Best Middle Schools in Denver, Colorado

According to MySchoolScout's 2026 rankings, Girls Athletic Leadership School Middle School is the top-rated middle school in Denver with a composite score of 9.2/10. 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.

Denver has 33 middle schools, including 17 charter schools. Of these, 33 have enough data for a full composite rating on MySchoolScout.

Among 33 Denver middle schools with a composite score, the average is 6.3/10. Scores range from 1.0 (bottom of the state) to 10.0 (top 1% in Colorado).

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 Colorado, so schools are compared to peers in the same state. Data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments.

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 Colorado, not a national comparison, because each state has different testing standards.

Denver has 17 charter middle 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.

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.

See all 274 schools in Denver