Real STAAR data · 2026

Best School Districts in Houston, Texas

We ranked 55 Houston-area districts using only schools with real test data — the top district scores 8.9/10.

Updated for 2026 · Texas Education Agency STAAR, NCES & Census data · proxy-estimated schools excluded

8.9

Top Rating / 10

Barbers Hill ISD

Districts Ranked

1,366

Schools (real data)

6.1/10

Avg District Rating

Charter Networks

The short answer

The top-rated school districts in metro Houston for 2026 are Barbers Hill ISD (8.9/10), Needville ISD (8.1/10), and Tomball ISD (7.9/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real STAAR results across 55 traditional districts (1,366 schools with verified test data). Among large districts, Tomball ISD ranks highest (7.9/10). Barbers Hill ISD offers the best value, outscoring what its student-poverty level predicts by 1.7 points. Galena Park ISD is the most improved, gaining 8.1 points in STAAR proficiency since 2022.

Best value · beats the odds

Barbers Hill ISD

Rates 8.9/10 despite 34% of students being economically disadvantaged — about 1.7 points higher than its poverty level predicts. The clearest case of strong schools without the affluent-suburb price tag.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024

Galena Park ISD

STAAR proficiency rose +8.1 points from 2022 to 2024 — the largest gain among ranked Houston districts over the two most recent comparable testing years.

All 55 Houston School Districts, Ranked

Rated on real test data only. "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts; "Improved" = STAAR change 2022→2024.

#	District	Rating	Schools	Students	Per Pupil	Value	Improved
1	Barbers Hill ISD	8.9	7	7,723	$14,305	+1.7	+0.9
2	Needville ISD	8.1	4	3,598	$11,371	+1.3	-1.2
3	Tomball ISD	7.9	21	22,273	$9,720	+0.6	+4.9
4	Friendswood ISD	7.7	6	6,210	$10,559	-0.1	+2.4
5	Katy ISD	7.7	70	94,785	$11,284	+0.8	+3.2
6	East Chambers ISD	7.4	3	1,563	$13,609	+0.9	+1.8
7	Montgomery ISD	7.3	10	9,794	$10,495	-0.0	-1.8
8	Pearland ISD	7.3	23	21,111	$9,797	+0.2	-2.9
9	Danbury ISD	7.2	3	661	$14,783	+0.1	-1.1
10	Santa Fe ISD	7.1	5	4,397	$13,289	+0.5	-0.5
11	Spring Branch ISD	7.1	39	33,407	$12,599	+0.8	+5.4
12	Deer Park ISD	7.1	11	12,122	$13,284	+0.6	-2.4
13	Brazosport ISD	7.0	17	11,357	$13,088	+1.0	-6.4
14	Klein ISD	7.0	47	53,093	$10,719	+0.6	+3.7
15	Magnolia ISD	6.9	15	14,468	$10,946	+0.3	-0.9
16	Conroe ISD	6.9	60	72,352	$10,349	+0.2	-0.2
17	Alvin ISD	6.8	30	29,740	$10,984	+0.3	+0.4
18	Galveston ISD	6.7	11	6,446	$13,846	+1.2	-1.1
19	Lamar CISD	6.7	42	44,512	$10,664	+0.1	+1.4
20	Clear Creek ISD	6.6	44	40,132	$10,214	-0.3	+3.8
21	Angleton ISD	6.6	9	7,068	$12,378	+0.7	-1.0
22	La Porte ISD	6.6	12	7,115	$12,795	+0.2	+0.3
23	Galena Park ISD	6.6	23	21,105	$13,655	+1.2	+8.1
24	Fort Bend ISD	6.5	73	80,206	$10,520	-0.0	+0.8
25	Cypress-fairbanks ISD	6.2	86	118,470	$10,693	-0.0	+2.2
26	Texas City ISD	6.1	11	7,874	$15,461	+0.6	-3.1
27	Dickinson ISD	6.0	14	12,592	$12,124	-0.2	+0.5
28	Hitchcock ISD	6.0	4	1,899	$14,304	+0.5	-1.5
29	Houston ISD	5.9	262	184,109	$13,072	+0.4	+3.7
30	Pasadena ISD	5.9	66	47,486	$13,787	+0.4	+4.6
31	Huffman ISD	5.9	4	3,679	$12,303	-0.8	-2.8
32	Humble ISD	5.8	46	48,552	$10,763	-0.8	+1.9
33	Crosby ISD	5.7	6	6,868	$10,074	-0.4	-8.6
34	Stafford Msd	5.5	4	3,479	$12,343	-0.4	+0.2
35	Alief ISD	5.5	41	39,474	$13,388	+0.1	+3.1
36	Anahuac ISD	5.5	3	1,547	$12,826	-0.9	-8.2
37	Goose Creek CISD	5.5	27	24,108	$12,521	-0.3	-5.3
38	Royal ISD	5.4	3	2,729	$17,399	-0.3	-6.1
39	New Caney ISD	5.3	19	18,987	$11,683	-0.6	-1.0
40	Tarkington ISD	5.3	4	1,928	$11,258	-1.0	-11.8
41	Cleveland ISD	5.2	9	11,970	$13,415	+0.1	-5.3
42	Channelview ISD	5.2	10	9,434	$13,441	-0.2	-3.9
43	Hardin ISD	5.2	3	1,239	$10,548	-1.1	-3.3
44	Liberty ISD	5.1	3	2,424	$12,524	-1.1	-6.3
45	Sheldon ISD	5.1	10	11,028	$12,323	-0.3	+2.1
46	Dayton ISD	5.1	5	5,787	$10,903	-0.9	+4.4
47	Sweeny ISD	5.1	3	1,933	$14,136	-1.4	-3.9
48	Waller ISD	5.0	8	9,283	$11,713	-1.0	+0.5
49	Willis ISD	5.0	9	8,974	$9,720	-1.1	+3.1
50	Spring ISD	4.9	40	33,935	$12,710	-0.5	+0.3
51	Columbia-brazoria ISD	4.9	5	2,954	$11,619	-1.3	-2.7
52	Hull-daisetta ISD	4.8	3	416	$16,218	-1.4	-0.9
53	Aldine ISD	4.8	64	57,844	$13,268	-0.5	+6.3
54	Splendora ISD	4.5	6	5,221	$11,860	-1.5	-0.9
55	Hempstead ISD	3.4	3	1,582	$14,347	-2.2	+1.1

