2023 Best Public Middle Schools in King County

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  94 reviews

Senior: As a rising senior, I know that my education at ICS has shaped me into the person I am. From 6th grade to the present, ICS has continued to challenge and engage me with its rigorous coursework (all honors classes). Each year builds upon what I have learned in the previous years, which has allowed me to excel in my classes. The teachers are amazing and dedicated to what they do. Although I may have missed out on some of the larger social aspects associated with a larger school, the small community at ICS is fun to be a part of, as you get to know everyone on an individual basis, including teachers, fellow students, and underclassman over the course of 6 years. There are lots of opportunities for mentorship and leadership with the clubs and activities here as well. ICS isn't the right school for everyone, but it definitely is for me and I'm glad I go here!... Read 94 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 412

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  96 reviews

Senior: International School was amazing! It being a very small school compared to others in the district, a sense of community was formed between each grade. Everyone knew each other and we were able to talk to anyone! It was an amazing 7 years!... Read 96 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 590

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Mercer Island School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: This mostly an outstanding school, I am currently finishing my 7th grade at IMS. Most of the teachers are pretty amazing. This school offers a variety of accelerated classes, which I always try to utilize. IMS has some varsity teams, although not much, a track, and volleyball teams. The atmosphere and culture is definitely something I value at this school, a huge portion of students participate in spirit days, and most people are nice and welcoming. The cafeteria food definitely needs improvement. But honestly, so far I’m having a good middle school experience.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,029

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Senior: EAS was a great way to push me out of my comfort zone, as it was easy to tell that each teacher cared about your growth and learning experience. The leadership skills and collaboration skills taught through amazing community service projects and many trips truly helped me many years after. Additionally, the difficult coursework prepared my peers well for high school and beyond.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 140

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  6 reviews

Niche User: I loved this school! The teachers were amazing, the students were kind and friendly, and the classes were diverse, entertaining, educational and fun.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 87

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  4 reviews

Middle School Student: Renaissance is a phenomenal school, and the connections I made will stay with me for the rest of my life. Classes are small, 32 kids a grade, so kids make friends very easily and get to know everyone in the school. The teachers are warm and inviting, helping out students that are having trouble in classes, and joking around with students. The art program is amazing, with students doing mosaics, water color, pastels, and learning about the color wheel and drawing techniques. The performing arts program is also great, with the first semester being focused on dance, and the second on acting. RSAR is the best school I've been to, and I've met my best friends there.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A

• Students 86

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: This school is great! I currently am attending (8th grader) and couldn't have been happier! The teachers are kind, helpful, and cheerful. They are constantly looking to help students. The kids at the school are mostly helpful, and kind, though sometimes they MAY act mean. If this DOES happen, the teachers make sure it wont repeat. NOTE : I attended during the pandemic, so it was remote learning at the time.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 950

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2 out of 5  1 review

• grade A

• Students 548

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.5 out of 5  12 reviews

Middle school student: I am thrilled to share my exceptional experience at Evergreen, a truly remarkable institution that has exceeded all my expectations. As student, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible impact this school has had on my intellectual, emotional, and social development. Here's why I wholeheartedly recommend Evergreen to anyone seeking a top-tier education: Unparalleled Faculty: The teachers at Evergreen are nothing short of extraordinary. They possess an exceptional blend of expertise, passion, and dedication that is truly amazing In conclusion, Evergreen is an educational gem that stands as a shining example of excellence. The school's unwavering commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, character development, and holistic growth sets it apart from others. I wholeheartedly recommend [School Name] to any parent or student seeking a transformative educational journey. It is undoubtedly a place where dreams are nurtured, talents are honed, and lifelong friendships are forged.... Read 12 reviews

• grade A

• Students 725

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: Stella Schola Middle School is a great school! There are only 30 students per grade, so by 8th grade you all know each other very well. The teachers are all very supportive and kind.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 88

• Student-teacher ratio 29:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Freshman: Although the community is definitely not close nor is the school spirit worth bragging, you can bet that once you find your "group", they will never leave you. I've found from my experience that the teachers are truly there for you and the students are true to themselves. Thanks to that, I feel that our bullying stat is significantly lower than any other middle school in the region.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 981

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: The school had plenty of opportunities for motivated students to take advanced classes. Students were very well prepared for the rigors of high school courses, including AP classes. Teachers were generally both effective and caring, with few exceptions. The campus is beautiful, clean, and modern. Classes have access to computers in the computer lab and the library for any assignments that require their use. Food was standard school food - most of it bland, but some surprisingly okay. Unfortunately, there were defined cliques, but students could avoid interacting with them if they chose. Despite how incredibly rich many of the students were, the overall culture was friendly and accepting, at least to the extent one could expect from a middle school. Overall, my experience was positive.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 893

