Photo: Jeffery Hayes · CC BY-SA 3.0Seattle’s public schools outscore 87% of Washington districts
On the state math tests, 56% of Seattle’s students scored proficient, above the Washington average (40%). The grade covers the public school district serving Seattle, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Washington, not nationally.
From Washington state tests taken in spring 2022, when 91% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Seattle’s schools, in brief
Above the state on both counts
Reading proficiency is 67% and math 56% in spring 2022, against 53% and 40% statewide; 87% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 84%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $22,227 per student, against $18,444 across Washington (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
67 elementary schools, then 18 middle and 14 high schools
Which school depends on the address at every step. Enrollment is down 6% since 2020–21. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Summit Public School: Sierra, Rainier Valley Leadership Academy, Summit Public School: Atlas, Impact | Salish Sea Elementary, Seattle Academy (private), Bishop Blanchet High School (private), The Bush School (private), University Prep (private), St. Joseph School (private), St. Joseph School (private), Holy Names Academy (private), St. John School (private), Holy Rosary School (private), O'Dea High School (private), The Northwest School of the Arts (private), Westside School (private), Hamlin Robinson School (private), Villa Academy (private), Our Lady of Fatima School (private), St. George Parish School (private), St. Catherine School (private), Epiphany School (private), St. Anne School (private), Bertschi School (private), Seattle Waldorf School (private), Christ the King Parish School (private), Our Lady of Guadalupe School (private), St. Benedict School (private), Oneworld Now (private), St. Therese Catholic Academy (private), The Meridian School (private), Hope Lutheran School (private), St. Alphonsus School (private), Seattle Hebrew Academy (private), Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder Day School (private), Seattle Amistad School (private), Seattle Classical Christian School (private), Seattle Area German American School (private), The Downtown School, A Lakeside School (private), Seattle Girls School (private), Perkins School (private), Ideal School (private), Lake Washington Girls Middle School (private), St. Matthew School (private), Spruce St. School (private), Concordia Lutheran School (private), Laurel Academy (private), The Valley School (private), Northwest Montessori School (private), Billings Middle School (private), Morningside Academy (private), Seattle Nativity School (private), The Lake and Park School (private), Bright Water Waldorf School (private), Academy for Precision Learning, Upper School (private), Academy for Precision Learning (private), Kapka Cooperative School (private), Tilden School (private), Seattle Jewish Community School (private), Dartmoor School - Seattle (private), Matheia School (private), Torah Day School of Seattle (private), Bridges Academy Seattle (private), Fusion Academy Seattle (private), Discovery Montessori School (private), Puget Sounds Community School (private), Spring Academy (private), Lighthouse Montessori (private), Northwest Montessori School - Wedgewood (private), The Village Teacher (private), The Hatch School (private), The Hatch School (private), Kaleidoscope School (private), Derech Emunah (private), Madrona Village School (private), The Polytech (private), Torah Academy of the Pacific Northwest (private), Taproot School (private) and Hampton Tutors LLC (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Seattle’s grade
A: better than 87% of Washington school districts, #51 of 285 Washington towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Washington average; test scores are the stronger of the two.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Seattle, with each school’s own grade.
Seattle’s public schools are run by Seattle Public Schools. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well above the state in reading
Seattle vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Washington towns that share Seattle’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | A | Seattle |
| Bainbridge Island | A+ | Bainbridge Island |
| Mercer Island | A+ | Mercer Island |
| Tukwila | C+ | Tukwila PK–12 · Renton PK–12 |
| Kirkland | A+ | Lake Washington |
| Medina | A+ | Bellevue |
| Burien | C− | Highline |
| Renton | C+ | Renton |
| Kenmore | A+ | Northshore |
| Shoreline | A | Shoreline |
Every school in Seattle
186 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Washington’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Left off: 3 public programs with fewer than 25 students (Career Link, Southwest Youth and Family Services and Seattle Skills Center). 2 duplicate private-school records merged.
Questions about Seattle’s schools
Are Seattle’s schools good?
By Washington’s own tests, yes: the public schools Seattle children attend outscore 87% of Washington’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A Schools grade, #51 of 285 Washington towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 86%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Seattle in?
Seattle Public Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 50,773 students in 107 schools (2024–25).
Where do Seattle kids go to high school?
One of 14 high schools, depending on your address: Lincoln High School, Ballard High School, Roosevelt High School, Garfield High School, West Seattle High School, Ingraham High School, Franklin High School, Chief Sealth International High School, Nathan Hale High School, Cleveland High School STEM, Rainier Beach High School, The Center School, Middle College High School and Interagency Detention School.
What is Seattle’s graduation rate?
87% of the class of 2023 in Seattle Public Schools graduated in four years, against 84% across Washington.
How much does Seattle spend per student?
$22,227 in Seattle Public Schools (FY2024), against $18,444 across Washington. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Seattle?
