What Are the Best Schools in Austin?

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If you want to put down roots somewhere where you can be assured that both you and your kids will have a blast, that’s Austin! A booming city in Travis County, Texas, Austin boasts 751 total schools and 485 private schools.

That means that not only is Austin fun for adults, but it’s also family friendly and packed full of highly rated schools for kids. Today, we’re going to chat about the best schools in Austin, Texas, to help you figure out where in the city you should move to and what school is in your child’s best interests.

Let’s get right into it! Shall we?

How do you find the best schools in Austin?

Austin is Texas’s fourth-biggest city and the country’s 11th biggest city. If you’re looking for great schools, well, Austin has them! (The mere size of the city should give you confidence that you won’t run out of schools as you’re searching for the best schools in Austin.)

The question is, how do you locate these schools? What factors should you look at when narrowing down the right public or private school for your kids? Here are a few places to start:

What percentage of students graduate every year?
What are the average reading and math proficiencies?
How are the schools’ academics, teachers, and extracurricular activities?

Keep reading to discover more about the different public and private schools in the Austin Metropolitan area.

How are public schools in Austin?

The public schools in Austin are highly rated and above the state average in many areas. Teachers at these schools focus on helping students be the best they can be, starting with cultivating a strong and engaging learning environment.

Roughly 74,871 students attend the Austin Independent School District, which has a 51% reading proficiency and 52% math proficiency. To compare, Texas’s average reading proficiency is 47%, and the math proficiency is 51%. That should tell you that Austin puts a lot of pride in their classes to help students grow and learn, as well as do well on tests.

As for the high-school graduation rate, Austin’s graduation rate sits at 89.1%. (Certain schools, such as Austin High School, have an even higher graduation rate of 99%.) Texas’s graduation rate is 90%. That means that while it’s above Austin’s average graduation rate, it’s not higher among all schools. The Austin Independent School District alone has a 94.4% graduation rate.

Top-rated public schools in Austin

These are a handful of the best public schools in Austin:

Best Elementary Schools in Austin, Texas:

Best Middle Schools in Austin, Texas:

Best High Schools in Austin, Texas:

What private schools are in Austin?

Texas has private schools near and far. Below are some of the best private schools in Austin:

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School (#1 private high school in Austin, serves grades 6-12)
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (#2 private high school in Austin, serves grades K-12)
Austin Peace Academy (#3 in best private high schools in Austin, serves grades PK and K-12)
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy (#4 private high school in Austin, serves grades 9-12)
Griffin School (#5 private high school in Austin, serves grades 9-12)

Don’t want to limit yourself while checking out schools? We get it! Here are some other options to look at in your school search:

What are suburban Austin schools like?

If you look at the suburbs of Austin, you’ll see most areas score well in academics, teachers, and family friendliness. They’re also usually safer than right in the city and have a lower student-to-teacher ratio, which is always helpful. Not to mention, the suburban schools offer a wide range of classes and activities that kiddos of all ages are sure to love.

The thing about finding a school in Austin, though, is that you want to find a suburb or neighborhood you like first. That affects where your kids can go to public school. While it might not affect their private school options, it’s best to figure out where you could see yourself living in the long term before signing any dotted lines. That way, you and your kids will be the happiest at the end of the day.

Of Lakeway, an Austin suburb, one resident says, “The schools in the district are amazing, the amount of activities and things to do in the area is never-ending, and the security among the streets and other areas is great. Overall, this suburb community is a wonderful place for just about anyone to live in, and it’s only about 30 minutes away from downtown Austin!”

What suburbs have particularly good school systems?

West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, and Cedar Park are a few of Austin’s best suburbs for schools. West Lake Hills is a wonderful, kid-friendly community that’s only about six miles from Downtown Austin. It’s the top destination to retire in the state of Texas and is home to about 3,302 people. The schools there are rated an A+ overall.

Rollingwood is another great suburb in Austin that has been dubbed the leading place to raise kids in the city. Roughly 1,331 people live in this quaint, affluent, and walkable city. The public schools and family friendliness also get an A+.

Thirdly, we have Cedar Park. This suburb is the third-biggest city in Austin and is acclaimed for its high-quality schools, thriving business community, and outdoor scene. Approximately 77,181 people live in Cedar Park.

What are the best school districts in Austin?

Here are some of the top school districts in the Live Music Capital of the World:

Eanes Independent School District

This school district gets an impressive rating as the best school district in the state. About 7,968 students go to school in the Eanes Independent School District (between grades PK and K-12), which has an 82% reading proficiency and 81% math proficiency.

Dripping Springs Independent School District

If you’re looking to live in Hays County, Dripping Springs is the best local school district. There are roughly 8,001 students between grades PK and K-12. The reading proficiency is 67%, and the math proficiency is 63%.

Leander Independent School District

The Leander Independent School District gets yet another #1 score. It’s been called the “#1 best school district in Williamson County.” The student population is 40,355. Of that population, approximately 65% of students are reading proficient, and 66% are math proficient.

Good luck with your school search

We hope you have a clearer idea now of the best schools in Austin, Texas. When you decide you’re ready to move, Bellhop has your back. Our Austin moving services include but are not limited to local and long-distance moving, last-minute moving, and apartment moving. Whatever you need, we can help!

Book a move online today.

About
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Tyler Brown

Tyler has been with Bellhop since 2022. When not working on making moving experience awesome, Tyler enjoys biking through new cities all over the country, figuring out where his next meal is going to be, and fantasizing about where he might live next. He's currently in Richmond, Virginia.