West Virginia, known for its mining and logging industries, thick forests and dazzling karst formations, also has some educational achievements to its credit: The Mountain State ranks 18th in the nation in high school graduation rate, according to U.S. News & World Report. Unlike many states, all of West Virginia’s public school districts are divided exactly by the counties in which they are based.

Putnam County Schools is West Virginia’s best public school district. Putnam County stands tall among all of the state’s school systems, with numerous achievements under its belt, including being number one in the state in school attendance, and outperforming state averages in all standardized tests.

At #2 is Monongalia County Schools, comprising 10 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 3 high schools serving its namesake county. Recognizing its excellence, U.S. News honored Morgantown High School with a silver medal, naming it the best high school in the state.

Placing third is Ohio County Schools, administering 13 schools in Ohio County, WV. As an indication of the district’s quality, Niche.com named it both the best place to teach in West Virginia, as well as the district with the best teachers in the state.

Closing out the list of West Virginia’s top five public school districts is Jefferson County Public Schools (#4), serving the state’s easternmost county, and Harrison County Schools (#5), one of the larger districts in the state with 25 schools.

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?