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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 98118

At a glance

Schools

5,122

Students

Districts

Top rankedHawthorne Elementary School270^th of 1,160 Washington elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Graham Hill Elementary School up 178 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Rainier Valley Leadership Academy 8.6 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

0★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

See the top-ranked Washington schools →

Summary:

The 98118 zip code in southeast Seattle contains 14 diverse public schools serving approximately 4,722 students from preschool through 12th grade, with most belonging to the highly-rated Seattle School District No. 1.

Academic performance varies significantly across these schools. Hawthorne Elementary School stands out as the top performer with strong test scores, while Emerson Elementary School faces considerable challenges. The only dedicated middle school, Aki Kurose Middle School, shows steady improvement. High schools, including the largest Rainier Beach High School, struggle with low math proficiency despite maintaining reasonable graduation rates.

Notable patterns include a consistent drop in student performance in upper grades, particularly in math and science, and a surprising lack of correlation between high per-student spending and strong outcomes. Schools with alternative models like Rainier Valley Leadership Academy offer smaller classes but show mixed academic results. This area presents a full spectrum of educational experiences, with some schools demonstrating that strong results are achievable within the community.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)				SBAC English Language Arts (2025)								SBAC Math (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rainier Valley Leadership Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	6-12	6020 Rainier Avenue S	Seattle	98118	King County	Rainier Valley Leadership Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(206) 659-0956	121	14	8.6	56.2%	1 (0.8%)	85 (70.2%)	24 (19.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.3%)								(n/a)								22.7	23.1			23.0					23.1			10.0											$41,513	$7,121	$34,393
Impact \| Salish Sea Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	3900 Holly Park Dr South	Seattle	98118	King County	Impact \| Salish Sea Elementary	Yes	No	No	Yes	(206) 712-7640	385	25	15.4	66.8%	28 (7.3%)	206 (53.5%)	72 (18.7%)	39 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.4%)	39	699^th of 1160 public elementary schools	39.7%		46.2	607^th of 1168 public elementary schools	48.0%	92	55.6			55.6	33.3	53.2	44.4					42.8	45.6	41.7	33.3					41.7	86.5	89.9	91.0	91.0	91.0	88.8	91.0	91.0	88.8	88.8	$18,603	$801	$17,801
Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6725 45 Ave S	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-6770	289	21	13.5	73.0%	18 (6.2%)	143 (49.5%)	45 (15.6%)	51 (17.6%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	26 (9.0%)	17	1000^th of 1160 public elementary schools	13.8%		19.6	976^th of 1168 public elementary schools	16.4%	24	39.5			39.5	27.3	22.5	32.6					27.6	33.3	17.5	37.2					29.3	69.2	76.9	76.9	76.9	76.9	71.8	92.3	76.9	71.8	71.8	$27,978	$2,247	$25,731
Dunlap Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4525 S Cloverdale St	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7000	261	25	10.6	77.0%	33 (12.6%)	75 (28.7%)	51 (19.5%)	71 (27.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	29 (11.1%)	25.2	897^th of 1160 public elementary schools	22.7%		34.5	763^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	34.7%	134	30.6			30.6	45.2	33.3	57.1					47.3	29.0	22.6	28.6					27.0	75.8	93.9	93.9	93.9	93.9	81.8	97.0	87.9	81.8	81.8	$28,482	$1,375	$27,108
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9709 60 Av S	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7100	398	26	15.3	73.6%	43 (10.8%)	179 (45.0%)	97 (24.4%)	35 (8.8%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.3%)	35 (8.8%)	7.7	1121^st of 1160 public elementary schools	3.4%		12.2	1079^th of 1168 public elementary schools	7.6%	42	18.6			18.6	28.1	17.3	23.7					23.2	22.8	21.6	20.3					21.6	81.8	90.9	81.8	81.8	81.8	90.9	94.6	87.3	90.9	90.9	$28,461	$2,869	$25,592
