2024 Best School Districts in Iowa

• Bettendorf, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.39 out of 5  59 reviews

Senior: I enjoyed a lot of the teacher i had there. They were all really kind and felt like they took time to get to know me outside of just grades. They also offered a lot of after school activities and clubs, as well as different sports to get everyone to know each other.... Read 59 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 8

• Students 5,549

• Gilbert, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.52 out of 5  25 reviews

Senior: In my time at Gilbert, I've engaged with many educators who have been important in my success but have also done very well providing guidance, mentorship, and encouragement. They have passion for teaching and genuine care for students' well-being. The sports programs at Gilbert have played a big role in shaping my character and valuable life skills. With many sports, I had the opportunity to play in multiple activities, learning the importance of discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. The coaches I have worked with have not only been skilled in their respective sports but have also been role models, inspiring me to push myself on and off the field. The school district offers many activities and clubs, providing ample opportunities for students to explore their interests, develop leadership skills, and form lasting friendships. The inclusive and welcoming atmosphere fosters a strong sense of community, which has made my time at Gilbert Community School District truly memorable.... Read 25 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,642

• Orange City, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.55 out of 5  40 reviews

Senior: MOC-FLoyd Valley Community School District is not only a very safe school but also has a safe community. The school has many opportunities to be involved in the community. For example, the band marches in the annual Tulip Festival and we are also offered job shadowing and a new non-traditional learning opportunity called CAPS that gets us students out into the community. The teachers are all welcoming and understanding. The school understands that many of us students are involved in multiple activities on top of work. Overall, MOC-Floyd Valley is a great school district.... Read 40 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,575

• Ankeny, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.2 out of 5  41 reviews

Senior: The school environment makes a concerted effort to provide learning environments that are safe for students, adapt to their requirements, and create genuine metrics for evaluating student learning. My school uses every investment, accessory, and gift to help students develop. Compared to schools with poorer performance, they have greater opportunities. Every student at my school receives support in achieving a similar objective, which is their post-high school plans. They provide opportunities for kids to do other things than college, and they are great for college preparedness for students.... Read 41 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 17

• Students 12,621

• Waukee, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.37 out of 5  108 reviews

Senior: Waukee offers some of the most career-targeted classes that any of the schools in our state offer! The APEX program is an AMAZING opportunity for those who are interested in a specific career path. It is also a very friendly community at Waukee, and the counselors and teachers could not be better at working with the students to maximize their education.... Read 108 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 16

• Students 12,431

• Decorah, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.9 out of 5  21 reviews

Senior: Overall, my experience at Decorah High School was good. There are some issues regarding diversity within the school, and fairness between activity and funding equality. The best part of my high school experience was being on the homecoming court and being able to meet with the whole town during the homecoming parade. This gave me the opportunity to show that I am an involved member of the community, combining my wrestling accolades, and my love for Decorah. The community outreach that I was able to do during my Friday on the homecoming court gave me many opportunities, and I thoroughly enjoyed participating in this event. The more disappointing part of my high school career has been the school administration's apprehension to equally sponsor women's sports within the school, and to give ALL sports equally important funding. As the most highly achieving athlete in my school, the school administration has never given me and the wrestling teams the same funding as the other teams... Read 21 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 5

• Students 1,655

• Treynor, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.5 out of 5  24 reviews

Alum: I will forever be proud to have graduated from Treynor. A great culture of success and excellence runs through everyone who attends and who has attended this school. This place prepared me for college well and gave many of my friends and I a great high school experience. The teachers are top notch and we have beautiful facilities! And above all the community is tight knit and extremely supportive of all the kids in each of their activities from football to wrestling to speech and especially to band!... Read 24 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 3

• Students 804

• West Des Moines, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.35 out of 5  86 reviews

Junior: Valley is pretty great! We all try and get along and when there’s an issue, it’s dealt with in a timely manner. The only thing I’d really change is the food. So many kids don’t eat lunch cause the food can be a little gross. Also valley is a push school, they push for the best and if you’re struggling they’ll help.... Read 86 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 14

• Students 9,285

• Van Meter, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.75 out of 5  8 reviews

Senior: The Van Meter Community School District has been an outstanding place to learn, mature, and prepare for the future. The opportunities that are openly provided to students on a daily basis are unmatched. I feel at home in this school and in the community. The Van Meter School is definitely on the smaller scale size wise, but I think that is what makes it so special. It is what makes this place a community. The hallways are always full of friendly faces and hands waving hello. The classes are full of words of encouragement and teachers pushing you to be the best that you can be. The way that the school accommodates to each and every students needs, whether they are personal or educational, is tremendous. It is something that I know a lot of other schools are not capable of doing. I truly feel at home here and I think almost every student in attendance at Van Meter Junior and Senior High School could say the same thing.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 3

• Students 1,045

• Morning Sun, IA•

• School District

• grade A

• Total schools 1

• Students 122

• Farley, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.45 out of 5  20 reviews

