2024 Best Middle Schools in the Pittsburgh Area

• Pittsburgh, PA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.43 out of 5  131 reviews

Sophomore: Shady Side Academy stands out as a top-tier educational institution due to its unwavering commitment to academic excellence, diverse and inclusive community, and exceptional faculty. The school's rigorous curriculum, small class sizes, and dedicated teachers ensure that students receive a well-rounded education, preparing them for future success in college and beyond. Shady Side Academy's commitment to diversity and inclusivity creates a welcoming and enriching environment, where students from various backgrounds come together to learn and grow. With an outstanding faculty that is both knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects, Shady Side Academy provides students with the skills, knowledge, and values they need to excel in a rapidly changing world.... Read 131 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,209

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Pittsburgh, PA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.17 out of 5  36 reviews

Senior: I had a great experience at Winchester Thurston. Everyone—the faculty, the students, the administrators, the custodial and kitchen staff—wanted the best for each and every one of us. It's a place that nurtures students and encourages them to pursue their passions. It's a collaborative environment where students are rarely in conflict with each other. It's easy to make friends and find people who share your interests. Teachers are always available and want to help the students. I couldn't have asked for a better place to grow.... Read 36 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 641

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Pittsburgh, PA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.98 out of 5  40 reviews

Parent: We had an excellent experience at Ellis. You must visit the campus! The teachers and administrators care for our children. My daughter grew throughout her time there. Girls graduate with a strong personalities, assertiveness, and smarts! Although we relocated from Pittsburgh, my daughter fondly remembers the institution. I am grateful for the time we spent there!... Read 40 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 403

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Sewickley, PA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  142 reviews

Parent: Sewickley Academy is a warm and welcoming experience. The day begins on any day with parents and children walking, talking, smiling, riding a bike, holding hands, or driving along the lovely lanes of Sewickley to arrive at the school. You are greeted with a clean and clearly enticing atmosphere of bright red umbrellas along the lawns meant to draw you to the outside space of the school. At any time of day, you will find much of the school has flowed out onto their outdoor spaces getting fresh air, whether playing or studying. Enter any of the schools hallways and find the students working together whether laying out projects on the floor, running experiments in the labs and listening or participating intently. They move between specials and classes even in the elementary school constantly learning, behaviorally and educationally. The faculty are vested in the students well-being and demonstrate great care. I feel good about having a child who spent 14 years at this wonderful school.... Read 142 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 477

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• North Allegheny School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Alum: Great school, many memories and bonds were formed there. I can surely say that I was thoroughly prepared for the future both academically and mentally. The teachers there are outstanding! If a child needs extra help, it will always be provided. Same thing goes for personal problems, teachers are always willing to help.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 800

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• North Allegheny School District, PA•

• 6-8

• grade A+

• Students 547

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Upper St. Clair School District, PA•

• 5-6

• grade A+

• Students 592

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Mt. Lebanon School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle school student: User-generated content on Niche is collected via our school surveys and account signup, which you can access in the navigation menu at the top of any page and from links throughout the Site. In order to submit User-generated content (including survey and reviews), Users must register for a Niche account. During registration we collect information that allows us to identify potentially fraudulent users/reviews that may not be associated with the school. Note that we do not require a school affiliated email address, which some schools have asked about. This is because: 1) not all schools provide consistent school affiliated email addresses, and 2) we want alumni to be able to review their school and many alumni either do not have access to or do not regularly use a school affiliated email address.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 603

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Upper St. Clair School District, PA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Middle School Student: I go to school here and it is truly very fun! I get to hang out with my friends sometimes when we see each other. I have been to 3 other schools and this one is the best by far. The food is okay but I know that the lunch lady’s work their hardest to try and make excellent food so that is why I gave it excellent. All of the staff and students are very hard working.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 603

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Fox Chapel Area School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Junior: Overall an excellent school experience from when I was there. There have however been some more recent changes that have eliminated some of the more fun activities like the Team Day Olympics. The school gives an excellent education, but at times the testing mania that is the keystones become the top priority instead of learning itself.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 957

