All rankings · Pennsylvania
Best Pennsylvania public schools
Eight rankings of Pennsylvania's public schools from the latest NCES + state-assessment data. Unlike most school rankings, this list leads with BeatsExpectations: a demographics-adjusted score that asks how a school performs relative to what its student population would predict, not just in absolute terms.
Pennsylvania schools outperforming demographics
Top schools by BeatsExpectations score. Demographically-adjusted; a +20 here means the school posts 20 more proficiency points than its FRL profile predicts.| # | School | City | Beats by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilkes-Barre Area SD STEM Academy | Plains | +57.4pp |
| 2 | Masterman Julia R Sec School | Philadelphia | +57.3pp |
| 3 | Penn Alexander School | Philadelphia | +53.3pp |
| 4 | Central High School | Philadelphia | +49.8pp |
| 5 | North Star Central Elementary School | Boswell | +48.8pp |
| 6 | Meredith William M School | Philadelphia | +47.6pp |
| 7 | Greenfield Albert M School | Philadelphia | +46.0pp |
| 8 | Science Leadership Academy | Philadelphia | +44.4pp |
| 9 | Academy at Palumbo | Philadelphia | +44.1pp |
| 10 | McCall Gen George A School | Philadelphia | +42.3pp |
| 11 | Gamp | Philadelphia | +39.7pp |
| 12 | Northwest Elementary School | Butler | +39.6pp |
| 13 | Evergreen Elementary School | Monroeville | +39.4pp |
| 14 | Bobtown Elementary School | Bobtown | +38.5pp |
| 15 | Fannett-Metal Elementary School | Willow Hill | +38.3pp |
Pennsylvania Title I schools beating the odds
High-poverty schools (60%+ FRL) ranking in the top quartile of their state's proficiency.| # | School | City | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masterman Julia R Sec School | Philadelphia | 91.5% |
| 2 | Penn Alexander School | Philadelphia | 88.8% |
| 3 | Meredith William M School | Philadelphia | 85.5% |
| 4 | Central High School | Philadelphia | 85.3% |
| 5 | North Star Central Elementary School | Boswell | 82.0% |
| 6 | Greenfield Albert M School | Philadelphia | 81.4% |
| 7 | Academy at Palumbo | Philadelphia | 80.2% |
| 8 | Science Leadership Academy | Philadelphia | 79.3% |
| 9 | Dallastown Elementary School | Dallastown | 79.3% |
| 10 | Trinity South Elementary School | Washington | 78.7% |
| 11 | Gamp | Philadelphia | 78.3% |
| 12 | McCall Gen George A School | Philadelphia | 77.9% |
| 13 | Evergreen Elementary School | Monroeville | 76.1% |
| 14 | University Park Elementary School | Monroeville | 75.6% |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Montessori K-5 | Pittsburgh | 73.5% |
Pennsylvania schools by raw proficiency
The traditional ranking: highest combined math + reading proficiency on the state assessment.| # | School | City | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downingtown STEM Academy | Downingtown | 99.3% |
| 2 | Fairview Elementary School | Pittsburgh | 95.7% |
| 3 | Pleasant Valley Elementary School | McMurray | 94.8% |
| 4 | Baker Elementary School | Pittsburgh | 93.0% |
| 5 | William Penn Elementary School | Bethel Park | 92.1% |
| 6 | Eisenhower Elementary School | Pittsburgh | 92.1% |
| 7 | Bower Hill Elementary School | Venetia | 92.1% |
| 8 | Poff Elementary School | Gibsonia | 92.0% |
| 9 | Hosack Elementary School | Allison Park | 91.7% |
| 10 | Masterman Julia R Sec School | Philadelphia | 91.5% |
| 11 | Donaldson Elementary School | Oakdale | 91.2% |
| 12 | Bradford Woods Elementary School | Bradford Woods | 91.0% |
| 13 | Merion Elementary School | Merion Station | 90.0% |
| 14 | Fox Chapel Area High School | Pittsburgh | 89.8% |
| 15 | Franklin Elementary School | Sewickley | 89.7% |
Pennsylvania schools with the lowest student-teacher ratios
Schools with 200+ students reporting the fewest students per teacher. Excludes virtual.| # | School | City | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provident CS | Pittsburgh | 4.9:1 |
| 2 | Bentworth SHS | Bentleyville | 5.4:1 |
| 3 | Troy Area JSHS | Troy | 5.6:1 |
| 4 | Springdale JSHS | Springdale | 7.0:1 |
| 5 | Millville Area JSHS | Millville | 7.1:1 |
| 6 | Barrett Elementary School | Homestead | 7.2:1 |
| 7 | Williamsburg Community JSHS | Williamsburg | 7.4:1 |
| 8 | Lehighton Area High School | Lehighton | 7.5:1 |
| 9 | Washington Martha School | Philadelphia | 7.6:1 |
| 10 | Southern Huntingdon Co HS/MS | Three Springs | 7.6:1 |
| 11 | Turner Intermediate School | Wilkinsburg | 7.7:1 |
| 12 | Young Scholars of Western Pennsylvania CS | Pittsburgh | 7.8:1 |
| 13 | Young Scholars of Central PA CS | State College | 7.8:1 |
| 14 | Kelley William D School | Philadelphia | 8.0:1 |
| 15 | Sharon Middle School | Sharon | 8.1:1 |
Fastest-growing Pennsylvania public schools, 2017-2024
