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
201	Paton-Churdan Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	606 Adrian St	Churdan	50050	Greene County	Paton-Churdan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 389-3111	99	1	100	47.5%	88 (88.9%)	1 (1.0%)	7 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)	$11,337	$119	$11,218	49.7	70.9	82	119	192238001339
202	Boone Middle School	Public	5-8	1640 1st	Boone	50036	Boone County	Boone Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 433-0020	586	41	14.2	32.3%	523 (89.2%)	6 (1.0%)	31 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	$12,674	$334	$12,339	49.3	45.7	214	12	190513000157
203	Newell-Fonda Middle School	Public	6-8	205 Clark St	Newell	50568	Buena Vista County	Newell-Fonda Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 272-3324	124	7	18.1	41.9%	98 (79.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (12.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	5 (4.0%)	$13,004	$715	$12,289	49	51.4	191	12	192058000713
204	English Valleys Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	765 West Broad Street	North English	52316	Iowa County	English Valleys Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 664-3631	214	20	10.5	43.0%	189 (88.3%)	4 (1.9%)	12 (5.6%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	$17,392	$250	$17,142	48.9	68	102	102	191098000679
205	Cardinal Junior High	Public	5-8	4045 Ashland Road	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 652-7531	314	18	17.8	60.8%	271 (86.3%)	2 (0.6%)	24 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	14 (4.5%)	$11,218	$698	$10,520	48.7	50.7	193	12	190624002246
206	Chariton Middle School	Public	6-8	1300 N 16th	Chariton	50049	Lucas County	Chariton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 774-5114	284	21	13.3	53.9%	245 (86.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (11.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	$13,356	$254	$13,102	48.4	30.1	267	61	190705000314
207	Twin Cedars Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	2204 Highway G71	Bussey	50044	Marion County	Twin Cedars Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 944-5243	142	15	9.3	42.3%	128 (90.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	$15,106	$118	$14,987	48.3	58.2	155	52	192817001642
208	Danville Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	419 South Main Street	Danville	52623	Des Moines County	Danville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 392-4222	289	18	16	37.7%	263 (91.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.8%)	$12,852	$127	$12,724	48.1	36.3	250	42	190855000455
209	Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	657	39	16.7	43.7%	386 (58.8%)	104 (15.8%)	87 (13.2%)	22 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (8.4%)	$12,938	$599	$12,340	48	42.5	224	15	190897000561
210	Collins-Maxwell Middle/High School	Public	6-12	400 Metcalf St.	Maxwell	50161	Story County	Collins-Maxwell Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 387-1115	190	18	10.5	35.3%	173 (91.1%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (5.3%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	$17,207	$223	$16,984	47.6	55	171	39	190790001951

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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:

Per-Pupil Spending: Understanding the Breakdown of Federal, State, and Local Funds

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Virtual Schools: The Future of Online Education

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
201	Paton-Churdan Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	606 Adrian St	Churdan	50050	Greene County	Paton-Churdan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 389-3111	99	1	100	47.5%	88 (88.9%)	1 (1.0%)	7 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)	$11,337			$119			$11,218	49.7	70.9	82	119		192238001339
202	Boone Middle School	Public	5-8	1640 1st	Boone	50036	Boone County	Boone Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 433-0020	586	41	14.2	32.3%	523 (89.2%)	6 (1.0%)	31 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	$12,674			$334			$12,339	49.3	45.7	214	12		190513000157
203	Newell-Fonda Middle School	Public	6-8	205 Clark St	Newell	50568	Buena Vista County	Newell-Fonda Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 272-3324	124	7	18.1	41.9%	98 (79.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (12.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	5 (4.0%)	$13,004			$715			$12,289	49	51.4	191	12		192058000713
204	English Valleys Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	765 West Broad Street	North English	52316	Iowa County	English Valleys Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 664-3631	214	20	10.5	43.0%	189 (88.3%)	4 (1.9%)	12 (5.6%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	$17,392			$250			$17,142	48.9	68	102	102		191098000679
205	Cardinal Junior High	Public	5-8	4045 Ashland Road	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 652-7531	314	18	17.8	60.8%	271 (86.3%)	2 (0.6%)	24 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	14 (4.5%)	$11,218			$698			$10,520	48.7	50.7	193	12		190624002246
206	Chariton Middle School	Public	6-8	1300 N 16th	Chariton	50049	Lucas County	Chariton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 774-5114	284	21	13.3	53.9%	245 (86.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (11.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	$13,356			$254			$13,102	48.4	30.1	267	61		190705000314
207	Twin Cedars Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	2204 Highway G71	Bussey	50044	Marion County	Twin Cedars Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 944-5243	142	15	9.3	42.3%	128 (90.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	$15,106			$118			$14,987	48.3	58.2	155	52		192817001642
208	Danville Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	419 South Main Street	Danville	52623	Des Moines County	Danville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 392-4222	289	18	16	37.7%	263 (91.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.8%)	$12,852			$127			$12,724	48.1	36.3	250	42		190855000455
209	Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	657	39	16.7	43.7%	386 (58.8%)	104 (15.8%)	87 (13.2%)	22 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (8.4%)	$12,938			$599			$12,340	48	42.5	224	15		190897000561
210	Collins-Maxwell Middle/High School	Public	6-12	400 Metcalf St.	Maxwell	50161	Story County	Collins-Maxwell Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 387-1115	190	18	10.5	35.3%	173 (91.1%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (5.3%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	$17,207			$223			$16,984	47.6	55	171	39		190790001951