What Are the Best Schools in Tampa?

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Welcome to Tampa, Florida! It’s the third-biggest city in the state, situated on the beautiful Florida west coast. Generally, when you think about Florida, you probably think of sandy beaches, warm weather, and excitement. However, what you may not realize is the quality of the schools.

Today, we’re going to share the best schools in Tampa to help you decide which school is the right fit for your kids before you make your big move. Let’s get right into it!

How do you find the best schools in Tampa?

The Tampa Bay area is massive, containing 3.1 million residents. There are 632 schools in Tampa in total. That means that if you’re after a quality school that’s going to challenge your kids and cultivate a great environment for learning, you’re sure to find it somewhere in this Florida city.

Searching for the best schools in Tampa starts with a few key questions:

Do you prefer public or private schools?
What are the reading and math proficiency levels?
What’s the high-school graduation rate?
How do the public schools rate overall?

To learn more about the schools in Tampa, read on!

How are public schools in Tampa?

While there are many highly rated schools in Tampa, the schools as a whole rank in the lower half of public schools throughout the state. Roughly 53% of students in public schools are reading proficient, which is slightly below the rest of the state (56%). About 54% of students are math proficient, which is also below Florida’s average (59%).

How about the high-school graduation rate? Tampa’s graduation rate is 85%. That’s 3% lower than Florida as a whole, which has a graduation rate of 88%. (Note: these values are for public schools only.)

If you want to find the best of the best public schools, consider narrowing down the area where you want to live first. Whether that’s a suburb or in the city, figure out what part of Tampa has the amenities and housing your family wants. Then, see what schools are in the area.

Do your research to figure out how those schools do in terms of reading and math proficiencies, graduation rates, and overall academics. Then, take a look at a few of your top choices to see which is best for your children.

Top-rated public schools in Tampa

Check out these schools, known as some of the best schools in Tampa, FL:

Best Elementary Schools in Tampa, Florida:

Best Middle Schools in Tampa, Florida:

Best High Schools in Tampa, Florida:

What private schools are in Tampa?

Tampa has multiple private schools that could be a great choice for your kids. Here are some examples:

Berkeley Preparatory School (#1 private high school in Tampa, Florida, serves grades PK and K-12)
Shorecrest Preparatory School (#2 best private high school in Tampa, Florida, serves grades PK and K-12)
Tampa Preparatory School (#3 on the list of the best private high schools in Tampa, Florida, serves grades 6-12)
Carrollwood Day School (#4 private Tampa high school, serves grades PK and K-12)
Academy of the Holy Names (#5 best private high school in Tampa, Florida, serves grades PK and K-12)

Want to see a few more options? We get it! Check these out, which also are some of the best private schools in Tampa:

What are suburban Tampa schools like?

Suburban Tampa schools are generally similar to most suburban schools throughout Florida: great academics, a low student-to-teacher ratio, lots of sports, and fun extracurricular activities for kids of all ages.

Westchase is one of the suburbs with great public schools. A resident says, “I’ve grown up in the Westchase area. It’s a one stop shop area. The elementary, and High Schools are all A schools. A lot of local restaurants and and supermarkets. It’s family orientated and great to raise children. It has many activities for people to do. I would recommend anybody relocating from another state, Westchase is the area to raise your family at.”

What suburbs have particularly good school systems?

Many people living in Florida recommend Cheval, Trinity, and Keystone if you want a family-friendly suburb in Tampa that offers highly rated schools. Let’s start with Cheval. Roughly 12,052 people live in this suburb, which has A-rated schools, diversity, and more. Residents love the close proximity to schools (yay for short commutes) and activities (in particular for young kiddos).

As for Trinity, this is one of the top spots to live in Pasco County. The population is roughly 12,761 people. While there are great schools and scenery here in this suburb, residents mention that there aren’t a ton of activities for kids or people in general, so you might want to think twice if you like to be out and about but don’t want to drive to another part of Tampa.

Last but not least, we have Keystone. The schools, kid friendliness, and diversity all get As. About 25,377 people call this suburb home. What’s it like there? One resident says, “Keystone is an amazing place to live! It is very centrally located just outside Tampa, all the main attractions and shops in the Tampa area are at most 30 min away. Even though when in Keystone it feels like a rural, agricultural area, there are many grocery stores, shopping plazas and restaurants to pick from only 5-10 minutes away.” They also mention, “Overall it is a great place to live for someone wanting the country life experience while not sacrificing any modern amenities of the city.”

What are the best school districts in Tampa?

Below are some of Tampa’s leading school districts:

Pinellas County Schools

This is Tampa’s top school district, containing 96,068 students between grades PK and K-12. The reading proficiency is 54%, and the math proficiency is 56%. Pinellas County Schools gets an A in college prep and diversity, and Bs in areas such as academics, teachers, and administration.

Pasco County School District

With 77,125 students between grades PK and K-12, the Pasco County School District is another great choice for schools. The district has a reading proficiency of 57% and a math proficiency of 60%. Like Pinellas County Schools, this school district scores an A in terms of college prep and diversity.

Hillsborough County Public Schools

If you’re looking for a top-notch school district in a kid-friendly area, Hillsborough County Public Schools is a great place to start. There are approximately 218,943 students between grades PK and K-12. The reading and math proficiency levels are close to the same (roughly 54% for reading and 55% for math).

Good luck with your school search

Your kids deserve to go to the best schools in Tampa. We hope this guide helped you figure out just what those schools are. When you decide to move, don’t forget to give your friends at Bellhop a holler. We provide local and long-distance moving services in Tampa, FL, to help make your life easier.

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.