Best Public Schools in Morgantown, WV

Morgantown, West Virginia, is home to 17 schools serving approximately 9,847 students across elementary, middle, and high school levels, with the vast majority belonging to the highly-rated Monongalia County Schools district, which ranks in the top 10% of districts statewide.

For parents, the standout choice is Mountaineer Middle School, which has been ranked the #1 middle school in West Virginia for three consecutive years, with proficiency rates 30+ percentage points above state averages in every subject. At the elementary level, Cheat Lake Elementary School leads the pack with exceptional math performance (72.1% proficiency vs. 39.4% state average) and a 92nd percentile ranking. Among high schools, Morgantown High School ranks 4th in the state with a 95.3% graduation rate and doubles the state average in math proficiency. However, Westwood Middle School is a notable outlier—despite having the highest per-student spending ($15,345), it ranks 67th among middle schools and posts the lowest proficiency scores in the district. Similarly, Skyview Elementary School ranks in the 47th percentile despite above-average funding.

A clear geographic divide exists: eastern Morgantown schools like Ridgedale Elementary School, Brookhaven Elementary School, and Suncrest Elementary School consistently outperform their western counterparts. The district's science scores are a hidden strength, with Mountaineer Middle achieving 64% proficiency versus the 29.3% state average. Interestingly, University High School graduates students at a higher rate (96.8%) than Morgantown High but underperforms district averages in all academic subjects. The two alternative schools—West Virginia Academy (a charter) and EXCEL Center (a small program with a 5.3:1 student-teacher ratio)—serve specialized populations. Overall, Morgantown offers excellent educational opportunities, but parents should carefully consider school choice, as performance varies significantly by neighborhood.