positive signs of momentum: Anacostia High School rose from the 0th to 42nd percentile, while MacFarland Middle School and Coolidge High School have also made significant gains in recent years.