Graham Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5149 S Graham St	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7140	266	22	12.0	47.4%	71 (26.7%)	56 (21.1%)	63 (23.7%)	37 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	33 (12.4%)	44	624^th of 1160 public elementary schools	46.2%		31.4	802^nd of 1168 public elementary schools	31.3%	178	45.2			45.2	41.2	53.1	52.4					49.1	58.8	31.3	41.5					43.9	81.6	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	84.2	$25,715	$1,394	$24,322
Alan T. Sugiyama High School	Public	9-12	8601 Rainier Ave S	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-6600	48	5	8.8	70.8%	8 (16.7%)	19 (39.6%)	8 (16.7%)	1 (2.1%)	2 (4.2%)	2 (4.2%)	7 (14.6%)								(n/a)																															$49,916	$1,772	$48,144
Rainier Beach High School	Public	9-12	8815 Seward Park Av S	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-6350	854	43	19.8	66.9%	36 (4.2%)	352 (41.2%)	167 (19.6%)	198 (23.2%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (3.3%)	70 (8.2%)	21.5	347^th of 438 public high schools	20.8%		13.7	401^st of 437 public high schools	8.2%	54			18.3	18.3							50.4	50.4							23.9	23.9											$26,023	$1,080	$24,943
Aki Kurose Middle School	Public	6-8	3928 S Graham St	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7700	817	45	18.0	56.8%	154 (18.8%)	239 (29.3%)	146 (17.9%)	192 (23.5%)	3 (0.4%)	12 (1.5%)	60 (7.3%)	50.5	240^th of 534 public middle schools	55.1%		44.5	281^st of 535 public middle schools	47.5%	41		40.6		40.6				50.2	55.1	49.2		51.3				37.5	42.6	38.2		39.3											$22,443	$1,032	$21,411
Wing Luke Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3701 S Kenyon St	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7630	334	25	13.5	71.6%	29 (8.7%)	170 (50.9%)	28 (8.4%)	70 (21.0%)	2 (0.6%)	7 (2.1%)	28 (8.4%)	22.3	941^st of 1160 public elementary schools	18.9%		27.9	854^th of 1168 public elementary schools	26.9%	87	22.9			22.9	47.7	37.5	34.3					40.2	47.7	27.1	11.8					30.2	79.6	87.8	87.8	87.8	87.8	83.7	93.9	85.7	83.7	83.7	$31,771	$4,090	$27,681
Orca K-8 School	Public	K-8	5215 46 Ave S	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-6900	278	24	11.7	38.8%	101 (36.3%)	76 (27.3%)	43 (15.5%)	25 (9.0%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	26 (9.4%)	53.9	505^th of 1160 public elementary schools	56.5%		46.9	597^th of 1168 public elementary schools	48.9%	92	58.7	28.6		47.3	64.5	75.0	47.8	26.3	38.5	34.5		49.2	51.6	65.5	39.1	27.8	34.6	20.7		40.8	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	87.9	$21,011	$1,092	$19,918
Hawthorne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 39 Av S	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7210	393	26	15.1	26.2%	194 (49.4%)	52 (13.2%)	56 (14.2%)	28 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (14.2%)	74.2	270^th of 1160 public elementary schools	76.7%		85.9	156^th of 1168 public elementary schools	86.6%	114	54.2			54.2	85.3	69.7	47.5					67.7	82.0	69.7	48.3					67.0	94.0	95.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	95.5	95.5	95.5	95.5	95.5	$20,939	$714	$20,226
South Shore Pk-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	4800 S Henderson St	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(206) 252-7600	546	45	12.2	64.1%	102 (18.7%)	245 (44.9%)	60 (11.0%)	86 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (9.7%)	33.9	765^th of 1160 public elementary schools	34.1%		27	867^th of 1168 public elementary schools	25.8%	102	46.0	23.3		33.6	41.2	28.0	52.9	51.7	42.2	45.0		43.8	33.3	22.0	46.0	31.0	34.1	24.6		31.5	89.7	89.7	91.4	91.4	91.4	89.7	94.8	91.4	89.7	89.7	$30,822	$1,407	$29,415
Interagency Open Doors	Public	9-12	3528 S. Ferdinand Street	Seattle	98118	King County	Seattle School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(206) 252-0010	132	0		50.8%	46 (34.8%)	13 (9.8%)	32 (24.2%)	13 (9.8%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	13 (9.8%)								(n/a)																															$13,838	$579	$13,259

Cities Near Zip Code 98118

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Seattle	0.26 mi	138	89^th
Mercer Island	1.86 mi	6	2^nd
Tukwila	2.13 mi	6	180^th
Renton	3.51 mi	40	108^th
Burien	3.57 mi	13	235^th

See the top WA Washington cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.