#1Grundy Center
Grundy County · 2,814 peopleSchools grade, graded within the state·Overall A+ · #4 of 140 in IA
Grundy Center, #1 on this list · Photo: Lolwhynot3498 · CC BY-SA 4.0Iowa rankings · Schools
Towns with the best schools in Iowa
Grundy Center ranks first on schools among Iowa’s 140 towns of 2,500+; 40 of the 140 grade A− or better (schools are graded within each state).
The Schools grade: state test results and graduation rates of the districts serving each town, compared with the state’s other districts (U.S. Department of Education). How grades work
#1A+
#2Polk City
Polk County · 6,630 peopleSchools grade, graded within the state·Overall A+ · #8 of 140 in IA
#3Pella
Marion County · 10,992 peopleSchools grade, graded within the state·Overall A+ · #7 of 140 in IA
All 140 towns
Schools grade, best first (graded within Iowa). Towns with the same score share a rank (T = tied; 10 towns here); the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
140 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeOverall
30Saylorvilleunincorporated, Polk County · 3,366 peopleA−graded within the state·Overall A− · #39 of 140
110Council BluffsPottawattamie County · 62,680 peopleC−graded within the state·Overall D · #127 of 140
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Iowa town has the best schools?
Grundy Center (Grundy County) ranks first on schools among 140 towns, with an A+; Polk City and Pella follow. Schools are compared within Iowa, so the letter is a state grade.
How are these towns ranked?
The Schools grade: state test results and graduation rates of the districts serving each town, compared with the state’s other districts (U.S. Department of Education). Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a schools grade (140 in Iowa). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Iowa page.
Go deeper
All Iowa rankings →More Iowa lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
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