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  12 reviews

Junior: Bellevue Big Picture school is an interesting case (positively interesting though)! Know that it's pretty small, especially the high-school. The teachers are very engaged and interested in the subjects they are teaching, and (most) of the students are looking to gain a learning experience that not only suits them and their study methods, but that leans them towards career paths and their personal interests etc. Another aspect of Big Picture is the internships, this is a core part of the school structure-- an excellent addition for college and career readiness. Students are made to go out and find and internship that suits their career interests. This is meant for them to gain experience in the field and explore if it is truly something they are interested in. From my personal experience, this was super helpful. The internships were one of my favorite aspects of Big Picture.Overall though, Big Picture is a phenomenal school with a useful structure and cool ideas!... Read 12 reviews

• grade A

• Students 384

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: My kid Just started and we are liking all the facilities so far. New building, awesome sports centers and focus on academics.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 942

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 1.38 out of 5  8 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,254

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.33 out of 5  3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 807

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  11 reviews

Alum: I went here for all three years of Middle School. There were definitely some ups and downs, but overall Odle is a good school. The one thing I would say is to put more focus on the students and the culture of the school itself. Many of my classmates wouldn't even put much effort into their classes because we had the same type of assignments each time and a lot of the core classes lacked creativity/innovation and engagement. Along with that, many of the advanced placement students are put under crippling pressure but it gets you ready for high school and beyond that is for sure. The choice of electives is great, there are a lot to choose from. There are also a lot of clubs, but the engagement from the students for some clubs is disappointing. The sports are great, and I played flag football and basketball there in my time. The facilities are kept mostly clean thanks to the amazing janitors but the bathrooms are frequently ransacked and messed up. Made a lot of good memories here though... Read 11 reviews

• grade A

• Students 973

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  13 reviews

Middle School Student: I like the new facility and the good staff inside the school. The staff are quick to respond to all emergencies (a potential case of coronavirus nCoV was found in the school). The teachers are very calm when it comes to situations like these so the students will not feel insecure. Thank you!... Read 13 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,056

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: This school is literally the best! it has great food, the teachers are the best, the students are great to each other(barely any bulling), and the academics altogether are great! The only thing that I would change would be to add more time to get to classes, currently, you would have 5 minutes to get to class but I would add between 5 and 2 more minutes. I hope you consider going if you're not already enrolled.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 846

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 780

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.8 out of 5  5 reviews

Alum: The staffs and teachers are very friendly and the students are hardworking. The student population is diverse. I especially loved the spirit weeks and after school clubs. Issaquah Middle School and the Issaquah school district is one of the academically competing district in Washington.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 969

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  6 reviews

Middle School Student: Pacific cascade middle school is a large school with kind and diverse children, many clubs (including a LGBTQ and allies group) and many sports. The school has a very challenging advanced math program with an extremely high success rate within the program. This school does have bias teachers, and in this respect prepares students for the real world where bias is unavoidable. This school is great!... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,011

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: hi!! im a student here :) i love the school most people are super kind!! really good environment to be in! i have also done better in my math classes then i ever had, really good teachers!! (never got less then 90% on math quiz/test hehe) school lunches are terrible, i recommend packing your lunch lol... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 688

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.57 out of 5  7 reviews

Middle School Student: The teachers are amazing, and there are many nice people around. The office staff is very helpful and caring.... Read 7 reviews

• grade A

• Students 740

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Seattle, WA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.27 out of 5  15 reviews

Parent: Overall, we love the school. We love the idea of “pods” and a pod mentor who stays with the student consistently through their middle school years. The flip side of that, however (which I see as a con), is that if your child is assigned a mentor whose style and pod environment isn’t a good match for them, it isn’t possible to switch mentors and so they will be stuck with that pod and mentor for 3 years. We had this experience and it made my student’s desire to go to school suffer at times. Aside from that issue, it has been great for my student! I love the self-directed learning aspect and the fact that students are expected to take ownership over their work. The school is diverse and accepting. You can tell the administration and teachers work extremely hard, and they have been very kind to us and always responsive. The biggest draw is their record with high school graduates and their college admission rates. We are sticking with them and our student will be going to HS there.... Read 15 reviews

• grade A

• Students 500

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1