Best Public Schools in Delaware

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score. Based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs & attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

63/100
Top Score
Sussex Consortium
52/100
Avg Score (Top 50)
50
Schools Ranked
DE
State
# School Score Grade
1. Sussex Consortium Lewes 63 C+
2. Indian River Intensive Learning Center Selbyville 63 C+
3. Heritage Elementary School Wilmington 61 C+
4. Clayton (John M.) Elementary School Frankford 60 C+
5. Dover Air Force Base Middle School Dover 60 C+
6. North Star Elementary School Hockessin 59 C
7. Seaford Central Elementary School Seaford 59 C
8. Marbrook Elementary School Wilmington 59 C
9. Star Hill Elementary School Dover 59 C
10. Kent County Secondary Ilc Dover 58 C
11. Linden Hill Elementary School Wilmington 57 C
12. Showell (Phillip C.) Elementary School Selbyville 57 C
13. William F. Cooke Jr. Elementary Hockessin 55 C
14. Gallaher (Robert S.) Elementary School Newark 55 C
15. West Park Place Elementary School Newark 55 C
16. Wilson (Etta J.) Elementary School Newark 55 C
17. Gateway Charter School Wilmington 54 C-
18. Christina Early Education Center Newark 53 C-
19. Leasure (May B.) Elementary School Newark 53 C-
20. Forest Oak Elementary School Newark 52 C-
21. Southern Delaware School of the Arts Selbyville 52 C-
22. Major George S. Welch Elementary School Dover 52 C-
23. The Colwyck Center New Castle 52 C-
24. Appoquinimink Preschool Center Middletown 52 C-
25. North Smyrna Elementary School Smyrna 51 C-
26. Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School Wilmington 51 C-
27. Jones (Albert H.) Elementary School Newark 51 C-
28. Maclary (R. Elisabeth) Elementary School Newark 51 C-
29. Delaware School for the Deaf Newark 51 C-
30. Lake Forest Central Elementary School Felton 50 C-
31. Brennen School (the) Newark 50 C-
32. Richey Elementary School Wilmington 50 C-
33. Georgetown Elementary School Georgetown 49 D
34. Cedar Lane Elementary School Middletown 49 D
35. Warner Elementary School Wilmington 49 D
36. Johnson (Joseph E. Jr) Elementary School Wilmington 49 D
37. Providence Creek Academy Charter School Clayton 48 D
38. Brick Mill Elementary School Middletown 48 D
39. Frederick Douglass Elementary School Seaford 48 D
40. Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School Wilmington 48 D
41. Kent County Community School Dover 48 D
42. Sussex Technical High School Georgetown 47 D
43. Brandywine Springs School Wilmington 47 D
44. Richardson Park Elementary School Wilmington 47 D
45. Mcvey (Joseph M.) Elementary School Newark 47 D
46. Charter School of Wilmington Wilmington 46 D
47. Long Neck Elementary School Millsboro 46 D
48. Cedar Lane Early Childhood Center Middletown 46 D
49. Newark Charter School Newark 45 D
50. North Georgetown Elementary School Georgetown 45 D

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in Delaware? ▼

The top-rated school in Delaware is Sussex Consortium in Lewes with a quality score of 63/100 (grade C+). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for Delaware

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.