What Are the Best Schools in Houston?

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Fun fact: there are 2,015 schools in Houston, Texas. That gives you quite a few options if you’re searching for a good school there for your kids.

So, with so many schools to choose from, how do you figure out what are the best schools in Houston and which are worth a second look at? In this blog, we’ll go over all you need to know, from public schools to private schools.

Let’s get this show on the road!

How do you find the best schools in Houston?

As we covered above, there’s no shortage of schools in Houston, Texas. The way to find the best schools in Houston is to first decide on a public school or private school system. (Note: When it comes to public schools, you might have fewer options since you typically can only send your child to school in the district you live in (or nearest district).)

After choosing between public and private schools, do some research on the following questions:

What percentage of students graduate from high school?
What are the English and math proficiency levels?
How does the school rank among others in the area?

Keep reading for more details about Houston’s public and private school systems.

How are public schools in Houston?

Education is a central part of the Houston community, with the Houston Independent School District being the biggest school district across the city and the seventh-biggest district in the U.S. The math proficiency in that district is 45%, and the reading proficiency is slightly below that (41%, to be exact).

The high-school graduation rate depends on the year, ranging from 75.4% to 81% in this school district, according to reports. Compared to Texas as a whole, this graduation rate is below the state’s average–but not by much.

All in all, if you want your elementary-aged kids or high-schoolers to attend school in Houston, there are many wonderful schools to consider, with some of the best education available in the suburbs.

Top-rated public schools in Houston

Looking for highly rated elementary, middle, and high schools in Houston for your kids? Here are some options:

Best Elementary Schools in Houston:

Best Middle Schools in Houston:

Best High Schools in Houston:

What private schools are in Houston?

There are many esteemed private schools in Houston, including:

St. John’s School (top private high school in Houston, grades K-12)
The John Cooper School (second-best private high school, grades PK and K-12)
The Awty International School (third-best private high schools in Houston, grades PK and K-12)
The Kinkaid School (#4 private high school in Houston, grades PK and K-12)
St. Agnes Academy (#5 top Houston private high school, grades 9-12, girls only)

Below are some additional schools worth considering that make the list of the best private schools in Houston:

What are suburban Houston schools like?

The suburbs are some of the best places to attend school in Houston. There are usually fewer students, which means teachers can give students more attention and assistance, which can be especially helpful in the early years and when helping juniors and seniors prepare for college.

One resident in Sugar Land (a Houston suburb) says, “Sugar Land is one of the best places! The people are friendly and the schools are great. The teachers are amazing and a lot of them do their job. There is a slight possibility that you might find one or two teachers that dont want to teach or that dont know how to teach the subject but other than that there are really good teachers.”

There are many suburbs to choose from, so if you’re considering moving to a Houston suburb for your kids’ school, spend time reading reviews like the one above. That can tell you tons about whether your kids will enjoy their new school and give you a closer look at what life is like there, from the extracurricular activities to teachers and classes.

What suburbs have particularly good school systems?

Some of the Houston suburbs with the best school systems include Cinco Ranch, Friendswood, and The Woodlands. Cinco Ranch gets the prestigious title of “#1 best suburb to live in Texas,” according to Niche. As a part of the Katy community, it’s a great place to raise a family, and the schools there have a great track record for success. Roughly 17,588 people call this suburb home.

Friendswood is another highly rated suburb in Houston that gets an A in nearly every category, from family-friendliness to diversity. About 39,893 people live there, with a large portion made up of families. The public schools are great, and there are many places to eat and things to do, making it a comfortable place to raise a family.

Last but certainly not least on our list is The Woodlands, which has approximately 114,532 people and an impressive reputation for being not just one of the best Houston suburbs when it comes to school but–get this–one of the top places to move to in the U.S. In fact, Niche calls it the “#1 in best cities to live in America.”
A resident of The Woodlands says, “There are many nice people [who live there]. The community as a whole is physically active. Customer service is generally very good at restaurants and stores. It’s a quiet town in my opinion. But most importantly the schools are amazing. The public schools are competitive and coursework is difficult.”

Houston pinpointed on a map by a thumbtack

What are the best school districts in Houston?

Here are some of the top school districts in the city of Houston:

Katy Independent School District

Virtually any top-five school list you look at for Houston has something in Katy, Texas. The Katy Independent School District is rated Houston’s leading school district, with 84,176 students going to school there between PK and K-12. Roughly 66% of students are proficient in reading and 68% in mathematics.

Friendswood Independent School District

Want the best school for teachers, clubs, college prep, and overall education? The Friendswood Independent School District might be for you. If you count grades PK and K-12, there are about 6,119 students. The math proficiency is 76%, and the reading proficiency is 71%.

Tomball Independent School District

No list of the best schools in Houston is complete without the Tomball Independent School District, which is home to 18,666 students. About 67% of students are proficient in reading, with 72% proficient, at a minimum, in mathematics.

Good luck with your school search

Knowing the best schools in Houston should make it way easier to move there if you have kids. Hopefully, this simple guide has helped narrow down the list of potential schools for your little ones. If you need a hand moving to Houston, feel free to get in touch with Bellhop at any time. We offer long-distance moving, local moving, last-minute moving, apartment moving, and many more moving services for families like yours. Lastly, we also assist with moves to nearby cities like Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio if you’re looking for additional moving options.

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.