Best Public Schools in Amherst, NE

Summary:

The city of Amherst, Nebraska is home to two public schools: Amherst Elementary School and Amherst High School, both part of the Amherst Public Schools district. These schools have consistently demonstrated strong academic performance, with Amherst High School ranking among the top high schools in the state of Nebraska.

Amherst High School stands out as a particularly impressive institution, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the 2022-2023 and 2024-2025 school years. In the 2024-2025 school year, the high school ranked 11th out of 146 Nebraska high schools, indicating it is one of the top-performing high schools in the state. Students at Amherst High School significantly outperform the state average in ACT Mathematics and Science, as well as NSCAS English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 7 and 8. The school also boasts an impressive 87.9% four-year graduation rate, further demonstrating its commitment to student success.

While Amherst Elementary School may not have the same statewide recognition as its high school counterpart, it still delivers a high-quality education. Students at the elementary school outperform the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 4 and 5. Additionally, both Amherst Elementary School and Amherst High School have relatively low free and reduced lunch rates, suggesting a relatively affluent student population, and they allocate resources efficiently, with above-average spending per student and small class sizes.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NSCAS English Language Arts (2025)			NSCAS Mathematics (2025)		ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	NSCAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Amherst Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	100 N Sycamore	Amherst	68812	Buffalo County	Amherst Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 826-3131	203	13	16.1	16.7%	191 (94.1%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)								(n/a)			78.4		86.6			$17,227	$69	$15,127
Amherst High School	Public	7-12	100 N Sycamore	Amherst	68812	Buffalo County	Amherst Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 826-3131	157	16	9.8	17.2%	148 (94.3%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	89.5	11^th of 146 public high schools	92.5%		52.8	86^th of 168 public high schools	48.8%	75	71.0	57.1	64.4	82.1	84.8	69.2	73.1	$15,210	$864	$12,206

Cities Near Amherst

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Pleasanton	10.86 mi	2
Kearney	11.77 mi	16	59^th
Elm Creek	12.24 mi	2	69^th
Sumner	14.32 mi	2
Overton	17.47 mi	2

See the top NE Nebraska cities

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