2024 Best Elementary Schools in Texas

The Complete Guide to Elementary Schools in Texas

The state of Texas has over six thousand different elementary schools (6,158) spread across numerous cities and metropolitan areas, some of the largest being Houston, San Antonio and Austin. That’s a full 6 times more than the typical state, although on a per capita basis, Texas actually ranks #43 in the nation, averaging about 16% fewer elementary schools than most states. However, this doesn’t mean school quality drops necessarily, it can actually mean the opposite at times.

As a whole, the average elementary school in the state earns a B grade, which is equal to the national average. Furthermore, of the 6,000+ elementary schools, just under half (47%) are rated above average. Still that leaves nearly 3,000 options (2,923) for the parent to evaluate - which can be an overwhelming endeavor. Narrowing that total down further, if you include only schools that rank in the top 25% of the nation, that total slims to 1,924. In other words, there’s still nearly 2,000 school options in Texas that rank in the nation’s top quartile.

Are public elementary schools in Texas a good option?

Texas has 5,130 total public elementary schools, and of that total, traditional public schools comprise 88% or about 4,539 of them. That’s a large number, but for those with above average sights, just 5 out of 10 (53%) score above the national average, so nearly half wouldn’t qualify.

What is the best public elementary school in Texas?

Based in Austin, the best public elementary school in Texas is Forest Trail Elementary School. With 550 students and a student to teacher ratio of 13:1, the school has a 7% lower ratio than the typical US elementary school, which can equate to greater focus per student and often lead to better student learning outcomes. Forest Trail Elementary wins out amongst nearly 5,000 other traditional public schools in the state (4,539). About 53% of all such schools are rated above the national average.

Key statistics about charter elementary schools in Texas

Some ask, are charter schools in Texas a good option? This really depends on your preference, but with more than 500 different options (538 to be exact) there are numerous potential fits for your youngster. Although far less prevalent than their traditional public school counterparts, the typical charter elementary school in Texas scores a B–. Although the grade may be slightly below average, this is certainly in part due to the fact that the state has 89% more charter schools per capita than the average state. In other words, there’s still a plethora of high quality charter options in the state.

What is the best charter elementary school in Texas?

The top ranked charter elementary school in Texas is Imagine International Academy of North Texas. It’s located in Mckinney, which is basically on the north outskirts of the greater Dallas area. The school has 1,435 students and as you’d expect, is graded the highest A+ available. The school is known for exceptional quality, but should be noted that the average student to teacher ratio is 19:1, which is actually about 36% above the national average. This can mean that class sizes may balloon a bit at times vs. the average, but the school has various teaching aides and methods to keep students highly engaged despite at times having larger class sizes.

Everything you need to know about magnet elementary schools in Texas

Despite being such a large state, there are just 53 magnet elementary schools in Texas, placing the state 37th in the nation for magnet schools per capita. The school quality is somewhat polarizing, with the median score being just a B–, which is slightly below the national average overall of a B grade. About 47% of the magnet elementary schools in the state are considered above the national average, which means there’s about 25 schools that might be an option for the high achiever.

What is the best magnet elementary school in Texas?

Hailing from Richardson (also part of the greater Dallas area) comes Math/Science/Technology Magnet School, ranked as the best magnet elementary school in Texas. The school is sometimes referred to as MST Magnet and is home to 577 students. It’s also worth noting that there are 13 students per every teacher at the school (13:1 ratio) which is right in line with the national average.

Key facts about private elementary schools in Texas

Texas has 994 total private elementary schools, and the schools earned a beaming A grade as a whole. 73% of the state’s private elementary schools are considered religious, but even though that equates to 722 schools, Texas actually ranks 48th per capita in terms of having the most religious options for elementary schools per state. So although religious options are prevalent, it still falls 39% below the typical state per capita. The most common religious leaning school is Christian, with 447 different options scattered throughout the state.

What is the best religious elementary school in Texas?

Although Christian schools are the most common, the highest rated St. Andrew's Episcopal School located in Austin - which is an Episcopal school. With 973 students and an incredibly low student to faculty ratio of just 6:1, the school is able to offer tremendous focus per student thanks to being nearly 57% below the national student to teacher ratio.

What is the best non-religious private elementary school in Texas?

Of the nearly 300 private schools that are non-religious (269 to be precise), the top ranked elementary school comes from Houston: The Awty International School. The school has received various awards and despite having a very large school size of 1,754 students, the team there has managed to keep the class sizes very attractive, averaging just 7 students per teacher, which is 50% below typical school in America.