As home to the headquarters of Nike, Inc., and the high-tech companies based in the Silicon Forest, a hotbed of tech industry activity in the Portland metropolitan area, graduates of Oregon’s public school systems certainly have no shortage of career options once they work through university. It’s no surprise that some of Oregon’s best school districts are in the Portland area.

Riverdale School District, based seven miles south of Portland, is the state’s #1 system of schools. Comprising one K-8 grade school and one high school, the district has earned numerous national honors over the years, including a silver medal from U.S. News & World Report for Riverdale High School. It is also one of the richest in the nation.

Nearby Lake Oswego School District, a system of ten schools serving Lake Oswego, Oregon, ranks second. Test scores indicate that 84% of its students are proficient in reading, with 74% achieving proficiency in math.

Ranking #3 is Sherwood School District, comprising four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in Sherwood, Oregon. Sherwood has been named one of the best places to live a number of times in various publications, including twice by Money Magazine.

West Linn-Wilsonville School District, a large system of sixteen schools southwest of Portland, places fourth in the ranking. The district’s student’s SAT scores rank among the best in the state, and the graduation rate regularly tops 90%.

Beaverton School District, serving Beaverton and several adjacent communities, ranks #5.

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?