Best Middle Schools in Iowa

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Find the best Iowa middle schools with SchoolDigger.com! Focused on test scores for accurate rankings, our user-friendly site simplifies your search. Empower your decisions by exploring top-rated schools, only on SchoolDigger.com - the ultimate guide to K-12 schools!

Year after year, SchoolDigger is always the first to publish Iowa test scores and rankings. Other sites use stale test score data that are several years old! Be in the know with the very latest performance metrics.

The list is updated annually upon the release of the ISASP test scores by the Iowa Department of Education. The most recent update was on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

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School	Students/Teachers	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)	Ranking (2025 vs 2024)	ID
121	Nashua-Plainfield Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	612 Greeley St	Nashua	50658	Chickasaw County	Nashua-Plainfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 435-4166	311	22	14	29.3%	287 (92.3%)	4 (1.3%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	$15,197	$401	$14,797	63.3	43.5	221	100	192019001197
122	Norwalk Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Cherry Street	Norwalk	50211	Warren County	Norwalk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 981-0435	824	54	15.3	18.1%	712 (86.4%)	14 (1.7%)	63 (7.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (3.6%)	$14,307	$188	$14,119	63.1	62.4	136	14	192124001274
123	Central Decatur Middle School/High School High School	Public	7-12	1201 NE Poplar St	Leon	50144	Decatur County	Central Decatur Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 446-4816	291	22	13.1	60.5%	276 (94.8%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	$15,573	$600	$14,974	62.9	43.3	222	99	190690000297
124	Spirit Lake Middle School	Public	5-8	609 28th St	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 336-1370	379	24	15.9	28.5%	338 (89.2%)	5 (1.3%)	15 (4.0%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	$12,257	$62	$12,195	62.5	72.3	73	51	192700001905
125	North Union Middle School	Public	6-8	203 5th St North	Swea City	50590	Kossuth County	North Kossuth Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 272-4361	110	8	14.1	59.1%	98 (89.1%)	1 (0.9%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.5%)	$13,665	$322	$13,343	62.4	69.1	94	31	192083002179
126	Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Middle School	Public	5-8	620 W. 11th St.	Garner	50438	Hancock County	Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 923-2831	255	17	15.3	28.2%	224 (87.8%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.7%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	7 (2.7%)	$13,125	$482	$12,643	62.4			(n/a)	191233002181
127	Madrid Junior High School	Public	6-8	599 N Kennedy	Madrid	50156	Boone County	Madrid Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 795-3240	151	7	22.1	22.5%	140 (92.7%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.3%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	$11,710	$73	$11,637	62.4	63.6	125	2	191818001041
128	Bondurant-Farrar Junior High	Public	7-8	1201 Grant Street	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 957-7970	398	29	13.5	19.8%	328 (82.4%)	16 (4.0%)	28 (7.0%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)				62.3	57.6	159	31	190507002313
129	East Union Middle-High School	Public	6-12	1916 High School Dr	Afton	50830	Union County	East Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 347-8421	242	22	10.8	58.3%	228 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	$14,506	$132	$14,373	62.2	75.8	60	69	191035000661
130	Gladbrook-Reinbeck Junior High & High School	Public	7-12	600 Blackhawk Street	Reinbeck	50669	Grundy County	Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 345-2921	207	20	10.1	37.7%	185 (89.4%)	3 (1.4%)	4 (1.9%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.3%)	$15,800	$458	$15,344	62.1	63	127	3	191266001402

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About our rankings:

Schooldigger calculates school rankings based on ISASP English Language Arts, ISASP Mathematics, ISASP Science test scores released by the Iowa Department of Education.
These rankings were last updated on August 20, 2025, and are based on the most recent test scores available. We update rankings as we receive new test scores from the Iowa Department of Education, usually on a yearly basis.
Our sources of data include the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Education.
For more information about our ranking process, please see our Ranking FAQ. Details about our methodology are here.

Educational resources:

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Student-Teacher Ratios and their Impact on Class Sizes & School Selection

School														Students/Teachers											Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)							Ranking (2025 vs 2024)					ID
Rank (of 344)	School	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Disc Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel from Federal Funds	Total from Federal Funds	Personnel from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Total from State and Local Funds	Average Standard Score (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Rank (2024)	Rank Change from 2024	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	ID
121	Nashua-Plainfield Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	612 Greeley St	Nashua	50658	Chickasaw County	Nashua-Plainfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 435-4166	311	22	14	29.3%	287 (92.3%)	4 (1.3%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	$15,197			$401			$14,797	63.3	43.5	221	100		192019001197
122	Norwalk Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Cherry Street	Norwalk	50211	Warren County	Norwalk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 981-0435	824	54	15.3	18.1%	712 (86.4%)	14 (1.7%)	63 (7.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (3.6%)	$14,307			$188			$14,119	63.1	62.4	136	14		192124001274
123	Central Decatur Middle School/High School High School	Public	7-12	1201 NE Poplar St	Leon	50144	Decatur County	Central Decatur Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 446-4816	291	22	13.1	60.5%	276 (94.8%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	$15,573			$600			$14,974	62.9	43.3	222	99		190690000297
124	Spirit Lake Middle School	Public	5-8	609 28th St	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 336-1370	379	24	15.9	28.5%	338 (89.2%)	5 (1.3%)	15 (4.0%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	$12,257			$62			$12,195	62.5	72.3	73	51		192700001905
125	North Union Middle School	Public	6-8	203 5th St North	Swea City	50590	Kossuth County	North Kossuth Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 272-4361	110	8	14.1	59.1%	98 (89.1%)	1 (0.9%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.5%)	$13,665			$322			$13,343	62.4	69.1	94	31		192083002179
126	Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Middle School	Public	5-8	620 W. 11th St.	Garner	50438	Hancock County	Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 923-2831	255	17	15.3	28.2%	224 (87.8%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.7%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	7 (2.7%)	$13,125			$482			$12,643	62.4			(n/a)		191233002181
127	Madrid Junior High School	Public	6-8	599 N Kennedy	Madrid	50156	Boone County	Madrid Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 795-3240	151	7	22.1	22.5%	140 (92.7%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.3%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	$11,710			$73			$11,637	62.4	63.6	125	2		191818001041
128	Bondurant-Farrar Junior High	Public	7-8	1201 Grant Street	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 957-7970	398	29	13.5	19.8%	328 (82.4%)	16 (4.0%)	28 (7.0%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)								62.3	57.6	159	31		190507002313
129	East Union Middle-High School	Public	6-12	1916 High School Dr	Afton	50830	Union County	East Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 347-8421	242	22	10.8	58.3%	228 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	$14,506			$132			$14,373	62.2	75.8	60	69		191035000661
130	Gladbrook-Reinbeck Junior High & High School	Public	7-12	600 Blackhawk Street	Reinbeck	50669	Grundy County	Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 345-2921	207	20	10.1	37.7%	185 (89.4%)	3 (1.4%)	4 (1.9%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.3%)	$15,800			$458			$15,344	62.1	63	127	3		191266001402