Best High Schools in Iowa
The top 50 high schools (grades 9-12) in Iowa, ranked by enrollment from NCES data with EDFacts proficiency rates where available. Average proficiency across this list is 52%.
| # | School | City | Enrollment | Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln High School | Des Moines, IA | 2,403 | 31% |
| 2 | Southeast Polk High School | Pleasant Hill, IA | 2,353 | 49% |
| 3 | Linn-Mar High School | Marion, IA | 2,271 | 60% |
| 4 | Valley High School | West Des Moines, IA | 2,152 | 53% |
| 5 | East High School | Des Moines, IA | 2,040 | 30% |
| 6 | Roosevelt High School | Des Moines, IA | 1,986 | 54% |
| 7 | Johnston Senior High School | Johnston, IA | 1,790 | 56% |
| 8 | John F Kennedy High School | Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,714 | 50% |
| 9 | Pleasant Valley High School | Bettendorf, IA | 1,658 | 60% |
| 10 | West High School | Waterloo, IA | 1,652 | 41% |
| 11 | North High School | Sioux City, IA | 1,634 | 40% |
| 12 | Iowa City High School | Iowa City, IA | 1,599 | 46% |
| 13 | Hempstead High School | Dubuque, IA | 1,584 | 57% |
| 14 | Marshalltown High School | Marshalltown, IA | 1,582 | 40% |
| 15 | Thomas Jefferson High School | Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,543 | 41% |
| 16 | Muscatine High School | Muscatine, IA | 1,539 | 45% |
| 17 | Central High School | Davenport, IA | 1,505 | 51% |
| 18 | West Senior High School | Iowa City, IA | 1,503 | 60% |
| 19 | East High School | Sioux City, IA | 1,495 | 57% |
| 20 | Bettendorf High School | Bettendorf, IA | 1,482 | 50% |
| 21 | West High School | Davenport, IA | 1,469 | 50% |
| 22 | North High School | Des Moines, IA | 1,458 | 31% |
| 23 | Ankeny Centennial High School | Ankeny, IA | 1,443 | 65% |
| 24 | Dubuque Senior High School | Dubuque, IA | 1,435 | 58% |
| 25 | Northwest High School | Waukee, IA | 1,427 | 64% |
| 26 | Ames High School | Ames, IA | 1,403 | 52% |
| 27 | Abraham Lincoln High School | Council Bluffs, IA | 1,399 | 54% |
| 28 | North High School | Davenport, IA | 1,352 | 52% |
| 29 | Ankeny High School | Ankeny, IA | 1,347 | 58% |
| 30 | Urbandale High School | Urbandale, IA | 1,347 | 46% |
| 31 | Prairie Point | Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,324 | 50% |
| 32 | Ottumwa High School | Ottumwa, IA | 1,317 | 61% |
| 33 | Cedar Falls High School | Cedar Falls, IA | 1,302 | 55% |
| 34 | Prairie High School | Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,298 | 64% |
| 35 | George Washington High School | Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,291 | 47% |
| 36 | Waukee High School | Waukee, IA | 1,268 | 69% |
| 37 | West High School | Sioux City, IA | 1,252 | 40% |
| 38 | Thomas Jefferson High School | Council Bluffs, IA | 1,243 | 37% |
| 39 | Liberty High School | North Liberty, IA | 1,167 | 54% |
| 40 | Johnston Middle School | Johnston, IA | 1,166 | 63% |
| 41 | Indianola High School | Indianola, IA | 1,120 | 64% |
| 42 | Burlington Community High School | Burlington, IA | 1,092 | 49% |
| 43 | Fort Dodge High School | Fort Dodge, IA | 1,072 | 50% |
| 44 | Northview Middle School | Ankeny, IA | 1,065 | 54% |
| 45 | North Scott High School | Eldridge, IA | 1,059 | 67% |
| 46 | Prairieview School | Waukee, IA | 1,039 | 71% |
| 47 | Norwalk Senior High School | Norwalk, IA | 1,035 | 66% |
| 48 | East High School | Waterloo, IA | 1,022 | 46% |
| 49 | Hoover High School | Des Moines, IA | 991 | 35% |
| 50 | Clinton High School | Clinton, IA | 981 | 45% |
Explore More Iowa School Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best high school in Iowa?
The largest high school in Iowa is Lincoln High School in Des Moines with 2,403 students and a 31% proficiency rate. Rankings are based on NCES Common Core of Data enrollment and EDFacts proficiency results.
How many high schools are in Iowa?
This page shows the top 50 high schools (grades 9-12) in Iowa by enrollment. Browse the full state directory to see all schools.
What does the proficiency rate measure?
Proficiency rate is the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards on combined math and reading assessments, as reported by EDFacts. Data is district-level and applied to each school in the district.
Where does this data come from?
Enrollment and school characteristics come from the NCES Common Core of Data. Proficiency rates come from EDFacts assessment results. Both are official federal datasets published by the U.S. Department of Education.
Schools are ranked by enrollment within the state. Proficiency rates come from EDFacts assessment results, district-level figures applied to each school in the district.