While Pennsylvania may be in the middle of the pack among the 50 states in terms of public K-12 education, the state is home to dozens of excellent school districts. In fact, well over 100 districts in Pennsylvania posted graduation rates above 90% in 2019. Let’s take a closer look at the best of the best: Pennsylvania’s top five school districts. 

Tredyffrin/Easttown School District is the best public school system in Pennsylvania. Comprising eight schools with a total enrollment topping 6,000, T/E produced 48 National AP Scholars in 2019, while 99% of its high school graduates went on to attend college or university. 

Placing 2nd in the state of Pennsylvania is Radnor Township School District, a modestly-sized district of three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school serving Radnor Township, founded way back in 1682. RTSD has long been considered one of the best school districts in the country, and the statistics back it up: in 2019 Radnor High School produced a remarkable average ACT score of 28.

Mt. Lebanon School District earns Pennsylvania’s #3 spot. Consisting of ten schools with a total enrollment of 5,531, Mt. Lebanon schools have earned numerous accolades in recent years, including a Green Ribbon School honor and an ASBO Meritorious Budget Award. 

Pennsylvania’s 4th best school system is Haverford Township School District, comprising seven schools and serving over 6,500 students. The district has produced 21 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists and earned a spot on the College Board’s AP Honor Roll. 

#5 Upper St. Clair School District is made up of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in the affluent Philadelphia suburb of Upper St. Clair. The district upholds a long tradition of academic excellence, and 96% of its graduates go on to attend a 2 or 4-year post-secondary school. 

Top School Districts in Pennsylvania, 2020

Methodology

The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.