Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

Hearst Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

7^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Hearst Elementary School is a small, highly ranked PK–5 public school in Northwest Washington, DC, serving 356 students as part of the District of Columbia Public Schools system. In 2025–2026, Hearst ranked 7th out of 124 District elementary schools — placing it in the 94th percentile with a 5-star rating — and it has consistently ranked among the top 15 schools in DC for nearly a decade.

Academically, Hearst substantially outperforms both district and state averages. In 2025–2026, English Language Arts proficiency was 74.1% (vs. 44.1% district), mathematics was 79.1% (vs. 33.3% district), and 5th-grade science was 58.1% (vs. 23.7% district). Math is a particular strength: Hearst's proficiency rate is more than 2.3 times the district average, and math scores actually exceed reading scores — an unusual pattern. Upper-grade performance is especially strong, with 4th-grade ELA jumping to 85.8% and 5th-grade math reaching 83.6%. Hearst also outperforms nearby schools like Mann Elementary School and Key Elementary School in 5th-grade math.

Hearst is located in one of the strongest elementary school corridors in DC, where three nearby schools — Janney Elementary School (#2), Lafayette Elementary School (#3), and Key Elementary School (#4) — rank just above it. Yet Hearst sits comfortably ahead of other strong neighbors like Murch Elementary School (#9), Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (#10), Mann Elementary School (#11), Stoddert Elementary School (#13), and Eaton Elementary School (#16). The contrast within a two-mile radius is stark: Bancroft Elementary School posts 44% ELA and 39% math proficiency, while H.D. Cooke Elementary School posts just 24% in both subjects. Hearst spends about $24,588 per student — less than several lower-performing neighbors — and has a student-teacher ratio of 13.4, suggesting that its success is driven by instructional quality, school culture, and family engagement rather than class size alone. The data do not include free/reduced-price lunch percentages, so differences in student poverty levels could not be directly accounted for.

356

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,265

Per pupil spending ?

15.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3950 37th St. NW
Washington, DC 20008

(202) 282-0106

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Hearst Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Deal Middle School
High:	Jackson-Reed High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.8%

African American:

19.7%

Hispanic:

11.8%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Hearst Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2015 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the District Of Columbia average (77% vs 34% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school77%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

7^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 14% (2016) to top 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 74Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	95.7	7 of 124	94.4%	★★★★★
2025	97.0	7 of 128	94.5%	★★★★★
2024	95.3	13 of 126	89.7%	★★★★★
2023	95.5	12 of 128	90.6%	★★★★★
2022	96.1	7 of 97	92.8%	★★★★★
2019	85.8	15 of 122	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	88.3	14 of 120	88.3%	★★★★☆
2017	92.2	10 of 108	90.7%	★★★★★
2016	87.1	14 of 99	85.9%	★★★★☆
2015	78.2	19 of 97	80.4%	★★★★☆
2014	81.1	18 of 109	83.5%	★★★★☆
2012	80.7	20 of 112	82.1%	★★★★☆
2011	85.5	17 of 111	84.7%	★★★★☆
2010	90.5	12 of 111	89.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	69.3	25 of 106	76.4%	★★★★☆
2018	87.2	9 of 100	91.0%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	81.6	17 of 117	85.5%	★★★★☆
2018	89.1	12 of 110	89.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	87.4	13 of 113	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	80.2	20 of 113	82.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	77.9	3 of 25	88.0%	★★★★★
2024	72.2	6 of 26	76.9%	★★★★☆
2023	43.6	15 of 25	40.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.5	8 of 18	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.2	15 of 21	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.8	7 of 19	63.2%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2019)88th percentile~ school

White (2026)88th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2019)85th percentile~ school

African American (2019)76th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics79%+51 vs state

English Language Arts74%+34 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

Rate Hearst Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, June 15, 2016

By far the worst school my child has ever attended, from the teachers to the office. The education was so far from par it's not even funny! As a active parent I have seen first hand the disorderly behavior of teachers and class aid in the classrooms. The teachers just don't care if the children are learning,only about 35% of the kids are understanding why they are in the classrooms and are willing to work for there grades, the rest of the class needs special understanding that they will need there confidence built up to perform on grade level. Teachers are only giving 50% effort to make there class amazing, that is the bottom line. All kids are entitled to a education that they can understand, some need to know you care about them and when teachers don't make it there main goal kids can't comprehend why they need to learn on what seems like a uphill climb for some kids. Close Quote

