Best Public Schools in Albany, OR

Albany, Oregon is home to 21 schools — 12 elementary, 4 middle and 5 high schools serving roughly 8,691 students — with grade configurations that range widely from K–2 to 9–12, and 19 of them belong to Greater Albany Public School District 8J (ranked 50th of 141 Oregon districts, 65th percentile, 3 stars), while Three Lakes High School and Riverside High School belong to the separate ODE YCEP District.

The strongest academic results cluster at a few schools. Oak Grove Elementary School ranks in the 91st percentile with 5 stars, posting the city's highest math (65.4%) and science (48.3%) proficiency and low chronic absenteeism (17.7%). North Albany Elementary School has the top elementary English language arts (ELA) score at 67.9%, and North Albany Middle School leads middle schools in the 87th percentile. West Albany High School graduates 95.1% of students and beats the state in ELA, math and science, while Timber Ridge School and Liberty Elementary School also perform above state averages.

Other schools struggle. Waverly Elementary School sits at 23.4% ELA and 22.3% math with 41.8% chronic absenteeism, and South Shore Elementary School fell from the 33rd to the 9th percentile. Albany Options School reports 80% absenteeism and a 41.3% graduation rate. Poverty is high almost everywhere (about 75–83% free/reduced lunch), and higher spending or smaller classes do not automatically produce higher scores. Some schools are improving: Central Elementary School rose from the 33rd to the 60th percentile, and South Albany High School moved from 1 star to 2. Attendance tracks closely with achievement, and very small or specialized schools should be compared with caution.