Best Public Schools in Idaho

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

76/100
Top Score
Snake River Opportunities High School
61/100
Avg Score (Top 50)
50
Schools Ranked
ID
State
# School Score Grade
1. Snake River Opportunities High School BLACKFOOT 76 B+
2. Swan Falls High School MERIDIAN 75 B+
3. Cardinal Academy BOISE 75 B+
4. Crossroads Middle School MERIDIAN 71 B
5. Pathways Middle School MERIDIAN 70 B
6. Technical Careers High School IDAHO FALLS 70 B
7. Mt Harrison High School HEYBURN 69 B-
8. Central Academy High School MERIDIAN 67 B-
9. Rimrock Jr/Sr High School BRUNEAU 66 B-
10. Hailey Elementary School HAILEY 64 C+
11. Bellevue Elementary School BELLEVUE 64 C+
12. Wapello Elementary School BLACKFOOT 64 C+
13. Idaho City High School IDAHO CITY 64 C+
14. Initial Point High School KUNA 64 C+
15. Groveland Elementary School BLACKFOOT 63 C+
16. Wallace Jr/Sr High School WALLACE 62 C+
17. Challis Elementary School CHALLIS 62 C+
18. Eagle Academy EAGLE 62 C+
19. Mullan Schools MULLAN 62 C+
20. Donald D Stalker Elementary BLACKFOOT 61 C+
21. Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind GOODING 61 C+
22. Virtual School House MERIDIAN 60 C+
23. Alturas Elementary School HAILEY 60 C+
24. Meridian Medical Arts Charter MERIDIAN 60 C+
25. Wendell High School WENDELL 59 C
26. West Jefferson High School TERRETON 59 C
27. Dietrich School DIETRICH 59 C
28. Cascade Jr/Sr High School CASCADE 59 C
29. Presidio High School Payette 59 C
30. Lake Pend Oreille High School SANDPOINT 59 C
31. Falls City Academy JEROME 59 C
32. Renaissance High School MERIDIAN 58 C
33. Wood River Middle School HAILEY 58 C
34. Carey Public School CAREY 58 C
35. Marsing Middle School MARSING 58 C
36. Bovill Elementary School BOVILL 58 C
37. Frank Church High School BOISE 57 C
38. Blackfoot Heritage Sixth Grade BLACKFOOT 57 C
39. Frontier Elementary School BOISE 57 C
40. Jefferson Elementary School BOISE 57 C
41. Garden Valley School GARDEN VALLEY 57 C
42. Union High School NAMPA 57 C
43. Meridian Technical Charter High School MERIDIAN 57 C
44. Rise Charter School KIMBERLY 57 C
45. Independence Alternative High School BLACKFOOT 57 C
46. Horseshoe Bend Middle/Sr High HORSESHOE BEND 57 C
47. Lincoln Elementary School CALDWELL 56 C
48. Payette High School PAYETTE 56 C
49. Borah Elementary School COEUR D'ALENE 56 C
50. Silver Hills Elementary School OSBURN 56 C

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in Idaho? ▼

The top-rated school in Idaho is Snake River Opportunities High School in BLACKFOOT with a quality score of 76/100 (grade B+). 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 Idaho

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.