Best Public Schools in Arlington, TX

Arlington, Texas, is home to 101 schools serving students from elementary through high school, governed by a mix of districts including the prominent Arlington Independent School District (ISD), as well as the Mansfield Independent School District (ISD) and several charter networks.

The city's educational landscape is defined by a stark performance divide. The Arlington ISD ranks in the 30th percentile statewide, yet it contains standout "schools of choice" like Arlington Collegiate High School (96th percentile) and Arlington College And Career High School (91st percentile), both with 100% graduation rates. In contrast, schools in the Mansfield ISD consistently outperform their AISD neighbors; for instance, Mansfield Timberview High School (65th percentile) far exceeds Sam Houston High School (14th percentile). The top-performing high school citywide is Tccse Early College H S At Timberview (99th percentile), a specialized early college program with near-perfect test scores. Charter schools show wide variability: Arlington Classics Academy is a top-tier performer, while others like Uplift Summit Prep Ps perform at or below the AISD average.

A key finding is that per-student spending does not correlate with performance—Venture Alter High School spends $16,727 per student but ranks in the 3rd percentile, while Tccse Early College H S spends only $6,407 and is the top performer. Additionally, several AISD middle schools show an "Algebra I anomaly," where advanced students achieve high proficiency (e.g., Ousley J H at 93.64%) while general math scores remain low. For parents, this data highlights that school choice within Arlington can dramatically impact outcomes, with specialized early college programs and schools in higher-performing districts offering the best results.