Skip to main content

Elementary schools · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Updated for 2026 on NCES and Pennsylvania data

Best Elementary Schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

248 elementary schools compared, ranked on the evidence each campus reports.

The fieldEvery ranked elementary school on the 1–10 scale.
Ranked schools run1.7Laboratory Csto9.1Penn Alexander Schon the one-to-ten scale.

248 ranked · top 25 from 7.5 to 9.1 · median 5.1

The brief

I'm choosing a school for

The top-rated elementary schools in Philadelphia for 2026 are Penn Alexander Sch (9.1/10), Greenfield Albert M Sch (9.1/10), and Mccall Gen George a Sch (8.9/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of 248 elementary schools with real test data included in this ranking. Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Philadelphia's elementary school landscape spans 192 ranked schools, giving families a wide range of options across the city's distinct neighborhoods. The average composite score sits at 6.2/10, but the top of the field pulls well above that mark — Dobson James School and Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy both earn 8.9/10, the highest ratings in the city at this level. Strong performers aren't limited to a handful of outliers. Thirty percent of ranked elementary schools — 57 in total — score 7 or higher, meaning families have a realistic shot at finding a high-quality school without landing at the very top of the list. Hackett Horatio B School, Penn Alexander School, and Fanny Jackson Coppin School round out the upper tier, each scoring 8.7 or better. Use the table below to sort by overall score, specific subject performance, or other factors that matter most to your family.

Ranked by composite score; the tick is the score on the 1–10 axis.

  1. 1
    Penn Alexander SchPhiladelphia City SD
    9.1
  2. 2
    Greenfield Albert M SchPhiladelphia City SD
    9.1
  3. 3
    Mccall Gen George a SchPhiladelphia City SD
    8.9
  4. 4
    Meredith William M SchPhiladelphia City SD
    8.9
  5. 58.7
  6. 6
    Jenks Abram SchPhiladelphia City SD
    8.5
  7. 7
    Vare-Washington EL SchPhiladelphia City SD
    8.4
  8. 88.4
  9. 98.4
  10. 10
    Adaire Alexander SchPhiladelphia City SD
    8.3
The ten highest-rated elementary schools in Philadelphia, best first.MySchoolScout composite scores. Updated for 2026 on NCES and Pennsylvania data.

All 248 ranked

Every ranked school on the axis, then the ledger.

Top 25 of 248

Rating · students · student-teacher ratio · grades
  1. 1Penn Alexander SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 9.1students 583student-teacher ratio 15.8:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  2. 2Greenfield Albert M SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 9.1students 730student-teacher ratio 16.6:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  3. 3Mccall Gen George a SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.9students 617student-teacher ratio 15.4:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  4. 4Meredith William M SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.9students 515student-teacher ratio 15.6:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  5. 5Marian Anderson Neighborhood AcademyPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.7students 309student-teacher ratio 12.4:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  6. 6Jenks Abram SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.5students 255student-teacher ratio 14.2:1grades Kindergarten–5th
  7. 7Vare-Washington EL SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.4students 329student-teacher ratio 10.6:1grades Pre-K–8th
  8. 8Jubilee Schoolrating 8.4students 53student-teacher ratio 3.5:1grades Kindergarten–6th
  9. 9The Islamic Education School -Tiesrating 8.4students 63student-teacher ratio 5.1:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  10. 10Adaire Alexander SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.3students 416student-teacher ratio 15.4:1grades Pre-K–8th
  11. 11Frankford Friends Schoolrating 8.3students 163student-teacher ratio 8.0:1grades Pre-K–8th
  12. 12Powel Samuel SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 8.2students 306student-teacher ratio 14.6:1grades Kindergarten–4th
  13. 13St Peters Schoolrating 8.0students 139student-teacher ratio 8.1:1grades Pre-K–8th
  14. 14Holmesburg Christian Academyrating 8.0students 119student-teacher ratio 9.7:1grades Pre-K–8th
  15. 15Fanny Jackson Coppin SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 7.9students 537student-teacher ratio 14.5:1grades Pre-K–8th
  16. 16Greenberg Joseph SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 7.9students 860student-teacher ratio 17.2:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  17. 17Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures CscharterFolk Arts-Cultural Treasures Csrating 7.8students 494student-teacher ratio 13.4:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  18. 18Nebinger George W SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 7.8students 404student-teacher ratio 10.9:1grades Pre-K–8th
  19. 19Hackett Horatio B SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 7.8students 442student-teacher ratio 13.8:1grades Pre-K–5th
  20. 20Logan Hope Schoolrating 7.7students 91student-teacher ratio 9.6:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  21. 21Henry Charles W SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 7.6students 496student-teacher ratio 14.2:1grades Kindergarten–8th
  22. 22Roxborough Christian Schoolrating 7.6students 53student-teacher ratio 6.8:1grades Pre-K–6th
  23. 23Bache-Martin SchPhiladelphia City SDrating 7.5students 567student-teacher ratio 10.7:1grades Pre-K–8th
  24. 24Our Mother of Consolation Parish Schoolrating 7.5students 177student-teacher ratio 12.0:1grades Pre-K–8th
  25. 25The Philadelphia Schoolrating 7.5students 371student-teacher ratio 7.3:1grades Pre-K–8th

