Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its New Hampshire rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Portsmouth Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

13^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 138 New Hampshire Middle Schools

Better than 91% of New Hampshire middle schools

Summary

Portsmouth Middle School in Portsmouth, NH, serves 486 students in grades 6–8 in the highly rated Portsmouth School District, an established coastal community near several strong-performing schools. The school ranks 13th out of 138 middle schools statewide, placing it in the 91st percentile with a five-star rating. Its student-teacher ratio is 10.3 to 1, suggesting a well-supported learning environment. Portsmouth’s performance has been consistently strong, with top-20 statewide rankings in every reported year since 2020–21 rather than relying on a single exceptional year.

Academically, the school performs well above New Hampshire averages in every tested subject. In 2025–26, 77% of students were proficient in reading, 62% in mathematics, and 52% in science, compared with statewide rates of 55%, 44%, and 38%. Reading is a standout strength: Portsmouth had the highest reading proficiency among the nearby schools reviewed, slightly ahead of Rye Junior High School and above Oyster River Middle School. Mathematics is also strong, although Rye Junior High School and Oyster River Middle School report higher rates. Science places Portsmouth among the area’s stronger schools, behind Oyster River Middle School but ahead of most other comparisons.

One especially notable strength is student performance in special education, where Portsmouth ranks second out of 48 schools statewide. Reading results are steady across grades, ranging from 76% to 79%. Mathematics deserves continued attention in eighth grade: proficiency falls to 55%, compared with 65% in sixth grade and 66% in seventh grade. Science has also varied somewhat from year to year, while reading recently rebounded to a four-year high. Overall, Portsmouth Middle School is one of the strongest options in its region, ranking just behind Oyster River Middle School statewide and ahead of Rye Junior High School in the latest rankings.

486

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,555

Per pupil spending ?

17.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

155 Parrott Ave.
Portsmouth, NH 03801-4498

(603) 436-5781

District: Portsmouth School District

Students who attend Portsmouth Middle School usually attend:

High:

Portsmouth High School

Feeder schools for Portsmouth Middle School:

Elementary:	Little Harbour School
	Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
	New Franklin School

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.7%

Two or more races:

11.1%

Asian:

7.6%

See top rated New Hampshire middle schools

Compare Portsmouth Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 84th percentile in 2016 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Hampshire average (64% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of New Hampshire middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg68%

New Hampshire avg46%

13^th of 138

New Hampshire public middle schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 166Portsmouth School District among New Hampshire districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	13 of 138	90.6%	★★★★★
2025	85.5	14 of 132	89.4%	★★★★★
2024	87.1	10 of 130	92.3%	★★★★★
2023	87.7	12 of 134	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	88.9	9 of 130	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	81.2	18 of 125	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	82.7	16 of 128	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	27 of 131	79.4%	★★★★☆
2017	79.4	18 of 125	85.6%	★★★★☆
2016	76.3	22 of 134	83.6%	★★★★☆
2015	76.0	19 of 107	82.2%	★★★★☆
2014	60.0	47 of 132	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.8	53 of 131	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	45.7	77 of 131	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.3	57 of 128	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	45.4	75 of 127	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.1	56 of 127	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	75.3	20 of 129	84.5%	★★★★☆
2007	65.5	37 of 125	70.4%	★★★★☆
2006	66.0	39 of 126	69.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	64.2	5 of 12	58.3%	★★★★☆
2025	57.5	5 of 10	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.0	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	7 of 10	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.7	10 of 16	37.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	87.2	6 of 113	94.7%	★★★★★
2025	84.5	11 of 112	90.2%	★★★★★
2024	85.1	12 of 110	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	86.8	12 of 114	89.5%	★★★★★
2022	89.1	7 of 115	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	83.2	14 of 113	87.6%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	13 of 114	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	22 of 116	81.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	7 of 19	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	95.7	1 of 18	94.4%	★★★★★
2022	80.3	3 of 15	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	48.8	9 of 18	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.9	6 of 16	62.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	82.6	16 of 121	86.8%	★★★★☆
2025	84.2	11 of 116	90.5%	★★★★★
2024	88.4	8 of 113	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	88.4	10 of 117	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	87.3	7 of 117	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	78.7	17 of 116	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	81.6	16 of 113	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	29 of 114	74.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	58.9	5 of 13	61.5%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	3 of 15	80.0%	★★★★☆
2024	62.0	3 of 8	62.5%	★★★★☆
2023	73.8	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.4	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.3	4 of 11	63.6%	★★★★☆
2018	52.9	2 of 8	75.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	87.7	2 of 48	95.8%	★★★★★
2025	71.0	8 of 51	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	3 of 48	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	80.5	3 of 52	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	86.2	3 of 47	93.6%	★★★★★
2021	58.5	11 of 35	68.6%	★★★★☆
2019	67.4	8 of 48	83.3%	★★★★☆
2018	42.0	26 of 49	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	90.8	9 of 136	93.4%	★★★★★
2025	88.0	11 of 131	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	90.1	6 of 128	95.3%	★★★★★
2023	88.8	11 of 132	91.7%	★★★★★
2022	89.6	7 of 129	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	80.8	19 of 123	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	86.8	12 of 126	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	77.3	20 of 129	84.5%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)96th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)95th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)93rd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)87th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)63rd percentile-27 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)62nd percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2026)58th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs New Hampshire (2025-2026) ?