Senior: I love the small towns that come together to create a welcoming and inclusive school district! The faculty are extremely kind and go out of their way to see each student succeed, not to mention the multiple coaches that go the extra mile in each activity as well. I had a great experience with college courses offered as well and was able to earn ample credits for free, preparing me for my future and setting me up for success. One of my favorite things about Western Dubuque Community School District is their commitment to see their graduates strive in and out of the classroom, preparing them for the outside world beyond high school. Personal Finance is a required class that has taught me more information about the real world than I ever thought I needed to know, and for that I am so thankful. I would recommend any school in the district, and have had nothing but pleasant experiences all around with the members of the school board. I would not change my high school journey for anything!... Read 20 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 8

• Students 3,725

• Iowa City, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.19 out of 5  139 reviews

Alum: My experience at Iowa City West High School was greatly affected by the COVID pandemic, which lasted from the third trimester of my freshman year up until the last trimester of my junior year. I think that West High school did an excellent job at mitigating the spread of the disease, and although at the time it seemed overly restrictive, I know many people including myself that never got sick. The hybrid schedule was a personal favorite of mine, and throughout the pandemic the administration never changed or went back on their words when it came to social distancing policies. Overall, almost all my teachers followed district guidelines, and students even encouraged each other to wear masks. Another moment that stands out to me was the first trimester of my senior year, when there was a massive problem of kids skipping class and lingering in hallways. The school implemented a completely new system to keep kids in class, attendance went up and the hallways were empty during class time.... Read 139 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 29

• Students 14,820

• Johnston, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.03 out of 5  91 reviews

Alum: I was open and enrolled from the Des Moines public school district to the Johnston public school district and the quality of education I received in Johnston was astounding! For the first time, I felt truly engaged in class, well supported by my teachers, and like I was now the best student I could be. I wrote essays I'd never thought I was capable of and gave engaging presentations. The only draw back I can think of from my experience in Johnston was the overly popular girl high school dynamic. I am a nerd, academically driven, and I had a hard time relating to some of the girls in my classes. We cared about different things and finding common ground socially was difficult. That is not to say that this dynamic was all negative because I was exposed to people who knew how to talk to others and get them to follow their lead. I learned social cues and body language that I still apply to this day. Everything I learned at Johnston, academically and socially alike, has served me well.... Read 91 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 8

• Students 7,428

• Delhi, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.65 out of 5  17 reviews

Senior: We have a great school that strives for students getting a great education! We are ranked nationally for a our elementary and high school education along with 13:1 teacher/student ratio and 100% graduation rate. The community is very much involved as 100% of the students will recieve scholarships from our Maquoketa Valley Dollars for Scholars which is very successful in out small community. The college readiness is one of the best things. Since freshman year I have been able to take college classes and will transfer leaving me at graduation with 40hrs of college credit. That is a huge savings on tuition, but books and we are able to get that college feel by attending the local satellite college. Our community is small my class size is only 40 people so the diversity is not what a bigger school is and this leaves alot of closed minds when it comes to leaving to bigger places. Elementary students are learning quickly even in kindergarten as by the time they finish most are reading!... Read 17 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 5

• Students 708

• Sergeant Bluff, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.56 out of 5  16 reviews

Senior: I went to Sergeant Bluff my entire school career. For 12 years I saw what good came from Sergeant Bluff. It is a small community. Everyone is close. All the teachers want what is best for their students. I never felt like I couldn't go to one of my teachers for help. Everyone there tries to give every student the best possible opportunities. Every student is given the chance to be great. While the school is not as big as some of the surrounding schools, it still had different pathways for different career paths. This was the first year they they had a career fair, where most students that attend found something good in it. I heard from lots of people how they talked to colleges or a local company. Everyone's future is important at Sergeant Bluff.... Read 16 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,713

• St. Ansgar, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.46 out of 5  13 reviews

Sophomore: I like many things about St. Ansgar but the thing I like most is that they make everyone feel welcome. Most of the kids that go to St.Ansgar have known each other since kindergarten or earlier. Even if you are new they will welcome you in. The school is small so you get one on one help with your teachers. You get a seminar for study time/break in the middle of the day. You have the option to do every sport. You get brand a new MacBook Air to take home and do your homework on. You have the option to be involved in every extra-curricular activity. They have a really strict no tolerance bullying rule that they have started to enforce in the past few years. St. Ansgar is ranked 76th out of all of the high school's in Iowa. Nationally St. Ansgar is ranked 7,955. The graduation rate is 93%. They have block scheduling. That means you only have four classes a day. One class is eighty minutes long. You also have A and B days so when you get your homework it isn't due for another day.... Read 13 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 3

• Students 586

• Underwood, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.36 out of 5  22 reviews

Senior: I loved Underwood Schools! Everyone is very welcoming, including, kind, and the teachers are great. I would not change anything about my experience.... Read 22 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 3

• Students 850

• Bennett, IA•

• School District

• grade A minus

• Total schools 1

• Students 79

• Story City, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4 out of 5  17 reviews

