Copyright M Live Michigan
Michigan’s five best-ranked public elementary schools are keeping their top-five spots according to the latest analyses from U.S. News and World Report. Meanwhile, nearly all of the top 50 schools statewide are in the southern half of the state’s lower peninsula. The media platform released its rankings for the 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools on Tuesday, Oct. 28. According to a news release, the report covered 47,000 public elementary and 23,000 middle schools ranked both at the state and district levels. The U.S. News ranking focuses on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in math and reading or language arts, while also accounting for student background and achievement, as well as student-teacher ratios. In Michigan, many of the top 50 are located in Southeastern and West Michigan. That includes five elementaries in Ann Arbor Public Schools, Three in Byron Center Public Schools and two in Birmingham, Forest Hills, Grand Haven Area, Northville and Spring Lake public schools. The following are the top 50, including each school’s home district and city, its previous 2025 state ranking, its enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and proficiency scores in math and reading. For more information, visit USNews.com. 50. Cross Creek Charter Academy District: Cross Creek Charter Academy City: Byron Center 2025 state ranking: No. 74 Enrollment: 807 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 71% Reading proficiency: 70% 49. Wass Elementary School District: Troy School District City: Troy 2025 state ranking: No. 88 Enrollment: 431 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 71% Reading proficiency: 78% 48. George Defer Elementary School District: Grosse Pointe Public Schools City: Grosse Pointe Park 2025 state ranking: No. 20 Enrollment: 464 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 82% 47. Rochester Community Schools Virtual Campus District: Rochester Community School District City: Rochester Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 54 Enrollment: 96 Student-teacher ratio: 11-1 Math proficiency: 63% Reading proficiency: 71% 46. Pierce Elementary School District: Birmingham Public Schools City: Birmingham 2025 state ranking: No. 75 Enrollment: 514 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 77% 45. Hill Elementary School District: Davison Community Schools City: Davison 2025 state ranking: No. 38 Enrollment: 261 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 72% Reading proficiency: 72% 44. Weidman Elementary School District: Chippewa Hills School District City: Weidman 2025 state ranking: No. 48 Enrollment: 255 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 77% 43. Lake Hills Elementary School District: Grand Haven Area Public Schools City: Spring Lake 2025 state ranking: No. 58 Enrollment: 275 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 77% 42. Lakewood Elementary School District: West Ottawa Public School District City: Holland 2025 state ranking: No. 32 Enrollment: 308 Student-teacher ratio: 12-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 77% 41. Quarton Elementary District: Birmingham Public Schools City: Birmingham 2025 state ranking: No. 16 Enrollment: 366 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 72% Reading proficiency: 87% 40. Valley View Elementary School District: Rockford Public Schools City: Rockford 2025 state ranking: No. 55 Enrollment: 617 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 79% Reading proficiency: 74% 39. Okemos Public Montessoricentral District: Okemos Public Schools City: Okemos 2025 state ranking: No. 22 Enrollment: 323 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 67% Reading proficiency: 87% 38. Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy District: Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy City: Plymouth 2025 state ranking: No. 47 Enrollment: 804 Student-teacher ratio: 22-1 Math proficiency: 76% Reading proficiency: 76% 37. Knapp Forest Elementary School District: Forest Hills Public Schools City: Grand Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 39 Enrollment: 557 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 76% Reading proficiency: 79% 36. Way Elementary School District: Bloomfield Hills Schools City: Bloomfield Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 40 Enrollment: 473 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 77% 35. Dutton Elementary School District: Caledonia Community Schools City: Caledonia 2025 state ranking: No. 59 Enrollment: 299 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 82% Reading proficiency: 67% 34. New Buffalo Elementary School District: New Buffalo Area Schools City: New Buffalo 2025 state ranking: No. 36 Enrollment: 216 Student-teacher ratio: 11-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 72% 33. Bach Elementary School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 28 Enrollment: 322 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 72% Reading proficiency: 77% 32. Wines Elementary School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 26 Enrollment: 416 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 77% 31. South Arbor Charter Academy District: South Arbor Charter Academy City: Ypsilanti 2025 state ranking: No. 44 Enrollment: 802 Student-teacher ratio: 20-1 Math proficiency: 70% Reading proficiency: 78% 30. Wattles Elementary School District: Troy School District City: Troy 2025 state ranking: No. 29 Enrollment: 412 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 73% Reading proficiency: 77% 29. Messmore Elementary School District: Utica Community Schools City: Sterling