Schools Near Hearst Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)							DC CAPE Mathematics (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 (2016)	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	DC CAPE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 4th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 5th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 3rd Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 4th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hearst Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3950 37th St. NW	Washington	20008	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 282-0106	356	27	13.4	15.5%	188 (52.8%)	70 (19.7%)	42 (11.8%)	26 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.1%)	95.7	7^th of 124 public elementary schools	94.4%		97	7^th of 128 public elementary schools	94.5%		61.2	85.8	81.7				74.1	74.6	81.0	83.6				79.1	$24,265	$2,066	$22,199
Eaton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3301 Lowell St NW	Washington	20008	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 282-0103	436	34	13.0	13.8%	209 (47.9%)	78 (17.9%)	58 (13.3%)	33 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (13.1%)	88.6	16^th of 124 public elementary schools	87.1%		93.8	14^th of 128 public elementary schools	89.1%	2	58.3	59.1	78.5				65.8	85.0	60.6	51.4				64.8	$22,880	$2,086	$20,795
Janney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4130 Albemarle St. NW	Washington	20016	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 282-0110	717	53	13.5	2.1%	475 (66.2%)	42 (5.9%)	66 (9.2%)	42 (5.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (12.0%)	98	2^nd of 124 public elementary schools	98.4%		99	1^st of 128 public elementary schools	99.2%	1	69.9	91.9	87.0				81.6	89.6	89.5	82.1				87.4	$21,486	$2,071	$19,414
Murch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4810 36th St. NW	Washington	20008	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 282-0130	658	47	14.0	7.4%	357 (54.3%)	117 (17.8%)	80 (12.2%)	50 (7.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.6%)	94.9	9^th of 124 public elementary schools	92.7%		96.6	8^th of 128 public elementary schools	93.8%	1	66.3	74.5	82.5				74.5	71.6	77.7	78.3				75.9	$22,873	$2,110	$20,763
Mann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4430 Newark St. NW	Washington	20016	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 282-0126	397	32	12.4	3.9%	263 (66.2%)	42 (10.6%)	57 (14.4%)	20 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.8%)	94.5	11^th of 124 public elementary schools	91.1%		96	9^th of 128 public elementary schools	93.0%	2	78.5	69.0	79.1				75.3	92.8	67.3	65.1				76.0	$26,246	$2,081	$24,165
Stoddert Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4001 Calvert St. NW	Washington	20007	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 671-6030	425	35	12.1	10.9%	253 (59.5%)	49 (11.5%)	45 (10.6%)	37 (8.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.2%)	92.7	13^th of 124 public elementary schools	89.5%		98.9	2^nd of 128 public elementary schools	98.4%	11	49.2	81.1	76.2				68.7	76.2	77.0	70.8				75.3	$25,854	$2,125	$23,728
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School	Public	PK, KG-8	2801 Calvert St. NW	Washington	20008	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 671-6130	791	60	13.1	21.7%	306 (38.7%)	22 (2.8%)	385 (48.7%)	34 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.6%)	94.7	10^th of 124 public elementary schools	91.9%		95.7	10^th of 128 public elementary schools	92.2%		62.6	75.5	74.1	79.5	76.3	71.2	73.1	81.5	64.9	66.6	59.0	68.8	53.8	66.5	$23,829	$2,085	$21,744
Bancroft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1755 Newton St. NW	Washington	20010	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 673-7280	821	64	12.8	100.0%	245 (29.8%)	14 (1.7%)	527 (64.2%)	8 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.9%)	61.1	39^th of 124 public elementary schools	68.5%		62.9	30^th of 128 public elementary schools	76.6%	9	39.4	49.0	45.8				44.2	43.3	45.0	27.1				39.0	$26,062	$2,079	$23,983
Lafayette Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5701 Broad Branch Rd. NW	Washington	20015	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 282-0116	923	63	14.6	3.7%	650 (70.4%)	88 (9.5%)	80 (8.7%)	29 (3.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	72 (7.8%)	97.4	3^rd of 124 public elementary schools	97.6%		98.7	4^th of 128 public elementary schools	96.9%	1	70.1	87.4	83.7				80.2	81.1	86.6	88.9				85.4	$21,306	$2,092	$19,214
Key Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Dana Pl. NW	Washington	20016	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 729-3280	337	26	12.9	4.1%	199 (59.1%)	34 (10.1%)	46 (13.6%)	18 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	38 (11.3%)	97.2	4^th of 124 public elementary schools	96.8%		95.2	11^th of 128 public elementary schools	91.4%	7		92.1	82.3				82.0	84.6	94.7	67.7				82.8	$24,855	$2,112	$22,743

Frequently Asked Questions about Hearst Elementary School

Is Hearst Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Hearst Elementary School ranks in the top 5.6% of District Of Columbia elementary schools.

How many students attend Hearst Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 356 students attended Hearst Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Hearst Elementary School?

Students at Hearst Elementary School are 53% White, 20% African American, 12% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Hearst Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hearst Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Deal Middle School
High : Jackson-Reed High School

What district is Hearst Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

Rate Hearst Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

DCDistrict Of Columbia Elementary School Rankings

DCDistrict Of Columbia District Rankings

Schools in Washington, DC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hearst Elementary School!

Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

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