Yes: Seattle Academy (nonsectarian, grades 6–12, 1,170 students), Bishop Blanchet High School (Catholic, grades 9–12, 922 students), The Bush School (nonsectarian, grades K–12, 715 students), University Prep (nonsectarian, grades 6–12, 662 students), St. Joseph School (Catholic, grades K–8, 575 students), St. Joseph School (Catholic, grades K–8, 575 students), Holy Names Academy (catholic · all-girls, grades 9–12, 571 students), St. John School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 526 students), Holy Rosary School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 515 students), O'Dea High School (catholic · all-boys, grades 9–12, 461 students), The Northwest School of the Arts (nonsectarian, grades 6–12, 429 students), Westside School (nonsectarian, grades PK–8, 401 students), Hamlin Robinson School (special education, grades 1–8, 389 students), Villa Academy (Catholic, grades PK–8, 354 students), Our Lady of Fatima School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 286 students), St. George Parish School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 279 students), St. Catherine School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 276 students), Epiphany School (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 264 students), St. Anne School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 244 students), Bertschi School (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 244 students), Seattle Waldorf School (nonsectarian, grades PK–12, 243 students), Christ the King Parish School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 220 students), Our Lady of Guadalupe School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 216 students), St. Benedict School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 213 students), Oneworld Now (nonsectarian, grades 8–12, 203 students), St. Therese Catholic Academy (Catholic, grades K–8, 198 students), The Meridian School (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 190 students), Hope Lutheran School (religious, grades PK–8, 183 students), St. Alphonsus School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 172 students), Seattle Hebrew Academy (religious, grades PK–8, 172 students), Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder Day School (religious, grades PK–8, 169 students), Seattle Amistad School (nonsectarian, grades PK–8, 164 students), Seattle Classical Christian School (religious, grades PK–10, 149 students), Seattle Area German American School (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 143 students), The Downtown School, A Lakeside School (nonsectarian, grades 9–12, 142 students), Seattle Girls School (nonsectarian · all-girls, grades 5–8, 129 students), Perkins School (nonsectarian, grades K–5, 129 students), Ideal School (nonsectarian, grades K–9, 116 students), Lake Washington Girls Middle School (nonsectarian · all-girls, grades 6–8, 111 students), St. Matthew School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 108 students), Spruce St. School (nonsectarian, grades K–5, 108 students), Concordia Lutheran School (religious, grades PK–7, 101 students), Laurel Academy (nonsectarian, grades PK–3, 97 students), The Valley School (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 91 students), Northwest Montessori School (nonsectarian, grades PK–6, 88 students), Billings Middle School (nonsectarian, grades 6–8, 82 students), Morningside Academy (nonsectarian, grades 3–9, 80 students), Seattle Nativity School (Catholic, grades 6–8, 77 students), The Lake and Park School (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 71 students), Bright Water Waldorf School (nonsectarian, grades PK–8, 67 students), Academy for Precision Learning, Upper School (special education, grades K–12, 67 students), Academy for Precision Learning (special education, grades K–12, 66 students), Kapka Cooperative School (nonsectarian, grades K–5, 66 students), Tilden School (nonsectarian, grades K–5, 62 students), Seattle Jewish Community School (religious, grades K–5, 54 students), Dartmoor School - Seattle (nonsectarian, grades 4–12, 49 students), Matheia School (nonsectarian, grades K–5, 49 students), Torah Day School of Seattle (religious, grades PK–11, 45 students), Bridges Academy Seattle (special education, grades 4–12, 43 students), Fusion Academy Seattle (nonsectarian, grades 6–12, 39 students), Discovery Montessori School (nonsectarian, grades PK–K, 35 students), Puget Sounds Community School (nonsectarian, grades 6–12, 34 students), Spring Academy (nonsectarian, grades 7–12, 34 students), Lighthouse Montessori (nonsectarian, grades PK–K, 24 students), Northwest Montessori School - Wedgewood (nonsectarian, grades K, 16 students), The Village Teacher (nonsectarian, grades , 15 students), The Hatch School (nonsectarian · all-girls, grades 9–10, 11 students), The Hatch School (nonsectarian · all-girls, grades 9–10, 11 students), Kaleidoscope School (nonsectarian, grades K–3, 8 students), Derech Emunah (religious · all-girls, grades 9–11, 6 students), Madrona Village School (nonsectarian, grades 4, 5 students), The Polytech (nonsectarian, grades 12, 2 students), Torah Academy of the Pacific Northwest (religious · all-boys, grades 9, 1 students), Taproot School (nonsectarian, grades 5, 1 students) and Hampton Tutors LLC (special education, grades 12, 1 students). Seattle also has 4 charter schools, free and open by application.
Parents talk
What Seattle families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Seattle → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Washington. Stars are from neighbors.