Best Public Schools in Miami, FL

This analysis examines 295 schools in Miami, Florida, all part of the Miami-Dade district, serving elementary, middle, high, and alternative grades across a diverse urban landscape.

Standout schools in Miami show a clear divide in performance. Top-tier schools like Terra Environmental Research Institute and Miami Arts Studio 6-12 At Zelda Glazer boast 100% graduation rates, near-perfect test scores, and chronic absenteeism rates below 15%. Similarly, Sunset Elementary School and Palmetto Elementary School rank in the top 1% of Florida elementary schools with proficiency rates exceeding 90% in core subjects. In contrast, schools like Green Springs High School face severe challenges, with a 49.1% graduation rate, 72.5% chronic absenteeism, and test scores near zero. Miami Central Senior High School also struggles with a 65.6% chronic absenteeism rate and low proficiency in Algebra 1 (34%) and 10th-grade ELA (37%).

Key metrics reveal that chronic absenteeism is a powerful predictor of school health, with top schools like Palmetto Elementary (2.3%) and Miami Arts Studio (3.7%) having rates below 5%, while struggling schools exceed 60%. Per-student spending does not guarantee success; high-spending schools like Thomas Jefferson Biscayne Gardens K-8 Academy ($18,294) rank in the bottom half, while efficient schools like Terra Environmental ($9,758) excel. A notable "middle school dip" in math proficiency occurs between 6th and 7th grade across many schools, such as at Arvida Middle School (dropping from 82% to 72%). Magnet and charter schools dominate the top tier, highlighting the impact of school choice on educational outcomes within the same district.