2024 Best Middle Schools in Connecticut

Everything You Need to Know About Navigating Middle Schools In Connecticut

Middle school can be a very informative time for youth as they transition through adolescence. Spread across various cities like Bridgeport and New Haven, the state of Connecticut has a substantial amount of middle schools to choose from, the current total is 572. This is about 30% less than the average state, but when adjusted for population, Connecticut actually only has about 19% fewer middle schools per capita. Although not perfect, middle schools on average in the state score a B– which matches the national average.

Most middle schools in Connecticut are between 350-400 students, with the precise average coming out at 381 students. This figure falls slightly under the national average by about 7%, which can mean the state offers a marginally more close-knit environment than is typical in other states. Nearly half of all Connecticut middle schools fall above the national average (47%), which means there’s about 270 above average options for the active parent to choose from. This state also boasts a healthy 11 to 1 student to teacher ratio, which is 21% below the average class size in most states, this may contribute to great learning outcomes given the correlation between academic performance and individual attention from teachers.

Key Facts About Public Middle Schools in Connecticut

Jumping now into public schools, which make up 65% of all schools in the state, there are about 374 school options. Most middle schools in the nation are around 400 Students, and in the state of Connecticut, the typical public school is about 19% larger than the national average, with the average public middle school having about 488 students in the state. The state’s public schools in aggregate score a B–, but that's not much to be concerned with as it aligns with the national average.

Traditional Public Middle Schools

The largest type of public school in the state (and in the nation) traditional public schools, in other words those that are not charter, or magnet, or otherwise specialized. There are several hundred of those (301 to be exact), and they also score better than the national average in the state of Connecticut, hailing a grade of a B on average.Traditional schools make up about 80% of all public schools. Among those 300+ schools, about 64% are rated above the national average. Although metrics like this shouldn't be the only input into a family's decision, it can be helpful to know that this 64% equates to about 194 different middle schools that are scored above the national average in the state, so there's still plenty of great options. It's also worth noting that the typical traditional public school is likewise a bit larger than most middle schools, those in Connecticut are about 17% larger for example.

What is the Best Traditional Public Middle School in Connecticut

Shifting gears into which school is considered the best traditional public middle school in Connecticut, the award goes to Eastern Middle School, located in Riverside. The school sits about an hour northeast of Manhattan, but the daily commute certainly isn’t advised. The school has about 837 students, and we estimate about 83 teachers, given the 10:1 student to teacher ratio. Parents often voice positive reviews about the small class sizes. Which is evidenced by the student to teacher ratio being nearly 30% below the national average (–29%).

All About Charter Schools in Connecticut

Another common type of public school nationally is the charter school. Although these are far less common than traditional public schools, there are still 18 available options in the state. That puts Connecticut a ways down the list at the 36th spot per capita. In other words, the state has 50% fewer charter schools than the average state per capita. So keep in mind, if you’re after a charter middle school option, they can be harder than normal to find in the state. Unfortunately the average grade files to a C+ for charter schools in the state which sets considerably below the national average of a B–. Although difficult to say exactly why, it's possible that the sub par performance has something to do with the fact that the average school house is about almost 600 students (568 to be exact), which is a whopping 39% more than the average middle school in the nation.Despite that fact of the 18 options, there are still eight of which score above the national average in terms of quality rating, so the average family is still left with 44% of total charter options as being above average.

What is the best charter middle school in Connecticut?

In terms of which charter school option wins out amongst its peers, achievement first Bridgeport Academy is perhaps the strongest contender. Gaining a solid grade A grade, the school still has a larger than average class size, as evidenced by their student to teacher ratio being 29% above average, however the school still earns a strong A grade overall. It's a great option for those looking for an alternative public education in and around the city of Bridgeport (towards the southwest corner of the state).

Deep Dive on Magnet Middle Schools in Connecticut

Magnet schools are also gaining in popularity, and a solid alternative to the traditional public school and charter school. Connecticut has 55 different magnet middle school's, which may not seem like much, but that’s actually an astounding 395% more than the typical state per capita. In other words, in terms of volume of magnet middle schools, Connecticut is hard to beat, coming in at #2 in the nation. Unfortunately, with that volume comes a general drop in quality, as the average magnet school grade lands at a C, which sits quite a bit below America’s typical middle school grade of a B–. That doesn't mean there aren't quality options just that parents will need to take a closer look before making final decisionFurthermore, there are 13 different options still in the state that fall above the national average, that equates to about 24% of the magnet schools beating out your typical middle school. Once again, this lackluster performance may be impacted by class sizes overall being a bit heavy, With the typical magnet school in the state being about 28% larger than the typical middle school, averaging a total of 522 students.