Schools open in both years with 200+ enrollment in 2017, ranked by % change.| # | School | City | Enrollment Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insight PA Cyber CS | Exton | +614% |
| 2 | Esperanza Cyber CS | Philadelphia | +333% |
| 3 | ASPIRA Bilingual Cyber CS | Philadelphia | +298% |
| 4 | MaST Community CS II | Philadelphia | +272% |
| 5 | Commonwealth Charter Academy CS | Harrisburg | +241% |
| 6 | Reach Cyber CS | Harrisburg | +201% |
| 7 | The SD of Philadelphia Virtual Academy | Philadelphia | +110% |
| 8 | Achievement House CS | Exton | +107% |
| 9 | Gateway Middle School | Monroeville | +106% |
| 10 | Franklin Elementary School | Sewickley | +105% |
| 11 | Independence CS West | Philadelphia | +103% |
| 12 | Vision Academy CS | East Lansdowne | +101% |
| 13 | Chief Shikellamy School | Sunbury | +92% |
| 14 | Scott Primary School | Glenshaw | +89% |
| 15 | Avonworth Middle School | Pittsburgh | +85% |
Most racially diverse Pennsylvania public schools
Schools with 200+ students ranked by diversity index: the chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.| # | School | City | Diversity index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sara Lindemuth Elementary School | Harrisburg | 78.9% |
| 2 | Paxtang Elementary School | Harrisburg | 78.6% |
| 3 | Thomas W Holtzman Jr Elementary School | Harrisburg | 78.5% |
| 4 | South Side Elementary School | Harrisburg | 78.3% |
| 5 | Chambers Hill Elementary School | Harrisburg | 78.2% |
| 6 | Phillips Elementary School | Harrisburg | 78.2% |
| 7 | Susquehanna Twp Middle School | Harrisburg | 78.0% |
| 8 | Central Dauphin East Middle School | Harrisburg | 77.9% |
| 9 | Rutherford Elementary School | Harrisburg | 77.9% |
| 10 | Swatara Middle School | Steelton | 77.6% |
| 11 | Central Dauphin East SHS | Harrisburg | 77.5% |
| 12 | East Stroudsburg SHS North | Dingmans Ferry | 77.3% |
| 13 | J M Hill Elementary School | East Stroudsburg | 77.2% |
| 14 | Aronimink Elementary School | Drexel Hill | 77.0% |
| 15 | Resica Elementary School | East Stroudsburg | 76.9% |
Largest Pennsylvania public schools
Brick-and-mortar schools ranked by total enrollment. Virtual schools excluded.| # | School | City | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading SHS | Reading | 4,879 |
| 2 | Upper Darby SHS | Drexel Hill | 4,187 |
| 3 | Hazleton Area High School | Hazle Township | 4,071 |
| 4 | Chester Community CS | Chester | 3,782 |
| 5 | Northeast High School | Philadelphia | 3,463 |
| 6 | Parkland High School | Allentown | 3,279 |
| 7 | North Penn SHS | Lansdale | 3,165 |
| 8 | Cumberland Valley High School | Mechanicsburg | 3,163 |
| 9 | William Allen High School | Allentown | 3,074 |
| 10 | Neshaminy High School | Langhorne | 2,916 |
| 11 | Pennsbury High School | Fairless Hills | 2,847 |
| 12 | Emmaus High School | Emmaus | 2,842 |
| 13 | Easton Area High School | Easton | 2,778 |
| 14 | North Allegheny High School | Wexford | 2,711 |
| 15 | Abington SHS | Abington | 2,692 |
Pennsylvania schools underperforming demographics
Bottom 10% within state by BeatsExpectations. Not a verdict, a starting question. A school may be in leadership transition or recovering from a demographic shift.| # | School | City | Beats by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aliquippa JSHS | Aliquippa | -67.3pp |
| 2 | Aliquippa Elementary School | Aliquippa | -65.2pp |
| 3 | Provident CS - West | Baden | -56.4pp |
| 4 | Laboratory CS | Philadelphia | -51.9pp |
| 5 | Life Male STEAM Academy CS | Pittsburgh | -50.7pp |
| 6 | New Day CS | Huntingdon | -44.6pp |
| 7 | Camp Curtin Academy | Harrisburg | -43.1pp |
| 8 | California Academy of Learning CS | Coal Center | -41.4pp |
| 9 | The New Academy CS | Pittsburgh | -41.1pp |
| 10 | Clemente Roberto Middle School | Philadelphia | -39.0pp |
| 11 | Strawberry Mansion High School | Philadelphia | -38.5pp |
| 12 | Innovative Arts Academy CS | Catasauqua | -38.5pp |
| 13 | Peirce Thomas M School | Philadelphia | -37.1pp |
| 14 | Roosevelt Campus of the Norristown Area High School | Norristown | -36.3pp |
| 15 | Lewis C Cassidy Academics Plus School | Philadelphia | -35.8pp |
About these rankings
These tables use the most recent NCES Common Core of Data (2024-25) for enrollment, demographics, and staffing, and state-native assessment data (typically 2023-24 or 2024-25) for proficiency. BeatsExpectations is computed via per-state ordinary-least-squares regression of composite proficiency on free-and-reduced-lunch share. Full methodology.
License: CC-BY 4.0. Reproduce these rankings anywhere with attribution to allk12.com. Press contact: [email protected].
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