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Mt. Lebanon School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: As a current eighth grader, I would say my experience isn't too bad. School is divided into two "teams" for each grade, with their own separate teachers. This can cause anxiety for students hoping that they will be placed on the same team as their friends. It's not really diverse, as many of the kids are upper-middle class white folks. I remember when I came to one of the elementary schools here from a school in the city, I was surprised to see a classroom full of white children (including myself). Despite this, noone at this school makes hateful remarks, and treats every race with respect. My favorite teachers are Kevin McCann (8th grade Iron Brigade conceptual physics teacher), Susan McDonald (7th grade Eagles history teacher), and Phil Hessler (art teacher). Julie Snyder (Tech Ed. teacher) and Jeff Holliday (8th grade Iron Brigade history teacher) leave a lot to be desired.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 641

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• North Allegheny School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: I am currently in 7th grade at this school, and I love it. The majority teachers are very kind to their students, and clubs and activities are graciously available. I don’t take many sports, but I know that football is taught in Physical Education, and there are clubs for cross county, field hockey, fencing, basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer, softball, track and field, volleyball, wrestling, golfing, mountain biking, and walking. There are three different menus for food, and about 1/3 of them are vegetarian. There are four different music options to take: chorus, band, orchestra, and general music. I am currently in my fifth year of orchestra. Four world languages are offered: Latin, Spanish, French, and German. Seventh graders take two languages and eighth graders take one. Art, family consumer sciences, and technology education are offered.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 659

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hampton Township School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Alum: I think that the academics were great. I learned a lot, especially I the science and math fields. I was not a huge fan of the fact that I had to take a music class for the first two years, but that was okay in the end.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 656

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• South Fayette Township School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: its so good. food is good. teachers are cool. after school clubs are really good. like the set design team, grean team.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 822

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Quaker Valley School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.6 out of 5  5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 444

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Peters Township School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: The academic classes offered and options for accelerated placement are excellent for academic students. Clubs and sports offered help to round the student. The school offers orchestra and band. Some teachers are very helpful.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 905

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Montour School District, PA•

• 5-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: We have been very impressed with David E. Williams and the Montour School District after relocating to the Pittsburgh area. The teachers and administration are impressive. Academically, the school seems to do a good job of placing students in accelerated classes based on prior academic record and test scores.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 952

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Franklin Regional School District, PA•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 794

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Penn-Trafford School District, PA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.9 out of 5  10 reviews

Middle School Student: I enjoy Penn Middle, the staff, everything! Clubs and other activities are super enjoyable, but the food could be better. Maybe give us McDonalds instead of these burnt pizzas?... Read 10 reviews

• grade A

• Students 518

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Pine-Richland School District, PA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 722

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Penn-Trafford School District, PA•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 325

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Plum Borough School District, PA•

• 5-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  11 reviews

Parent: Holiday Park is amazing my son goes there and they have this awesome reading program where if you hit so many points you get these HUGE REWARDS! They do fun activities. And the schools are so safe.... Read 11 reviews

• grade A

• Students 529

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Bethel Park School District, PA•

• 5-6

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

• grade A

• Students 549

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Gibsonia, PA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  96 reviews

Alum: I attended Aquinas from first through twelfth grade and am so grateful for the intellectual and spiritual formation I received at the school. The value of Aquinas academics was particularly evident to me after I graduated and attended a top-20 university, where I felt incredibly prepared for the challenging coursework, particularly essay writing. The size of the school means faculty and staff get to know students on an individual basis and allows students to try a range of extracurriculars rather than pigeonhole themselves into one category. Additionally, the spiritual and character formation offered at the school is top notch. For example, Mass is offered at the school daily and opportunities for confession regularly.... Read 96 reviews

• grade A

• Students 504

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Wilkinsburg, PA•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  73 reviews

Niche User: Trinity has been a great overall education experience. The academics are strong for a private school, the school offers plenty of activities and extracurriculars for students in the fifth grade and up, and provide students with fundamentals needed for their future. As a high school student, I would've hoped for a better Guidance program, as a lot of work for college and standardized test prep was done on my own or with outside guidance counselors. But, Trinity definitely is a wonderful environment for learning and growing in friendship, abilities, and faith.... Read 73 reviews

• grade A

• Students 420

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1