Scores are based on 2024-25 data from the NCES Common Core of Data and Pennsylvania education department. Rankings are relative to all public elementary schools in Pennsylvania. Learn about our methodology.

The map

The top 25 pinned; open a pin for the campus.
The top 25 elementary schools in Philadelphia, pinned and colored by score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Campus by campus

What each of the top ten reports.
  1. 1

    Penn Alexander Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    583 students · 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–8th

    Top 2% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    10.0
    Growth
    9.3
    Environment
    7.4
  2. 2

    Greenfield Albert M Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    730 students · 16.6:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–8th

    Top 2% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    9.8
    Growth
    9.9
    Environment
    5.8
  3. 3

    Mccall Gen George a Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    617 students · 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–8th

    Top 4% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    9.7
    Growth
    9.3
    Environment
    6.9
  4. 4

    Meredith William M Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    515 students · 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–8th

    Top 4% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    9.9
    Growth
    9.0
    Environment
    7.0
  5. 5

    Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy

    Philadelphia City SD

    309 students · 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–8th

    Top 6% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    7.9
    Growth
    9.5
    Environment
    7.7
  6. 6

    Jenks Abram Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    255 students · 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–5th

    Top 9% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    9.1
    Growth
    8.7
    Environment
    7.1
  7. 7

    Vare-Washington EL Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    329 students · 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–8th

    Top 11% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    6.2
    Growth
    9.8
    Environment
    8.2
  8. 8

    Jubilee School

    53 students · 3.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–6th

    Top 4% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    not scored
    Growth
    not scored
    Environment
    not scored
  9. 9

    The Islamic Education School -Ties

    63 students · 5.1:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Kindergarten–8th

    Top 5% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    not scored
    Growth
    not scored
    Environment
    not scored
  10. 10

    Adaire Alexander Sch

    Philadelphia City SD

    416 students · 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades Pre-K–8th

    Top 12% in Pennsylvania

    Academics
    8.8
    Growth
    8.7
    Environment
    6.8

Questions

What is the best elementary school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?

According to MySchoolScout's 2026 rankings, Penn Alexander Sch is the top-rated elementary school in Philadelphia with a composite score of 9.1/10. The score blends student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools — with equity shown as context, not scored.

How many elementary schools are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?

Philadelphia has 269 elementary schools, including 44 charter schools. Of these, 250 have enough data for a full composite rating on MySchoolScout.

What is the average elementary school rating in Philadelphia?

Among 250 Philadelphia elementary schools with a composite score, the average is 5.1/10. Scores range from 1.0 (bottom of the state) to 10.0 (top 1% in Pennsylvania).

How does MySchoolScout rate elementary schools?

Schools with enough data receive a 1-10 composite score that blends Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, with growth counting most in elementary and middle grades. Equity data is shown for context but not scored. All scores are computed within Pennsylvania, so schools are compared to peers in the same state. Data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments.

What is a good school rating on MySchoolScout?

A score of 7 or above means a school is in roughly the top 30% of its state. A 5 is average. Anything above 8 is exceptional. Our ratings are relative to other schools in Pennsylvania, not a national comparison, because each state has different testing standards.

Are charter schools included in the Philadelphia elementary school rankings?

Philadelphia has 44 charter elementary schools in its directory. Charter schools that meet this ranking's data requirements are included alongside traditional public schools using the same composite scoring methodology.

How should I use this ranking?

Consider your child's learning style. Some children thrive in smaller settings (look for student-teacher ratios under 14:1), while others do well in larger, more social environments. The schools on this list range widely in size and approach.

Look beyond the composite score. A school ranked #15 might be the best fit if it excels in growth (improving student outcomes year over year) even if its raw academic score is lower. Click into individual school profiles to see the breakdown.

Visit your top choices. Walk the hallways during a school day. Watch how teachers interact with students. Ask about before- and after-school care, transportation, and parent involvement. These details matter more than any dataset.

Explore more