2023 Best Middle Schools in the Des Moines Area

#1 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Prairie Ridge Middle School

Ankeny Community School District, IA,

6-7,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Parent says Excellent school overall. Good education, an the school staff is amazing. I'm glad I live in Ankeny..

Read 3 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 1,021,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,

#2 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Waukee Middle School

Blue checkmark.

Waukee Community School District, IA,

6-7,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Read 1 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 977,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#3 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Summit Middle School

Johnston Community School District, IA,

6-7,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 2.5 stars.

Featured Review: Parent says Summit is a great school and really pushes the kids to learn with great support with the exception of one teacher, Michelle Jordan (science) she is a bully to the kids and likes to pretend to be the....

Read 2 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 1,126,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,

#4 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Johnston Middle School

Johnston Community School District, IA,

8-9,

8 Niche users give it an average review of 1.9 stars.

Featured Review: Middle School Student says Most of the teachers are very nice. They also have a good math program, I am in Algebra 2/Trig this year, and the teacher is very nice and helpful..

Read 8 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 1,118,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 17 to 1,

#5 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Prairieview School

Blue checkmark.

Waukee Community School District, IA,

8-9,

5 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: High School Senior says Teachers work very hard to make students great.

Read 5 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 919,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,

#6 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

North Polk Middle School

North Polk Community School District, IA,

6-8,

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 452,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 17 to 1,

#7 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Parkview Middle School

Ankeny Community School District, IA,

6-7,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Niche User says Older building but excellent staff and administration. Love their after school Expeditions. Challenging academics. Top notch counselors. What's not to move?.

Read 2 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 871,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#8 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Northview Middle School

Ankeny Community School District, IA,

8-9,

18 Niche users give it an average review of 3.6 stars.

Featured Review: Middle School Student says While the school itself is not very diverse, the student body is pleasant and the academics are acceptable. I'd like to see more opportunities for talented and gifted students, especially in eighth....

Read 18 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 945,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,

#9 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Oak View

Blue checkmark.

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, IA,

7-8,

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 497,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 17 to 1,

#10 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Van Meter Middle School

Van Meter Community School District, IA,

6-8,

Overall Niche Grade: A,

Students: 208,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 35 to 1,

#11 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Stilwell Junior High School

Blue checkmark.

West Des Moines Community School District, IA,

7-8,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Middle School Student says Seventh and Eighth-grade school kinda small for so many students.Great teacher but the food is not that good sometimes the chicken is undercooked and pink. Many clubs here like best buddies, chess,....

Read 3 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 698,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#12 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Southview Middle School

Ankeny Community School District, IA,

8-9,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I came to Southview Middle School from a homeschool perspective. I loved the variety of extracurricular activities it had to offer because as a homeschooler, I never had the opportunity to enroll in....

Read 3 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 849,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#13 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Dallas Center - Grimes Middle School

Blue checkmark.

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, IA,

6-7,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: High School Student says The reason I'm saying this is,in my opinion no school in the area is better than this school..

Read 6 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 510,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#1 Best Private K-12 Schools in Des Moines Area.

Grand View Christian School

Blue checkmark.

Private School,

DES MOINES, IA,

PK, K-12,

34 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

Featured Review: Senior says I absolutely LOVE Grand View! I have attended Grand View for 10 years and there is no place I would rather be. Grand View has created an atmosphere that promotes maturity and growth academically as....

Read 34 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 270,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 11 to 1,

#14 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Urbandale Middle School

Urbandale Community School District, IA,

6-8,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 2.5 stars.

Featured Review: Middle School Student says Well one thing i love about Urbandale middle school is they were very welcoming the teachers check up on their student's to make sure they are okay they love to encourage you to be active. The kids....

Read 2 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 930,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,

#2 Best Private K-12 Schools in Des Moines Area.

Des Moines Christian School

Blue checkmark.

Private School,

URBANDALE, IA,

PK, K-12,

84 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Senior says Des Moines Christian School is a place that I will always be thankful for. It has helped me grow in so many ways and provided me with amazing friends, mentors, and an amazing Christian education.....

Read 84 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 1,096,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 18 to 1,

#15 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Southeast Polk Junior High School

Blue checkmark.

Southeast Polk Community School District, IA,

7-8,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says Overall the Junior high was a good place to be. The staff were pretty nice and I feel like I got a good education in regards for middle school level. Planning for high school was hard because every....

Read 1 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: A minus,

Students: 1,165,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 18 to 1,

#3 Best Private K-12 Schools in Des Moines Area.

Ankeny Christian Academy

Private School,

ANKENY, IA,

PK, K-12,

17 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Senior says Ankeny Christian Academy welcomed me with a warm smile into their school. This excellent school helped me further my walk with God. It also enlightened me on how to build my own relationship with....

Read 17 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: B+,

Students: 330,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 13 to 1,

#16 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Spring Creek Sixth Grade Center

Blue checkmark.

Southeast Polk Community School District, IA,

6,

Overall Niche Grade: B+,

Students: 504,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#17 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Indian Hills Junior High School

Blue checkmark.

West Des Moines Community School District, IA,

7-8,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says I learned more at Indian Hills than my out-of-state high school. The teachers are always willing to go the extra mile and the culture is awesome. I hope they still show those videos about walking "to....

Read 1 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: B+,

Students: 698,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 13 to 1,

#18 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Norwalk Middle School

Norwalk Community School District, IA,

6-8,

Overall Niche Grade: B+,

Students: 777,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,

#19 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

ADM Middle School

Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District, IA,

6-8,

Overall Niche Grade: B+,

Students: 496,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 17 to 1,

#20 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Cowles Montessori School

Blue checkmark.

Des Moines Independent Community School District, IA,

PK, K-8,

Overall Niche Grade: B,

Students: 392,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 18 to 1,

#21 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Bondurant-Farrar Middle School

Bondurant-Farrar Community School District, IA,

6-8,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: High School Senior says I wouldn't want to go back to middle school, but this school is pretty good and made my middle school years pretty awesome..

Read 4 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: B,

Students: 579,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 15 to 1,

#22 Best Public Middle Schools in Des Moines Area.

Indianola Middle School

Blue checkmark.

Indianola Community School District, IA,

6-8,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Middle School Student says Certain teachers made the school absolutely amazing. Facility is clean and provides a lot of resources -whether GT classes, technology, books, etc. Lots of natural lightening..

Read 1 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade: B,

Students: 857,

Student-Teacher Ratio: 16 to 1,