What Are the Best Schools in Cincinnati?

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Congrats on moving to Cincinnati! It’s a great city with tons of opportunities and things to do for families. It also has many highly rated schools that you can feel confident can help prepare your kids for college in the upcoming years.

In this blog, we’re going to share the best schools in Cincinnati. We hope it makes your school decision a little easier!

How do you find the best schools in Cincinnati?

Cincinnati is massive. Not only is it Ohio’s third-biggest city, but it’s also the 65th biggest in the U.S. Naturally, cities of that size have hundreds of options for schools, including both public and private schools.

To see which school is right for your kiddos, it’s not a bad idea to narrow down a place to live in Cincinnati first. That way, you don’t have to move later if you love the school but aren’t in love with the area.

You’ll also have to choose between public and private school. (There are advantages and disadvantages to both, with the main disadvantage of private school being the price tag. If the price isn’t a concern, then a private school is a wonderful choice.)

Here are some questions to ask yourself when searching for schools:

What is the graduation rate, and how does it compare to the state as a whole?
Are the math and reading proficiency levels above or close to the state average?
What grade would the school get for teachers and academics?

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s move on to what schools in Cincinnati are like. That way, you can find the best schools in Cincinnati.

How are public schools in Cincinnati?

As with any major city, you have to take public school ratings with a grain of salt. That’s because the ratings vary by school and exact location within the city or suburbs. For example, it has been said that some of Ohio’s best schools are found right in Cincinnati. However, at the same time, most Cincinnati schools are ranked in the lower half of Ohio schools as a whole, according to Public School Review.

First thing’s first, it’s important to look at the math and reading proficiency levels when evaluating schools. Ohio’s average proficiency levels are 63% for math and 64% for reading, while Cincinnati schools have a math proficiency level of 56% and a reading proficiency level of 59%.

Ohio’s high-school graduation rate is 83% for the 2022-2023 school year. To compare, Cincinnati’s graduation rate is just below the state average, coming in at 81%. That doesn’t mean all Cincinnati schools are below average, though. In fact, there are many highly rated public schools that can be found in the suburbs and other parts of the city (more on these below).

Top-rated public schools in Cincinnati

Here are some of the best public schools in Cincinnati, Ohio:

Best Elementary Schools in Cincinnati, OH:

Best Middle Schools in Cincinnati, OH:

Best High Schools in Cincinnati, OH:

What private schools are in Cincinnati?

These private schools can all be found in the Queen City:

The Seven Hills School (#1 best Cincinnati private high school, serves grades PK and K-12)
Cincinnati Country Day School (#2 top private high school in Cincinnati, serves grades PK and K-12)
The Summit Country Day School (#3 for the top private high schools in Cincinnati, serves grades PK and K-12)
St. Xavier High School (#4 private Cincinnati high school, serves grades 9-12)
Ursuline Academy (#5 private high school in Cincinnati, serves grades 9-12)

Looking for more of the best private schools in Cincinnati? Here are some suggestions:

What are suburban Cincinnati schools like?

Let’s see what the locals say. Shall we? One resident of Mason, Warren County’s top place to move to, says, “I have been living in Mason for almost 6 years and I love it. First of all, it is super safe. I’ve never had an issue or felt insecure while in Mason. The schools are amazing as well, they offer so many different classes, especially in the high school.”

They also add, “The area is very nice even though it is a bit expensive. If you have the opportunity to live here, I would recommend taking it!”

One thing you’ll see a lot when looking up suburban Cincinnati schools is that many of them have great scores for schools, academics, and safety. They also emphasize the quality of the school, meaning that you can trust that your child will get a good education and feel comfortable at the school at the end of the day. There are usually not a lot of students, so that gives teachers a chance to focus on individual students and help them become the best they can be in school.

What suburbs have particularly good school systems?

The Village of Indian Hill, Montgomery, and Sixteen Mile Stand are three of Cincinnati’s top suburbs for schools. To begin with, the Village of Indian Hill is the kind of suburb where you don’t have to worry about noise all hours of the night. It’s only a couple of miles from Cincinnati, situated in beautiful Hamilton County. About 5,770 people live in this suburb, which has top-rated schools and gets an A+ for being kid friendly.

Next up is Montgomery, the second-best spot to move to in Cincinnati. Many people find this suburb of 10,818 people to be beautiful, fun, historical, and a perfect fit for families. One resident says, “We moved to Montgomery from another nice neighborhood (Madeira, OH) and couldn’t be happier with our choice. We have found an open community that embraces its diversity and offers our kids a great education, without being pretentious or insular. For us, it has been the right mix.”

Then, of course, there’s Sixteen Mile Stand. This city got its name years ago, back when Montgomery Road was utilized for stage coaches. It was where coaches halted, which happened to be 16 miles away from Cincinnati. There are 3,120 residents in this suburb. Public schools and family friendliness both score an A.

What are the best school districts in Cincinnati?

Below are Cincinnati’s leading school districts:

Sycamore Community School District

As the top school district in Cincinnati, Sycamore Community School District has A-rated classes, teachers, diversity, college prep, administration, and more. About 5,522 students go there between grades PK and K-12. The math proficiency and reading proficiency are 87% and 86%, respectively.

Mason City School District

This school district takes the trophy as Warren County’s top school district. Roughly 10,267 kids attend Mason City School District between grades PK and K-12. Nearly 9 in 10 students (89%) are math proficient, and 86% are reading proficient.

Indian Hill Exempted Village School District

Indian Hill Exempted Village School District is one of the three highest-rated Ohio school districts. Like the other school districts we’ve covered, Indian Hill has top-notch teachers, academics, clubs, activities, etc. The student population is 2,160. As for the math proficiency, it’s 91%. The reading proficiency is slightly below that at 89%.

Good luck with your school search

There’s nothing like a guide to the best schools in Cincinnati to help steer you in the right direction. Once you settle on a school and start the moving process, feel free to reach out to our friendly team of local and long-distance movers in Cincinnati. We are happy to help you move and take some extra weight off your shoulders.

Book a move online today.

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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.