The U.S. News & World Report ranks Houston high schools among the best in the nation, but Houston’s primary schools are also high performing. Niche keeps rankings of Houston’s best elementary and middle schools, though these lists don’t say much about where those schools can be found. Here are some of the neighborhoods where these schools are located and how their schools ranked.

Houston Elementary Schools

Elementary school class

Katy

The Houston suburb Katy is west of Houston along Interstate 35. It’s home to several top elementary schools, just two of which are Fred & Patti Shafter Elementary School and Jack & Sharon Rhoads Elementary School. Shafter Elementary School features a student to teacher ratio of 15 to 1, better than the national average. Parents also love the staff and the numerous curricular activities at the school. Rhoads elementary school boasts students with high proficiency ratings in both math and reading and an even better student to teacher ratio of 14 to 1, which allows teachers to more closely focus on the needs of their students. 

League City

League City is a coastal suburb southwest of Houston along Interstate 45. The neighborhood includes the Clear Creek Independent School District, which itself is home to high-performing elementary schools like Falcon Pass and Snyder Elementary. Falcon Pass students tend to be high achievers, boasting an 89 percent proficiency in reading and 83 percent proficiency in math. Snyder Elementary students perform even better in proficiency testing, and parents love the close-knit community between students and staff.

Humble

Residents who like living among rivers, parks, and lakes have a lot to enjoy about Humble, a suburb northeast of Houston on Interstate 69. It’s home to a few highly-ranked schools, like Woodland Hills and Willow Creek. Woodland Hills students have excellent reading proficiency skills, with 94 percent ranked as proficient. And their math skills are almost as good with 85 percent of students ranked as proficient. Willow Creek students rank just as highly as students at Woodland Hills in reading and even higher in math. It’s also a small school, which makes it conducive to creating a closer community. Also, teachers tend to be quite experienced with three or more years of teaching under their belts. 

Middle Schools

Middle school class

Cypress

Cypress can be reached northwest of Houston along Highway 290. This suburb has high-performing schools like Bleyl and Arnold Middle School. Bleyl enjoys a student to teacher ratio that’s on par with the national average, and parents enjoy features of the school like the after-school tutoring and an energized sports culture. Arnold Middle School rates even higher in the areas of reading and mathematics while also balancing the number of students to teachers. In terms of academic scores and teaching quality, residents can trust both Bleyl and Arnold Elementary Schools to deliver a quality education.

Hedwig Village

The Spring Branch Independent School district is located in Hedwig Village, a suburb along Interstate 10 and near Houston. The school district is home to well-ranked schools like Memorial Middle School and Cornerstone Academy. Memorial Middle School has excellent ratings in reading and math, with 92 percent of students proficient in both. It also boasts after school tutorial sessions as well as a variety of clubs and athletics for students to participate in. Nearly 100 percent of Cornerstone Academy students are proficient in both reading and math, and the school maintains a lower student to teacher ratio than the national average. Parents enjoy the supportive staff at the school, the reasonable homework demands, and an instructional approach that includes mixing relevant subjects together. 

Conroe

Conroe can be found north of Houston along Interstate 45. The middle schools here, like York Junior High and Cox Intermediate, have been ranked among the highest in the city. York welcomes parents to help with students during the school day and after school as well, creating a collaborative community that welcomes parent-teacher partnerships. Cox Intermediate has very high proficiency rates, ranking above 90 percent in both reading and math. It’s strong academic record and highly-rated teachers set it apart from many other schools in Houston.