Best Schools in Austin, TX — 2026 Rankings

Austin’s reputation as a tech hub and cultural center extends to its schools, but the education landscape here is more complicated than the city’s progressive image might suggest. With 339 schools serving 168,955 students, Austin is a mid-sized school market by Texas standards — large enough to offer real choice, small enough that a handful of districts and charter networks shape most families’ options.

The city runs on a dual-track system. Austin ISD covers the urban core, while Eanes ISD claims the wealthy western suburbs and Round Rock ISD anchors the north. These district boundaries create sharp quality differences that show up clearly in the data. Of Austin’s 339 schools, 67 are charters — roughly 20% of the total — with KIPP being the most prominent network. There are no magnet schools in the dataset, so families seeking specialized programs are choosing between district options and charter alternatives.

Austin’s average composite score of 5.1/10 lands slightly above the Texas median, making it one of the stronger major metros in the state. But averages hide the variation: the top score of 8.8 and a city average of 5.1 create a 3.7-point spread. The schools at the top are genuinely excellent. The question is whether you can get your child into one.

Neighborhood and District Clusters

Austin’s best schools map almost perfectly onto its district boundaries, creating distinct geographic tiers.

Eanes ISD (West Austin / Westlake) — This is the concentration of wealth and school quality in Austin. Westlake H S, Eanes El, Barton Creek El, and Cedar Creek El all sit within Eanes ISD. Four of Austin’s top 10 schools come from this single district. Academic scores range from 7.3 to 9.5, and environment scores are consistently high (7.7 to 9.2). Student-teacher ratios hover between 11.2:1 and 14.3:1. The trade-off is housing cost — Eanes ISD enrollment requires living in one of Austin’s most expensive neighborhoods.

Austin ISD Core — The city’s main district contributes three schools to the top 10: Gullett El, Rosedale, and Lasa H S. These schools could not be more different from each other. Gullett is a traditional elementary with balanced scores (9.0 academic, 8.7 growth). Rosedale is a tiny specialized school (148 students) with a remarkable 7.4:1 student-teacher ratio and a 9.7 academic score. LASA is a large selective-admission high school (1,518 students) with a perfect 10.0 academic score but a 1.7 environment score — the lowest in the entire top 10 by a wide margin.

Round Rock / Northwest Austin — River Ridge El and Westwood H S represent the northern corridor. River Ridge posts the second-highest academic score in the top 10 at 9.2, while Westwood H S (2,792 students) matches LASA’s pattern of sky-high academics (9.3) paired with a low environment score (2.5). Large, high-performing high schools in Austin consistently sacrifice environment metrics for academic intensity.

KIPP (Citywide Charter) — Kipp Austin Collegiate is the top-ranked school in Austin with an 8.8 composite. As a charter, it draws from across the city and offers an alternative to the district-bound model. Its 823 students, 12.7:1 ratio, and 9.8 growth score make it the strongest growth story in the top 10.

Top 10 Schools in Austin — 2026 Rankings

1. Kipp Austin Collegiate — Composite: 8.8/10 | State Rank: #59 Austin’s top school is a charter, not a district school — and that says something about the city’s education dynamics. KIPP Austin Collegiate’s 9.8 growth score is the highest in the top 10, indicating students are making extraordinary year-over-year progress. The 7.8 academic and 7.8 environment scores are both solid, and with 823 students at a 12.7:1 ratio, it operates at meaningful scale. This is a school that lifts students up, not just one that enrolls already-high performers.

2. Gullett El — Composite: 8.5/10 | State Rank: #151 The strongest traditional elementary school in Austin ISD. Gullett’s 9.0 academic score puts it in elite territory, and the 8.7 growth score means students continue to improve once enrolled. At 534 students with a 13.0:1 ratio, it is a full-sized neighborhood school delivering across every dimension. The 7.5 environment score is the one area where it trails Eanes ISD peers.

3. River Ridge El — Composite: 8.4/10 | State Rank: #202 A Round Rock-area elementary with the second-highest academic score in the top 10 at 9.2. The environment score of 8.1 and 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio reflect a well-resourced school. Growth of 7.9 is respectable. With 423 students, it is mid-sized and manageable — a strong option for families in northwest Austin who want a neighborhood school without the Eanes ISD price tag.

4. Westlake H S — Composite: 8.3/10 | State Rank: #236 The flagship of Eanes ISD and one of the most recognized high schools in Texas. Westlake’s 9.5 academic score is the second highest in the top 10, trailing only LASA. But at 2,811 students with a 14.3:1 ratio, it is a large school, and the 5.8 environment score reflects that scale. Growth of 7.6 is moderate — students arrive well-prepared and maintain that level rather than accelerating. This is a school where the peer group does much of the work.

5. Eanes El — Composite: 8.2/10 | State Rank: #286 The elementary feeder for Westlake H S, and it shows. The environment score of 9.2 is among the highest in the top 10, driven by an 11.5:1 student-teacher ratio and 551 students. Academic score of 7.3 is surprisingly moderate for the Eanes district — below Gullett El and River Ridge El — but the 8.2 growth score suggests students are steadily improving. The school invests heavily in the learning environment, and the results follow downstream at Westlake.

