New England’s northernmost state is no slouch in academics; the Pine Tree State ranked 6th in the nation in Pre-K-12 education in U.S. News and World Report’s latest survey. This high standard of excellence is reflected in many of the state’s school districts.

Maine’s best school district is Falmouth Public Schools, serving the community of Falmouth, ME. The district is consistently recognized as one of the state’s best, with several of its schools receiving Blue Ribbon honors over the years.

Placing second is Yarmouth Schools in Yarmouth, Maine, a district of one primary school, one elementary school, and one high school. Yarmouth High School has been repeatedly recognized as one of America’s best public high schools by Newsweek.

The state’s #3 school district is Regional School Unit No. 51 (MSAD 51) headquartered in Cumberland Center, ME. Students in the district average an impressive graduation rate of 95%.

Cape Elizabeth School Department in Cape Elizabeth, ME earns the honor of being Maine’s #4 school district. Cape Elizabeth High School has received numerous accolades over the years, including a Blue Ribbon Award, and a spot in both Newsweek’s and U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of the top public high schools in the nation.

Regional School Unit #21 (RSU 21) places fifth in the ranking. The high achieving district serves the communities of Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?