Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 98002

ZIP code 98002 has three public middle schools serving grades 6–8: Cascade Middle School, Olympic Middle School, and Mt Baker Middle School. All are part of the Auburn School District and are relatively large, enrolling about 917 to 966 students each. Together, they serve 2,839 middle-school students in the area.

Mt Baker Middle School is the strongest academic performer among the three. It ranks 302nd of 514 Washington middle schools, places in the 41st percentile, and has a two-star rating. It leads the area in 2025–26 English language arts, math, and science proficiency, with results of 45.98%, 29.02%, and 41.47%. It is also the only school above district averages in both ELA and science. Its standout result is seventh-grade ELA, where 54.87% of students were proficient, slightly above the statewide comparison.

Cascade Middle School falls between the other two schools academically, ranking in the 21st percentile. Its ELA proficiency rate is 39.28%, and it showed a notable 4.41-point year-over-year improvement in that subject. Olympic Middle School ranks lowest, in the 13th percentile, although its math and science results improved from the prior year. Across all three schools, math—especially eighth-grade math—remains the clearest shared challenge. For families comparing current academic performance, Mt Baker stands out, Cascade offers a middle-ground profile with improving ELA, and Olympic has the greatest need for improvement despite recent gains in selected subjects.