Best High Schools in Iowa

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Find the best Iowa high 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
311	Burlington Community High School	Public	9-12	421 Terrace Dr	Burlington	52601	Des Moines County	Burlington Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 753-2211	1,016	71	14.2	49.3%	664 (65.4%)	161 (15.8%)	67 (6.6%)	9 (0.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	108 (10.6%)	$15,640	$640	$15,000	10.7	11.7	310	1	190579000181
312	East High School	Public	9-12	214 High St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2400	1,016	62	16.4	70.8%	370 (36.4%)	345 (34.0%)	150 (14.8%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	43 (4.2%)	100 (9.8%)	$15,126	$451	$14,674	10.5	7.6	316	4	193048001714
313	Thomas Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	2501 W Broadway	Council Bluffs	51501	Pottawattamie County	Council Bluffs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 328-6493	1,146	66	17.3	54.8%	792 (69.1%)	62 (5.4%)	222 (19.4%)	12 (1.0%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (4.5%)	$19,012	$712	$18,300	9.8	11.3	312	1	190822000435
314	Mormon Trail Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	403 S Front St	Humeston	50123	Wayne County	Mormon Trail Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 877-2521	98	6	15.7	59.2%	92 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.1%)	$15,600	$338	$15,263	9.6			(n/a)	191974001160
315	Saydel High School	Public	9-12	5601 NE 7th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 262-9325	458	28	16.6	52.8%	311 (67.9%)	9 (2.0%)	93 (20.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.0%)	$15,532	$350	$15,182	9.5	12.6	308	7	192532001447
316	Diagonal Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	403 W 2nd Street	Diagonal	50845	Ringgold County	Diagonal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 734-5331	52	5	10.6	44.2%	52 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	$16,743	$802	$15,941	8.8			(n/a)	190906000594
317	Storm Lake High School	Public	9-12	621 Tornado Dr	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 732-8065	851	44	19.3	65.6%	124 (14.6%)	41 (4.8%)	480 (56.4%)	112 (13.2%)	2 (0.2%)	74 (8.7%)	18 (2.1%)	$15,042	$355	$14,687	7.4	12.3	309	8	192739001601
318	Moulton-Udell High School	Public	7-12	305 E 8th	Moulton	52572	Appanoose County	Moulton-Udell Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 642-8131	85	7	12.6	56.5%	80 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.5%)	$15,981	$35	$15,946	6.4	18.9	296	22	191980001164
319	Hoover High School	Public	9-12	4800 Aurora Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7300	898	44	20.5	80.0%	150 (16.7%)	329 (36.6%)	229 (25.5%)	134 (14.9%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.3%)	$17,790	$689	$17,101	5.7	4.8	321	2	190897000543
320	Mason City Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	8-12	19 N. Illinois	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(641) 421-4426	88	2	58.6	43.2%	62 (70.5%)	3 (3.4%)	16 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	4 (4.5%)				5	17.5	301	19	191878002290

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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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Understanding an IEP: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Educators

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

School														Students/Teachers											Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)							Ranking (2025 vs 2024)					ID
Rank (of 340)	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
311	Burlington Community High School	Public	9-12	421 Terrace Dr	Burlington	52601	Des Moines County	Burlington Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 753-2211	1,016	71	14.2	49.3%	664 (65.4%)	161 (15.8%)	67 (6.6%)	9 (0.9%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	108 (10.6%)	$15,640			$640			$15,000	10.7	11.7	310	1		190579000181
312	East High School	Public	9-12	214 High St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2400	1,016	62	16.4	70.8%	370 (36.4%)	345 (34.0%)	150 (14.8%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	43 (4.2%)	100 (9.8%)	$15,126			$451			$14,674	10.5	7.6	316	4		193048001714
313	Thomas Jefferson High School	Public	9-12	2501 W Broadway	Council Bluffs	51501	Pottawattamie County	Council Bluffs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 328-6493	1,146	66	17.3	54.8%	792 (69.1%)	62 (5.4%)	222 (19.4%)	12 (1.0%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (4.5%)	$19,012			$712			$18,300	9.8	11.3	312	1		190822000435
314	Mormon Trail Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	403 S Front St	Humeston	50123	Wayne County	Mormon Trail Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 877-2521	98	6	15.7	59.2%	92 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.1%)	$15,600			$338			$15,263	9.6			(n/a)		191974001160
315	Saydel High School	Public	9-12	5601 NE 7th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 262-9325	458	28	16.6	52.8%	311 (67.9%)	9 (2.0%)	93 (20.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.0%)	$15,532			$350			$15,182	9.5	12.6	308	7		192532001447
316	Diagonal Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	403 W 2nd Street	Diagonal	50845	Ringgold County	Diagonal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 734-5331	52	5	10.6	44.2%	52 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	$16,743			$802			$15,941	8.8			(n/a)		190906000594
317	Storm Lake High School	Public	9-12	621 Tornado Dr	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 732-8065	851	44	19.3	65.6%	124 (14.6%)	41 (4.8%)	480 (56.4%)	112 (13.2%)	2 (0.2%)	74 (8.7%)	18 (2.1%)	$15,042			$355			$14,687	7.4	12.3	309	8		192739001601
318	Moulton-Udell High School	Public	7-12	305 E 8th	Moulton	52572	Appanoose County	Moulton-Udell Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 642-8131	85	7	12.6	56.5%	80 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.5%)	$15,981			$35			$15,946	6.4	18.9	296	22		191980001164
319	Hoover High School	Public	9-12	4800 Aurora Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7300	898	44	20.5	80.0%	150 (16.7%)	329 (36.6%)	229 (25.5%)	134 (14.9%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.3%)	$17,790			$689			$17,101	5.7	4.8	321	2		190897000543
320	Mason City Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	8-12	19 N. Illinois	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(641) 421-4426	88	2	58.6	43.2%	62 (70.5%)	3 (3.4%)	16 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	4 (4.5%)								5	17.5	301	19		191878002290