Senior: I´ve had a great experience at Roland-Story High School. I moved here last year from the Chicago suburbs and was very welcomed by many students and staff. On my unofficial first day of enrollment, I was given a tour of the school by a group of seniors who introduced me to all of the teachers. The teachers at Roland-Story are some of the best I´ve ever had. One teacher, in particular, is amusing and always has a story to tell that he can relate to the lesson. The community involvement of the district is unique. Every year during the fall, different groups of students help the community by raking leaves and cleaning the yards of people who live in town. By far the best experience I´ve had at Roland-Story was building a Halloween activity called Haunted Highschool. During a three-week time span, my classmates and I used the shop to build ramps, frames, and other wood objects for a haunted house course. Overall, my experience at Roland-Story Highschool has been fun and beneficial.... Read 17 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 3

• Students 1,106

• Rock Rapids, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.56 out of 5  9 reviews

Alum: Being a part of Central Lyon High School, I was given so many opportunities. My favorite part of going to school there was that almost everyone knew each other & were so supportive of the activities that took place at school. My favorite experience was playing in the state basketball tournament championship & looking at the crowd and knowing I had a community cheering me on. One thing that was hard to deal with going to a smaller sized school was the amount of drama. Different friend groups were made, some not as welcoming as other groups. One thing that I'd love to see change to combat this problem is more group activities, such as a grade (mine being 62 people) all working together to complete designated tasks, which could involve community service, etc. Having everyone come together to face a challenge may lead students to work with different classmates that they had not talked to or had gotten to know well.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 2

• Students 794

• Bettendorf, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.97 out of 5  31 reviews

Senior: I've been a member of this district since kindergarten. My experience with Paul Norton Elementary was very positive, I had excellent teachers and lots of friends. Bettendorf Middle School did a nice job of preparing me for high school and allowed me to start getting involved with several of the extracurriculars I am now in today, as a senior. Attending Bettendorf High School has been an overall positive experience for me as well. My teachers have all been very helpful, available, and clearly want me to succeed. I have had so many wonderful opportunites to get involved within the school, whether it be clubs, sports, or the fine arts. Lastly, a variety of challengings courses and dual credit enrollment opportunities are offered. My senior year has allowed me to take a lot of courses in my intended area of study in college and even get some college credit already done.... Read 31 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 7

• Students 4,770

• Grimes, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.29 out of 5  31 reviews

Senior: Dallas Center Grimes School District has reasonably strong academics with most of the teachers wanting you to succeed and willing to work with you to support your educational endeavors. Athletics are strong across many sports though nepotism or favoritism is rampant throughout. Some coaches know that this is the case but refuse to make the needed changes in themselves to facilitate fairness for all. Many students are entitled and spoiled, although you can see that most are also supported academically and athletically from strong home life. There are drugs and alcohol usage along with promiscuous behavior among a large portion of the student population but over all I would guess it to be less than that of other affluent nearby schools. Overall the school is very solid with a good learning environment for the overwhelming majority of students.... Read 31 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 7

• Students 3,660

• Williamsburg, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.18 out of 5  17 reviews

Sophomore: I love the environment in this school and how most teacher teach the content. A lot of them are willing to help students and not make any student feel idiotic for being unsure of a subject. The administrators care about the students and have our best interests in mind. They are involved and help our school to be a safe place where we don't have to worry about "fitting in" because there's also something for everyone!... Read 17 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 3

• Students 1,243

• Waverly, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.31 out of 5  36 reviews

Junior: My experience is overall good. I have had great experiences with the soccer program. I have been on the varsity team and we have gone to state both years and have done very well in our class. The team is competitive and encouraging. The coaches are really good and will continue to put you in the right direction on and off the field. I have also had a great experience with weightlifting coaches. They push me to be my best and help me become a better athlete. I have learned a lot while in the Waverly Shell Rock schools. I have learned geometry, history, reading, writing, finance, philosophy, health, and more. Many of these things that I have learned I will continue to use outside of high school and will use when I'm in college and in the workforce. There have also been challenges in the Waverly Shell Rock district like facilities that have made it challenging to accel in school. Another thing that was difficult was having peers around you that might not be the best influence.... Read 36 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 7

• Students 2,355

• Solon, IA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.26 out of 5  19 reviews

Senior: Solon has excelling academics with teachers who truly care about the students. High School Students are encouraged to take college courses at the surrounding colleges and universities at no cost to the students. The only downfall is that the school only offers 2 AP courses. There also are no Agriculture or FCS courses offered. Solon is a very safe school district and respect is expected of everyone school wide. A variety of clubs and activities are offered and the school is known for its excellence in sports, specifically football. The school culture can be a little clicky and there definitely is an in-group and out-group feel. Music and fine arts are fairly good, but marching band doesn't receive much funding. Everything tends to go towards the sports programs, but this leads to exceptionally nice facilities. This includes an indoor track, turf field, brand new weight lifting room, and two gyms.... Read 19 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,511