Reading77%+22 vs state

Mathematics62%+18 vs state

Science52%+14 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Portsmouth Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Portsmouth Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NH SAS Mathematics (2026)					NH SAS Reading (2026)					NH SAS Science (2026)			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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NH SAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 7th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics All Grades	NH SAS Reading 5th Grade	NH SAS Reading 6th Grade	NH SAS Reading 7th Grade	NH SAS Reading 8th Grade	NH SAS Reading All Grades	NH SAS Science 5th Grade	NH SAS Science 8th Grade	NH SAS Science All Grades	Total
Portsmouth Middle School	Public	6-8	155 Parrott Ave.	Portsmouth	03801	Rockingham County	Portsmouth School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 436-5781	486	47	10.3	17.3%	363 (74.7%)	7 (1.4%)	25 (5.1%)	37 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (11.1%)	86.8	13^th of 138 public middle schools	90.6%		85.5	14^th of 132 public middle schools	89.4%	1		65.0	66.0	55.0	62.0		77.0	79.0	76.0	77.0		52.0	52.0	$19,555
Rye Junior High School	Public	5-8	501 Washington Rd.	Rye	03870	Rockingham County	Rye School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 964-5591	175	20	8.7	1.7%	163 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.4%)	83.1	17^th of 138 public middle schools	87.7%		85.7	13^th of 132 public middle schools	90.2%	4	67.0	83.0	73.0	70.0	73.0	88.0	77.0	75.0	65.0	75.0	67.0	35.0	48.0
Newmarket Junior-Senior High (Elem)	Public	6-8	213 S Main St	Newmarket	03857	Rockingham County	Newmarket School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 659-3271	225	22	10.4	17.3%	184 (81.8%)	5 (2.2%)	10 (4.4%)	6 (2.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.4%)	78.1	26^th of 138 public middle schools	81.2%		70.3	33^rd of 132 public middle schools	75.0%	7		53.0	64.0	55.0	58.0		72.0	65.0	65.0	67.0		53.0	53.0
Oyster River Middle School	Public	5-8	1 Coe Dr.	Durham	03824	Strafford County	Oyster River Coop School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 868-2155	585	59	9.9	10.4%	493 (84.3%)	7 (1.2%)	20 (3.4%)	42 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.9%)	87.9	11^th of 138 public middle schools	92.0%		91.1	8^th of 132 public middle schools	93.9%	3	61.0	60.0	80.0	75.0	69.0	68.0	59.0	83.0	74.0	71.0	55.0	62.0	59.0	$19,012
Cooperative Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Academic Way	Stratham	03885	Rockingham County	Exeter Region Cooperative School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 775-8700	945	99	9.5	9.2%	848 (89.7%)	9 (1.0%)	30 (3.2%)	27 (2.9%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	26 (2.8%)	71.3	31^st of 138 public middle schools	77.5%		72.3	27^th of 132 public middle schools	79.5%	4		60.0	56.0	50.0	56.0		70.0	71.0	54.0	65.0		41.0	41.0	$17,941
Dover Middle School	Public	5-8	16 Daley Dr.	Dover	03820	Strafford County	Dover School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 516-7200	941	70	13.4	24.7%	745 (79.2%)	9 (1.0%)	43 (4.6%)	59 (6.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (8.9%)	65.1	37^th of 138 public middle schools	73.2%		43	77^th of 132 public middle schools	41.7%	40	48.0	48.0	45.0	50.0	48.0	63.0	57.0	64.0	60.0	61.0	44.0	52.0	48.0	$13,443
