Ann Arbor Public Schools

The Ann Arbor Public Schools district includes 31 schools—21 elementary, 5 middle, and 5 high schools—serving roughly 14,000 students in a highly rated Michigan district that ranks in the 90th percentile statewide.

For parents, the standout options are clear. Angell School leads elementary schools with 85%+ proficiency across subjects and a 99th percentile state ranking, while Bach Elementary School and Martin Luther King Elementary School also post top-tier results. At the secondary level, Community High School is exceptional—100% graduation, zero dropouts, and 91% SAT reading proficiency—while Clague Middle School (98th percentile) and Ann Arbor STEAM at Northside School (93rd percentile) are strong choices. Among comprehensive high schools, Skyline High School has shown the most improvement, while Pioneer High School posts the highest SAT math scores (62.8%).

However, the district has stark contrasts. Mary D Mitchell School ranks in the 25th percentile with proficiency rates as low as 13.3% in 4th-grade ELA, and Scarlett Middle School struggles similarly. Pathways To Success Academic Campus, an alternative school, has a 43.2% graduation rate and 79.1% chronic absenteeism, though it serves a uniquely challenging population. A district-wide concern is chronic absenteeism—all three traditional high schools exceed 60%, more than double the state average, despite strong test scores. Notably, higher per-student spending doesn't guarantee success: Abbot School spends nearly $40,000 per student yet ranks in the 84th percentile, while Wines Elementary School spends the least ($15,163) and ranks in the 97th percentile. For parents, the district offers excellent options in affluent areas and magnet programs, but outcomes vary widely by school, making school choice critical.