2024 Best Middle Schools in Arizona

Everything You Need to Know About Navigating Middle Schools In Arizona

Middle school is a critical time in the development of any child, and the state of Arizona has an abundance of options for families looking to get the best education for their children. The state is home to 1,584 middle schools, a total that is a massive 94% larger than the average state, which means that parents have a surplus of options to choose from, but it's still important to consider the quality of those schools before making a decision. Fortunately, the average grade of all middle schools in the state matches the national average of a B–, which means that most schools here offer comparable quality education as those found in other states. Most middle schools in Arizona are slightly larger than the national average, with the typical school having about 515 students compared to 409 nationally. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, as larger class sizes can allow for more extracurricular activities and peer interaction. The student to teacher ratio is also slightly better than the national average in Arizona with 16 students per teacher on average versus 14 students per teacher nationally.

Key Facts About Public Middle Schools in Arizona

Public schools make up 85% of all middle schools in Arizona and they come with an average grade of a B. That's slightly lower than the national average but still far from worst. Parents can also find comfort in larger than average class sizes, as public middle school classes are 32% larger than those found in other states. This means that parents can find comfort that there will be plenty of peers for their children to interact within their day-to-day school life.

Traditional Public Middle Schools

Traditional public schools make up 71% of all public schools in Arizona, so they're by far the most common type here. There are 953 traditional public middle schools in Arizona and 56% of them score higher than the national average. That number equates to about 535 different options for parents to choose from which is certainly quite a few given that many states don't even have 200 traditional public middle school options available. The typical traditional public school also has more students than most (567) since it’s about 39% larger than the national student body size at these schools.

What is the Best Traditional Public Middle School in Arizona?

The highest rated traditional public middle school in Arizona is University High School located in Tucson. The school has an impressive A+ grade and despite being one of the largest high schools in Arizona (1222 students) its still managed to maintain a 24:1 student to teacher ratio which is 71% higher than the national average - suggesting strong faculty involvement and attention given to its students daily.

All About Charter Schools in Arizona

Charter schools are also abundant in Arizona and make up 15% of all public schools here with 344 total options available - which makes it almost 3.7 times better than your typical state when it comes to charter school choices per capita. The grade quality for charter school students also eclipses that of traditional public schools with a B+ grade on average - even despite smaller class sizes (450 students) which only 10% larger than those found at other states' charter schools - suggesting a higher quality attention setting here overall when compared nationally. Moreover, 64% of charters are above your national standard here - so out 224 total charter options there are 221 that beat out your typical middle school grade across America.

Deep Dive on magnet middle schools in Arizona

Magnet schools are relatively rare nationwide but luckily there are quite a few here in Arizona with 42 total options - 86% more per capita then your typical state! In terms of grade quality though magnet schools come up a bit short compared to other types with an average grade B - but 71% exceed expectations and score above the national average! Those 30 or so above-average magnet middle school choices come at some size cost though - averaging 673 students per school - 65% more than what you'd typically find at magnet schools elsewhere across America!