Hampton Academy	Public	6-8	29 Academy Ave	Hampton	03842	Rockingham County	Hampton School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 926-2000	313	39	8.0	19.5%	261 (83.4%)	4 (1.3%)	17 (5.4%)	8 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.7%)	76.1	27^th of 138 public middle schools	80.4%		81.2	16^th of 132 public middle schools	87.9%	11		66.0	67.0	48.0	61.0		64.0	77.0	56.0	67.0		46.0	46.0	$19,240
Somersworth Middle School	Public	6-8	7 Memorial Dr.	Somersworth	03878	Strafford County	Somersworth School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 692-2126	286	30	9.6	38.5%	208 (72.7%)	9 (3.1%)	16 (5.6%)	23 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.5%)	21.3	114^th of 138 public middle schools	17.4%		23.7	103^rd of 132 public middle schools	22.0%	11		14.0	21.0	22.0	19.0		32.0	52.0	49.0	45.0		27.0	27.0	$18,872
Seabrook Middle School	Public	5-8	256 Walton Rd.	Seabrook	03874	Rockingham County	Seabrook School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 474-9221	277	30	9.2	44.8%	215 (77.6%)	5 (1.8%)	25 (9.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.5%)	34.4	94^th of 138 public middle schools	31.9%		43.9	75^th of 132 public middle schools	43.2%	19	42.0	33.0	34.0	29.0	34.0	50.0	48.0	46.0	54.0	50.0	23.0	32.0	28.0	$20,333
Barrington Middle School	Public	5-8	51 Haley Dr	Barrington	03825	Strafford County	Barrington School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 664-2127	398	33	12.0	10.8%	368 (92.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	54.3	57^th of 138 public middle schools	58.7%		52.5	60^th of 132 public middle schools	54.5%	3	54.0	43.0	43.0	49.0	48.0	72.0	49.0	64.0	58.0	61.0	53.0	36.0	46.0	$16,629

Frequently Asked Questions about Portsmouth Middle School

What high school do graduates of Portsmouth Middle School attend?

Students who attend Portsmouth Middle School usually go on to attend Portsmouth High School

Is Portsmouth Middle School a good school?

Yes. Portsmouth Middle School ranks in the top 9.4% of New Hampshire middle schools.

How many students attend Portsmouth Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 486 students attended Portsmouth Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Portsmouth Middle School?

Students at Portsmouth Middle School are 75% White, 11% Two or more races, 8% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What district is Portsmouth Middle School in?

Portsmouth School District

Rate Portsmouth Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NHNew Hampshire Middle School Rankings

NHNew Hampshire District Rankings

Schools in Portsmouth, NH

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Portsmouth Middle School!

Latest New Hampshire data All new data »

2025–26 NH SAS & SAT test scoresSep 7, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 12, 2025

2024–25 NH SAS & SAT test scoresSep 6, 2025

2015–16 through 2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesJul 30, 2025

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