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Michigan’s 50 highest-ranked middle schools are all located across the southern half of the state with a handful of communities having multiple schools included as part of an updated analysis released this week by U.S. News and World Report. Rankings for the 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools were unveiled on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The larger report covers 47,000 public elementary and 23,000 middle schools ranked at state and district levels nationwide. According to a news release, the U.S. News rankings focus on state assessments of students who scored proficient or above in math and reading or language arts. They also consider student backgrounds and achievement and student-teacher ratios. In Michigan, six middle schools in the top 50 are located in Grand Rapids, whereas three are in Bloomfield Hills and Ann Arbor and two in Byron Center and Rochester Hills — all as individual sites or within different districts. Three schools were specifically ranked within Forest Hills Public Schools. Schools in the top three rankings also held those positions for the 2025 best list. Below are the top 50 schools, listed with each school’s home district and city, its previous 2025 state ranking, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and proficiency scores in math and reading. Some are K-8 schools or those that combine high-school grades — each serving middle school-aged students. For more information, visit USNews.com. 50. Black River Public School (middle/high) District: Black River Public School City: Holland 2025 state ranking: No. 111 Enrollment: 550 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 51% Reading proficiency: 77% 49. Lakeshore Middle School District: Grand Haven Area Public Schools City: Grand Haven 2025 state ranking: No. 53 Enrollment: 749 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 55% Reading proficiency: 68% 48. Chippewa Middle School District: Okemos Public Schools City: Okemos 2025 state ranking: No. 58 Enrollment: 679 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 56% Reading proficiency: 76% 47. Scripps Middle School District: Lake Orion Community Schools City: Lake Orion 2025 state ranking: No. 83 Enrollment: 482 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 64% Reading proficiency: 68% 46. Walker Charter Academy District: Walker Charter Academy City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 66 Enrollment: 718 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 55% Reading proficiency: 66% 45. Chatfield School District: Chatfield School City: Lapeer 2025 state ranking: No. 49 Enrollment: 482 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 59% Reading proficiency: 68% 44. Maltby Intermediate School District: Brighton Area Schools City: Brighton 2025 state ranking: No. 55 Enrollment: 843 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 71% Reading proficiency: 68% 43. Haslett Middle School District: Haslett Public Schools City: Haslett 2025 state ranking: No. 50 Enrollment: 618 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 60% Reading proficiency: 69% 42. Kingsley Area Middle School District: Kingsley Area Schools City: Kingsley 2025 state ranking: No. 37 Enrollment: 483 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 55% Reading proficiency: 72% 41. Excel Charter Academy District: Excel Charter Academy City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 33 Enrollment: 783 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 59% Reading proficiency: 68% 40. Ann Arbor Open at Mack School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 42 Enrollment: 541 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 59% Reading proficiency: 68% 39. Jefferson Middle School District: Midland Public Schools City: Midland 2025 state ranking: No. 36 Enrollment: 906 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 58% Reading proficiency: 72% 38. Houghton Middle School District: Houghton-Portage Township School District City: Houghton 2025 state ranking: No. 38 Enrollment: 346 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 62% Reading proficiency: 68% 37. Canton Charter Academy District: Canton Charter Academy City: Canton 2025 state ranking: No. 15 Enrollment: 759 Student-teacher ratio: 24-1 Math proficiency: 61% Reading proficiency: 74% 36. Saugatuck Middle School District: Saugatuck Public Schools City: Saugatuck 2025 state ranking: No. 46 Enrollment: 197 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 62% Reading proficiency: 67% 35. New Buffalo Middle School District: New Buffalo Area Schools City: New Buffalo 2025 state ranking: No. 45 Enrollment: 123 Student-teacher ratio: 9-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 62% 34. Keystone Academy District: Keystone Academy City: Belleville 2025 state ranking: No. 39 Enrollment: 697 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 60% Reading proficiency: 66% 33. Duncan Lake Middle School District: Caledonia Community Schools City: Caledonia 2025 state ranking: No. 44 Enrollment: 702 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 66% Reading proficiency: 71% 32. Van Hoosen Middle School District: Rochester Community School District City: Rochester Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 41 Enrollment: 904 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 65% Reading proficiency: 79% 31. Blandford School District: Grand Rapids Public Schools City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 4 Enrollment: 60 Student-teacher ratio: 23-1 Math proficiency: 55% Reading proficiency: 82% 30. Kingston High School District: Kingston Community School District City: Kingston 2025 state ranking: No. 25 Enrollment: 292 Student-teacher ratio: 23-1 Math proficiency: 52% Reading proficiency: 57% 29. Spring Lake Middle School District: Spring Lake Public Schools City: Spring Lake 2025 state ranking: No. 40 Enrollment: 366 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 