Best Public Schools in Bellingham, WA

Bellingham-area schools include 33 schools serving students from elementary through high school, plus alternative, partnership, tribal, and re-engagement programs across the Bellingham School District, Meridian School District, and several smaller districts. The area offers substantial variety: three strong traditional middle schools, several high-performing elementary schools, and specialized programs with very different student populations and goals.

Among high schools, Bellingham High School has the highest current statewide ranking, while Sehome High School has the best graduation rate at 91.1%. Squalicum High School stands out for strong recent improvement, including higher math, science, and ELA results and an 89.7% graduation rate. Math is the main challenge across traditional high schools, although science is especially strong at Sehome and Bellingham. Specialized options require additional context: Options High School has improved considerably, while Intergenerational High School reports a much lower graduation rate and higher dropout rate.

Middle-school performance is comparatively consistent: Kulshan Middle School ranks highest, followed by Fairhaven Middle School and Whatcom Middle School; all perform above state averages in most subjects. Shuksan Middle School is the clearest concern, particularly in math. Elementary results vary more widely: Silver Beach Elementary School, Wade King Elementary School, Lowell Elementary School, and Columbia Elementary School are notable for strong achievement, while Cordata Elementary School and Alderwood Elementary School face the greatest academic challenges. Rankings and test scores are useful starting points, but program type, student needs, and year-to-year changes matter when comparing schools.