Heights 2025 state ranking: No. 30 Enrollment: 333 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 77% 28. Chandler Woods Charter Academy District: Chandler Woods Charter Academy City: Belmont 2025 state ranking: No. 24 Enrollment: 752 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 75% Reading proficiency: 73% 27. Gardens Elementary School District: Marysville Public Schools City: Marysville 2025 state ranking: No. 35 Enrollment: 475 Student-teacher ratio: 24-1 Math proficiency: 79% Reading proficiency: 75% 26. Eberwhite School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 33 Enrollment: 368 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 77% 25. Hamilton Elementary School District: Troy School District City: Troy 2025 state ranking: No. 42 Enrollment: 449 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 78% Reading proficiency: 81% 24. Winn Elementary School District: Shepherd Public Schools City: Shepherd 2025 state ranking: No. 41 Enrollment: 222 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 85% Reading proficiency: 75% 23. Riverview Elementary School District: Big Rapids Public Schools City: Big Rapids 2025 state ranking: No. 27 Enrollment: 321 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 82% 22. Creekside Elementary School District: Hartland Consolidated Schools City: Hartland 2025 state ranking: No. 14 Enrollment: 409 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 82% 21. Ada Elementary School District: Forest Hills Public Schools City: Ada 2025 state ranking: No. 18 Enrollment: 310 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 82% 20. Marshall Elementary School District: Byron Center Public Schools City: Byron Center 2025 state ranking: No. 25 Enrollment: 528 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 84% Reading proficiency: 78% 19. Schroeder Elementary School District: Troy School District City: Troy 2025 state ranking: No. 11 Enrollment: 443 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 82% Reading proficiency: 83% 18. Jeffers Elementary School District: Spring Lake Public Schools City: Spring Lake 2025 state ranking: No. 23 Enrollment: 368 Student-teacher ratio: 12-1 Math proficiency: 87% Reading proficiency: 77% 17. Handley School District: Saginaw City Schools City: Saginaw 2025 state ranking: No. 31 Enrollment: 320 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 82% Reading proficiency: 82% 16. Rosy Mound School District: Grand Haven Area Public Schools City: Grand Haven 2025 state ranking: No. 19 Enrollment: 268 Student-teacher ratio: 15-1 Math proficiency: 82% Reading proficiency: 82% 15. Conant Elementary School District: Bloomfield Hills Schools City: Bloomfield Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 17 Enrollment: 500 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 82% Reading proficiency: 82% 14. Hemmeter Elementary School District: Saginaw Township Community Schools City: Saginaw 2025 state ranking: No. 9 Enrollment: 318 Student-teacher ratio: 22-1 Math proficiency: 77% Reading proficiency: 87% 13. Moraine Elementary School District: Northville Public Schools City: Northville 2025 state ranking: No. 15 Enrollment: 403 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 81% Reading proficiency: 84% 12. King Elementary School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 12 Enrollment: 512 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 85% Reading proficiency: 81% 11. Countryside Elementary School District: Byron Center Public Schools City: Byron Center 2025 state ranking: No. 13 Enrollment: 617 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 87% Reading proficiency: 81% 10. Bemis Elementary School District: Troy School District City: Troy 2025 state ranking: No. 8 Enrollment: 453 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 83% Reading proficiency: 85% 9. Caledonia Elementary School District: Caledonia Community Schools City: Caledonia 2025 state ranking: No. 21 Enrollment: 308 Student-teacher ratio: 18-1 Math proficiency: 87% Reading proficiency: 82% 8. Angell School District: Ann Arbor Public Schools City: Ann Arbor 2025 state ranking: No. 10 Enrollment: 288 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 87% Reading proficiency: 82% 7. Holmes Elementary School District: Spring Lake Public Schools City: Spring Lake 2025 state ranking: No. 7 Enrollment: 420 Student-teacher ratio: 13-1 Math proficiency: 82% Reading proficiency: 87% 6. Amerman Elementary School District: Northville Public Schools City: Northville 2025 state ranking: No. 6 Enrollment: 556 Student-teacher ratio: 19-1 Math proficiency: 85% Reading proficiency: 89% 5. Brown Elementary School District: Byron Center Public Schools City: Byron Center 2025 state ranking: No. 5 Enrollment: 600 Student-teacher ratio: 21-1 Math proficiency: 93% Reading proficiency: 90% 4. Avondale Gifted and Talented Education District: Avondale School District City: Rochester Hills 2025 state ranking: No. 4 Enrollment: 328 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 97% Reading proficiency: 98% 3. Crestwood Accelerated Program District: Crestwood School District City: Dearborn Heights 2025 state ranking: No. 3 Enrollment: 18 Student-teacher ratio: 16-1 Math proficiency: 95% Reading proficiency: 95% 2. Webster Elementary School District: Livonia Public Schools City: Livonia 2025 state ranking: No. 2 Enrollment: 272 Student-teacher ratio: 17-1 Math proficiency: 98% Reading proficiency: 98% 1. Gallimore Elementary School District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools City: Canton 2025 state ranking: No. 1 Enrollment: 315 Student-teacher ratio: 14-1 Math proficiency: 100% Reading proficiency: 100%