74% 28. Eastern Middle School District: Forest Hills Public Schools City: Ada 2025 state ranking: No. 29 Enrollment: 561 Student-teacher ratio: 10-1 Math proficiency: 66% Reading proficiency: 76% 27. North Hills Middle School District: Bloomfield Hills Schools City: Bloomfield Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 26 Enrollment: 563 Student-teacher ratio: 12-1 Math proficiency: 65% Reading proficiency: 70% 26. City Middle High District: Grand Rapids Public Schools City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 14 Enrollment: 927 Student-teacher ratio: 22-1 Math proficiency: 65% Reading proficiency: 83% 25. Spring Lake Intermediate School District: Spring Lake Public Schools City: Spring Lake 2025 state ranking: No. 30 Enrollment: 331 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 69% Reading proficiency: 73% 24. Meads Mill Middle School District: Northville Public Schools City: Northville 2025 state ranking: No. 28 Enrollment: 634 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 72% Reading proficiency: 75% 23. Farmington STEAM Academy District: Farmington Public School District City: Farmington Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 27 Enrollment: 722 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 63% Reading proficiency: 72% 22. East Grand Rapids Middle School District: East Grand Rapids Public Schools City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 34 Enrollment: 662 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 69% Reading proficiency: 78% 21. Hillside Middle School District: Northville Public Schools City: Northville 2025 state ranking: No. 31 Enrollment: 981 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 72% Reading proficiency: 78% 20. Cross Creek Charter Academy District: Cross Creek Charter Academy City: Byron Center 2025 state ranking: No. 18 Enrollment: 807 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 71% Reading proficiency: 70% 19. Chandler Woods Charter Academy District: Chandler Woods Charter Academy City: Belmont 2025 state ranking: No. 23 Enrollment: 752 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 75% Reading proficiency: 73% 18. Novi Middle School District: Novi Community School District City: Novi 2025 state ranking: No. 24 Enrollment: 1,090 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 73% Reading proficiency: 76% 17. Clague Middle School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 19 Enrollment: 661 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 68% Reading proficiency: 77% 16. East Middle School District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools City: Plymouth 2025 state ranking: No. 12 Enrollment: 678 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 77% 15. Northern Hills Middle School District: Forest Hills Public Schools City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 22 Enrollment: 534 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 77% 14. Achieve Charter Academy District: Achieve Charter Academy City: Canton 2025 state ranking: No. 16 Enrollment: 765 Student-teacher ratio: 26-1 Math proficiency: 62% Reading proficiency: 75% 13. Birmingham Covington School District: Birmingham Public Schools City: Bloomfield Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 21 Enrollment: 639 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 80% Reading proficiency: 74% 12. South Arbor Charter Academy District: South Arbor Charter Academy City: Ypsilanti 2025 state ranking: No. 13 Enrollment: 802 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 70% Reading proficiency: 78% 11. Byron Center West Middle School District: Byron Center Public Schools City: Byron Center 2025 state ranking: No. 17 Enrollment: 694 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 75% Reading proficiency: 74% 10. Boulan Park Middle School District: Troy School District City: Troy 2025 state ranking: No. 8 Enrollment: 825 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 76% Reading proficiency: 80% 9. South Hills Middle School District: Bloomfield Hills Schools City: Bloomfield Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 11 Enrollment: 609 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 73% Reading proficiency: 80% 8. Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy District: Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy City: Plymouth 2025 state ranking: No. 10 Enrollment: 804 Student-teacher ratio: 22-1 Math proficiency: 76% Reading proficiency: 76% 7. Central Middle School District: Forest Hills Public Schools City: Ada 2025 state ranking: No. 9 Enrollment: 510 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 74% Reading proficiency: 82% 6. Honey Creek Community School District: Honey Creek Community School City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 20 Enrollment: 249 Student-teacher ratio: 12-1 Math proficiency: 47% Reading proficiency: 77% 5. Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy District: Saginaw City School District City: Saginaw 2025 state ranking: No. 7 Enrollment: 401 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 75% Reading proficiency: 83% 4. Waldron Elementary and Middle School District: Fowler Public Schools City: Fowler 2025 state ranking: No. 5 Enrollment: 260 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 57% Reading proficiency: 67% 3. Middle School Mathematics Science Technology Center District: Warren Consolidated Schools City: Warren 2025 state ranking: No. 3 Enrollment: 68 Student-teacher ratio: 5-1 Math proficiency: 87% Reading proficiency: 87% 2. Avondale Gifted and Talented Education District: Avondale School District City: Rochester Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 2 Enrollment: 328 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 97% Reading proficiency: 98% 1. Dearborn STEM Middle School District: Dearborn City School District City: Dearborn Heights 2025 state ranking: No. 1 Enrollment: 163 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 98% Reading proficiency: 98%
