Best Public Schools in Bryan, TX

The city of Bryan, Texas, is home to 29 schools, serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, primarily within the Bryan Independent School District (Isd), which holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 35th percentile statewide. The district faces a significant challenge with high economic disadvantage, as the average free/reduced lunch rate across schools is approximately 76%, a key factor in understanding academic performance.

There is a stark contrast between standout schools and those that struggle. Bryan Collegiate High School is the district's top performer, ranking in the 96th percentile with a 100% graduation rate and exceptional test scores, all while spending the least per student. In contrast, The Mary Catherine Harris School-School Of Choice ranks in the 1st percentile with a low 78.2% graduation rate and a high 11.5% dropout rate. Among elementary schools, Sam Houston Elementary leads with a 4-star rating and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (32.19%), while Navarro Elementary is the lowest-performing, with a 1-star rating and critically low math proficiency. The two comprehensive high schools, Travis B Bryan High School and James Earl Rudder High School, are similar in overall low performance, but Rudder has a notably higher graduation rate (98% vs. 88%).

A fascinating "middle school paradox" emerges at Stephen F Austin and Arthur L Davila Middle, which rank in the bottom third of the state yet achieve extraordinary proficiency in high-school-level Algebra I and Biology, suggesting strong advanced programs while general education lags. The district's safety net schools, including the Disciplinary Alternative Educational Progam (Daep), are extremely costly—spending up to $79,617 per student—but produce the lowest academic outcomes, reflecting the immense challenges of serving at-risk populations. Overall, Bryan Collegiate High School stands as a powerful example that high performance is achievable even with a high-poverty population, offering a potential blueprint for improvement across the district.