Skip to main content
MoveScore
Home›Best for Public Schools

Best for Public Schools

Strongest public school performance per NCES/EDFacts — highest average proficiency.

Top 75 Cities

  1. #1
    B

    Arlington, VA

    Best for Public Schools score 72 · MoveScore 78

  2. #2
    C

    McKinney, TX

    Best for Public Schools score 72 · MoveScore 62

  3. #3
    B

    Durham, NC

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 71

  4. #4
    B

    San Jose, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 78

  5. #5
    B

    Cary, NC

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 78

  6. #6
    A

    Fayetteville, AR

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 80

  7. #7
    B

    Alpharetta, GA

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 77

  8. #8
    B

    PARKER, CO

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 75

  9. #9
    C

    Toms River, NJ

    Best for Public Schools score 71 · MoveScore 60

  10. #10
    C

    Albuquerque, NM

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 69

  11. #11
    B

    Anchorage, AK

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 71

  12. #12
    B

    Greenville, SC

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 71

  13. #13
    B

    Kenosha, WI

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 71

  14. #14
    C

    Las Vegas, NV

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 69

  15. #15
    B

    Omaha, NE

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 79

  16. #16
    C

    San Diego, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 61

  17. #17
    C

    Tallahassee, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 67

  18. #18
    B

    Edmond, OK

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 77

  19. #19
    C

    Glendale, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 67

  20. #20
    B

    Houston, TX

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 75

  21. #21
    C

    Miami, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 63

  22. #22
    B

    Overland Park, KS

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 75

  23. #23
    D

    Tampa, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 57

  24. #24
    D

    Yakima, WA

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 54

  25. #25
    B

    Huntersville, NC

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 74

  26. #26
    C

    JUPITER, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 68

  27. #27
    B

    Kirkland, WA

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 73

  28. #28
    B

    Lawrence, KS

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 70

  29. #29
    A

    Mount Pleasant, SC

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 80

  30. #30
    C

    OREM, UT

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 68

  31. #31
    C

    Peoria, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 66

  32. #32
    C

    Spartanburg, SC

    Best for Public Schools score 70 · MoveScore 68

  33. #33
    C

    Denver, CO

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 62

  34. #34
    C

    Fresno, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 61

  35. #35
    D

    Atlanta, GA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 53

  36. #36
    C

    Colorado Springs, CO

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 68

  37. #37
    D

    Columbus, OH

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 59

  38. #38
    B

    Frisco, TX

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 74

  39. #39
    C

    Lincoln, NE

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 68

  40. #40
    D

    Los Angeles, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 57

  41. #41
    C

    Phoenix, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 62

  42. #42
    C

    San Antonio, TX

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 69

  43. #43
    C

    Spokane, WA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 68

  44. #44
    B

    Wichita, KS

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 76

  45. #45
    C

    Albany, NY

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 63

  46. #46
    B

    Bend, OR

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 72

  47. #47
    B

    Eau Claire, WI

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 75

  48. #48
    C

    Everett, WA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 67

  49. #49
    D

    Lakeland, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 55

  50. #50
    C

    Meridian, ID

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 63

  51. #51
    B

    Orlando, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 72

  52. #52
    B

    Pensacola, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 70

  53. #53
    B

    Scottsdale, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 75

  54. #54
    C

    West Palm Beach, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 61

  55. #55
    B

    BLUE SPRINGS, MO

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 70

  56. #56
    C

    Decatur, GA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 68

  57. #57
    B

    FORT MYERS, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 75

  58. #58
    C

    Grand Forks, ND

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 62

  59. #59
    C

    LAYTON, UT

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 68

  60. #60
    C

    Monterey, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 65

  61. #61
    C

    OGDEN, UT

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 68

  62. #62
    B

    Spokane Valley, WA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 79

  63. #63
    B

    St Louis, MO

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 70

  64. #64
    D

    SYRACUSE, NY

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 55

  65. #65
    B

    Woodland, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 69 · MoveScore 73

  66. #66
    C

    Tucson, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 64

  67. #67
    C

    Lakewood, CO

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 66

  68. #68
    B

    Marietta, GA

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 75

  69. #69
    C

    Surprise, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 66

  70. #70
    C

    Arvada, CO

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 62

  71. #71
    C

    FLAGSTAFF, AZ

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 63

  72. #72
    D

    Glendale, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 59

  73. #73
    B

    LONGMONT, CO

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 72

  74. #74
    D

    PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 51

  75. #75
    D

    San Ramon, CA

    Best for Public Schools score 68 · MoveScore 59

Other Rankings

Best Overall Cities

Highest MoveScore composite — safest overall balance of all six livability dimensions.

Best for Safety

Lowest crime rates per FBI UCR — best for families sensitive to violent and property crime.

Best for Water Quality

Cleanest drinking water per EPA SDWIS — fewest violations, highest safety scores.

Best for Air Quality

Cleanest air per EPA AQS — lowest median AQI and fewest unhealthy days.

Best Fiscal Health

Strongest municipal fiscal health per Census ASPEP — sustainable per-capita spending.

Best for Hospital Care

Highest-rated hospitals per CMS HCAHPS — best patient experience scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the top-ranked US city for public schools?

The top-ranked city on Best for Public Schools is Arlington, VA with a sub-score of 72/100. All rankings use federal government data only.

How is this ranking calculated?

Strongest public school performance per NCES/EDFacts — highest average proficiency. Sub-scores are normalized to 0-100, then cities are ordered from highest to lowest. See the methodology page for the full formula.

Where does the data come from?

MoveScore blends six federal data streams: FBI UCR, EPA SDWIS, EPA AQS, NCES CCD + EDFacts, Census ASPEP, and CMS HCAHPS. A city is included only if at least three of the six sources have a record for it.

Sources: FBI UCR, EPA SDWIS, EPA AQS, NCES, Census ASPEP, CMS HCAHPS
Last updated:

Ranking uses the individual schools sub-score, normalized to 0-100.