What is the best magnet middle school in Connecticut?

Fortunately there are still great options in the state, perhaps the best magnet middle school alternative in Connecticut is Western Middle School, located in Greenwich - located about an hour north of Manhattan. The school score is a solid A grade, although the school size sits a bit above average at 628. However, despite a larger than average school size, a huge benefit the school has 11 students per teacher (11:1 ratio), this is about 21% below your typical school, which is likely the reason the school excels and has a tendency to attract parents from greater distances to enroll in the top performing institution.

Essential facts about private schools in Connecticut

Shifting now to private schools there are 189 different options, and students and parents will be happy to know that the average grade for a private middle school in the state is a solid A. Also worth noting, on average the typical private school in the state of Connecticut falls nearly 60% (–58%) below the national average.This means that the typical private school in the state has just 173 students, which may not mean universally that education quality increases, but it is certainly a positive indicator.

All you need to know about religious middle schools in Connecticut

Most private schools in the state are actually religiously influenced, 52% to be exact. There are 98 total options to choose from, and the grade quality of the average religious school is an outstanding pay. This is likely due to various factors but certainly one of them being once again that the average school size is about 173 students (exactly equal to average size of private schools overall in the state), beating the national average again by 58%.In terms of which religious influence is most prevalent in the state, Catholic schools make up how about 59 of those 98 options, which might be a good indicator if you lean Catholic, knowing that a good chunk of the religiously influenced options are up your alley.

What is the best religious middle school in Connecticut?

Although Catholic middle schools are the most common in the state, the highest rated religious middle school is Christian Heritage School located in Trumbull, which sits about 30 minutes west of the city of New Haven. The school received an outstanding A grade, and has a well below average school size of 427 students. Not only is the school size favorable, but with just eight students per instructor, the school beats the national average by an impressive 43%.

What about private non-religious middle schools in Connecticut?

Although the majority of private schools are religious, there are still a significant amount of private schools that have no religious affiliation, 83 to be exact. In other words, about 15% of all private schools are non-religious. Interestingly, perhaps due to the esteemed academic institutions in and around the state, the number of private non-religious middle schools in the state is actually 96% higher per capita than most states. It's also worth noting that the schools score well above the national average, receiving an A+ average grade across the state of Connecticut. In terms of national performance, about 35% of these schools score above the national average, which could mean there areA few really outstanding schools that drag up the state score in terms of its all in grade for middle schools.As you might expect, the average school size is also far below the national average once again, at 184 students (beating the national average by 55%).

What is the best private non-religious middle school in Connecticut?

Now moving to the winner of the category, the highest rated private nonreligious middle school in the state of Connecticut is Hopkins School. The school boasts an A+ grade and is certainly a top choice for parents looking for an increased degree of control over their students’ middle school experience. The school is located in New Haven, and has about 712 students. Perhaps most astounding, is the fact that the school has a 5 to 1 student to teacher ratio, an astounding 64% below the national average, which is sure to leave parents comforted that their kids are receiving outstanding attention from faculty and staff alike.

All-boys, all-girls, and online middle school options

What is the best all-boys middle school in Connecticut?

Unfortunately the state of Connecticut has very few all boys middle school options, there's only four. Fortunately though, those that make the list are outstanding, achieving an A+ grade on average in the state. Perhaps the highest ranked option would be Brunswick School located in Greenwich. With just under 1000 students open parentheses 984), the school boasts an A+ grade, and has a massive faculty considering the school size. Simple math using the student faculty ratio of 6 to 1 would indicate that there are about 164 teachers and staff that help create an amazing learning experience for students at Brunswick. As you can imagine, that ratio is significantly better than most middle schools, in fact it's about 57% better than the typical American middle school.

What is the best all-girls middle school in Connecticut?

Similar to our all-boys middle school options, there are limited choices, with only five all-girls options to choose from, but the good thing is that they all score an impressive A+. Interestingly, on a per capita basis, Connecticut actually scores about 168% above the typical state, ranking at 14th. The best option for an all girls middle school is also found in Greenwich, and it bears the name Greenwich Academy. With 784 students the school is certainly above the average size, considerably in fact, but as you'd expect from a specialized school they've brought Teacher and instructor count up significantly, such that the student to teacher ratio sits at just 8:1 (43% lower than the typical American middle school).

What is the best online middle school in Connecticut?

The state of Connecticut at the present time has no online options unfortunately which puts it in the same category as about eight or nine other states offering no exclusively online middle school choices for parents.