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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 50324

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

Schools

943

Students

Districts

Top rankedCowles Elementary School167^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Cowles Elementary School up 76 spots statewide this year

See the top-ranked Iowa schools →

Summary:

The 50324 zip code area in Iowa is home to two elementary schools: Clive Learning Academy and Cowles Elementary School. Based on the available data, Cowles Elementary School emerges as the standout performer, with significantly higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism, and a lower percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients compared to Clive Learning Academy and the district/state averages.

Cowles Elementary School has a higher statewide ranking, with a ranking of 167 out of 576 Iowa elementary schools for the 2024-2025 school year, compared to Clive Learning Academy's ranking of 334 out of 576. Cowles Elementary School also outperforms Clive Learning Academy, the West Des Moines Community School District, and the state of Iowa in the majority of test score categories across grades 3-8, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

The data highlights the importance of considering school-level metrics rather than just district-level averages when evaluating school performance. The significant differences between Cowles Elementary School and the Des Moines Independent Community School District averages demonstrate the need for a more granular analysis. Understanding the practices, programs, and policies in place at Cowles Elementary School that may be driving its strong academic performance could provide valuable insights for other schools looking to improve their outcomes.

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)						ISASP Mathematics (2025)						ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cowles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6401 College Ave	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7818	392	23	16.7	20.2%	308 (78.6%)	4 (1.0%)	30 (7.7%)	12 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.2%)	70.6	167^th of 576 public elementary schools	71.0%		61	243^rd of 557 public elementary schools	56.4%	76	62.2	97.0	93.3	85.2	93.8	100.0	70.3	84.8	83.3	77.8	93.8	96.8	83.3	96.8	$14,566	$624	$13,942
Clive Learning Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	1600 73rd Street	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-5800	551	43	12.6	59.7%	250 (45.4%)	100 (18.1%)	99 (18.0%)	41 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (10.7%)	49	334^th of 576 public elementary schools	42.0%		50.2	327^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.3%	7	62.0	74.6	75.4	79.1			64.8	71.2	72.5	73.5			66.7		$14,178	$481	$13,696

Cities Near Zip Code 50324

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Des Moines	0.45 mi	67	393^rd
Carlisle	5.44 mi	3	237^th
Norwalk	6 mi	5	119^th
Pleasant Hill	6.39 mi	3	221^st
West Des Moines	6.95 mi	13	226^th

See the top IA Iowa cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department 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.