Ratings average each district's schools that have real STAAR data; proxy-estimated and low-coverage schools are excluded to keep the ranking honest. See our methodology.

Top Charter Networks Serving Houston

Open-enrollment charter networks (not geographic districts), rated on the same real-data scale.

Harmony Public Schools - Houston West 8.1 Houston Gateway Academy Inc 7.8 School of Science and Technology 7.8 Harmony Public Schools - Houston South 7.7 Aristoi Classical Academy 7.4 Harmony Public Schools - Houston North 7.0 Kipp Texas Public Schools 6.6 Yes Prep Public Schools Inc 6.4 Idea Public Schools 6.2

How We Ranked Houston's Districts

Every district's rating is the average MySchoolScout composite of its schools — but only schools with real, verified test data. We exclude proxy-estimated and low-coverage schools so a district can't look better than its actual results. School composites blend Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools — with weights that vary by school level, all computed within Texas. Equity data is shown for context but is not factored into the score. The value column compares each district's rating to what its student-poverty level would predict; the improved column is the change in STAAR proficiency from 2022 to 2024. Full methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best school districts in Houston?

For 2026, the top-rated districts in metro Houston are Barbers Hill ISD (8.9/10), Needville ISD (8.1/10), Tomball ISD (7.9/10). Ratings are MySchoolScout composite scores (1–10) computed only from schools with real STAAR test data — proxy-estimated schools are excluded.

Which Houston school district is the best value?

Barbers Hill ISD offers the strongest "beats the odds" value: its 8.9/10 rating is about 1.7 points higher than its student-poverty level (34% economically disadvantaged) would predict. That means strong outcomes without the price tag of the most affluent districts.

Which Houston-area district has improved the most?

Galena Park ISD improved the most among the districts we rank, gaining 8.1 percentage points in STAAR proficiency between 2022 and 2024 (the two most recent comparable testing years).

How does MySchoolScout rank school districts?

Each district's rating is the average MySchoolScout composite score of its schools, using only schools with real, non-estimated test data. School composites blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools — with weights that vary by school level, computed within Texas so districts are compared to in-state peers. Data: Texas Education Agency STAAR results, NCES, and the U.S. Census.

How many school districts are in the Houston area?

This ranking covers 55 traditional school districts across the Houston metro with at least three schools that have real test data, plus 20 charter networks listed separately. Together they enroll hundreds of thousands of students across 1,366 rated schools.

Explore More

Best Schools in Houston

Every school in the city, ranked

Best Elementary Schools in Houston

Top-rated elementary schools

Best Middle Schools in Houston

Top-rated middle schools

Best High Schools in Houston

Top-rated high schools

Texas Schools

Statewide district & city rankings

Our Methodology

How we rate schools & districts

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Texas Education Agency, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.