6. Rosedale — Composite: 8.1/10 | State Rank: #333 A unique Austin ISD school serving just 148 students with a 7.4:1 student-teacher ratio — the smallest and most intimate school in the top 10 by a wide margin. The 9.7 academic score is the highest of any school in Austin, and the 8.7 growth score matches it. The 9.2 environment score caps a nearly flawless profile. Rosedale is a specialized program, not a neighborhood school, and availability is limited. But for families who can access it, the data is hard to argue with.

7. Lasa H S — Composite: 8.1/10 | State Rank: #334 LASA (Liberal Arts and Science Academy) is Austin ISD’s selective-enrollment high school, and its score profile is the most polarized in the city. A perfect 10.0 academic score and 9.4 growth score are extraordinary. But the environment score of 1.7/10 — the lowest in the entire top 10 — reflects the reality of 1,518 students at an 18.5:1 student-teacher ratio. This is an academically elite school with stretched resources. Parents should expect rigorous academics in a large, crowded setting.

8. Barton Creek El — Composite: 8.1/10 | State Rank: #353 Another Eanes ISD elementary with a profile that mirrors the district’s strengths: 8.8 academic, 7.6 growth, 7.7 environment. At 536 students with a 12.8:1 ratio, it is slightly larger than Eanes El but performs comparably. The growth score of 7.6 is the softest number, which may reflect students entering at a high baseline with less room for measured gains.

9. Westwood H S — Composite: 8.1/10 | State Rank: #385 Round Rock ISD’s answer to Westlake, with a similar profile: high academics (9.3), high growth (9.5), but a very low environment score (2.5). At 2,792 students and a 17.0:1 ratio, Westwood is a large, academically intense high school. The 9.5 growth score is actually higher than Westlake’s 7.6, suggesting Westwood may be doing more to actively develop students rather than simply enrolling strong ones. The environment trade-off is real, though — this is not a small-school experience.

10. Cedar Creek El — Composite: 7.8/10 | State Rank: #593 The fourth Eanes ISD school in the top 10 rounds out the list with an 8.3 academic score, 6.3 growth, and a strong 9.2 environment score. The 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio is the second lowest in the top 10. The 6.3 growth score stands out as notably lower than peers, which may indicate that students arrive well-prepared but the school adds less incremental value. Still, the overall package — strong academics, excellent environment, small classes — is attractive.

What Austin Parents Should Know

Austin’s school market rewards research. The district boundaries that define school access here are not just administrative lines — they are the primary determinant of school quality for families who are not pursuing charters.

The Eanes ISD premium is real but not absolute. Four of Austin’s top 10 schools sit in Eanes, and the district delivers consistently high environment scores. But Gullett El (Austin ISD) matches or exceeds several Eanes schools on academics and growth, and Rosedale outperforms everything in the city on a per-student basis. Do not assume Eanes is the only path to a great education.

Large high schools dominate academics but sacrifice environment. LASA (1.7 environment), Westwood H S (2.5), and Westlake H S (5.8) are the three highest-academic high schools in Austin, and all three have environment scores well below the elementary schools that feed them. This is not a coincidence — it is the structural reality of large Texas high schools. If your child thrives in smaller settings, the transition from a 9.2-environment elementary to a 2.5-environment high school will be a significant adjustment.

67 charters offer real alternatives. KIPP Austin Collegiate is the top-ranked school in the entire city, and it is a charter. With no magnet programs available, charters are the primary way to access high-quality schools outside your zoned district. The city’s 12.5:1 average student-teacher ratio is already favorable compared to Texas norms, but top charters like KIPP (12.7:1) and top elementaries like Rosedale (7.4:1) push that even lower.

School types: 202 elementary, 43 middle, 61 high, and 28 K-12 or other programs. Middle school is the thinnest segment — only 43 options citywide — which makes the elementary-to-middle transition a critical planning point for Austin families.

How Austin Compares

Austin’s 5.1/10 city average is slightly above the Texas state median, placing it among the stronger major metros in the state. The 3.7-point spread between the average and the top score of 8.8 is narrower than San Antonio’s 4.3-point gap, suggesting a tighter quality distribution — fewer extremely weak schools pulling down the average, but also fewer schools at the very top.

Where Austin stands out nationally is the quality of its top tier. A school like LASA — 10.0 academic, 9.4 growth — would rank among the best in any state. KIPP Austin Collegiate’s 9.8 growth score is exceptional by any standard. The city’s challenge is not a lack of excellent schools; it is that access to those schools is gated by geography, selective admissions, or charter lotteries.

For full statewide context, see the Texas state rankings and our methodology page for how composite scores are calculated.

Explore Austin’s Schools on the Map

See how school quality varies across Austin’s neighborhoods. Explore school quality across Austin on our interactive map, or browse all 339 schools on the Austin city page with detailed score breakdowns and filtering tools.

The Pattern That Matters

The defining feature of Austin’s school landscape is the inverse relationship between academic intensity and school environment at the high school level. The three highest-academic high schools in the city — LASA (10.0 academic, 1.7 environment), Westwood (9.3 academic, 2.5 environment), and Westlake (9.5 academic, 5.8 environment) — all show this trade-off. Meanwhile, the top elementary schools consistently score 7.5 or higher on environment.

This means Austin parents face a structural transition problem. Your child may spend K-5 in a small, well-resourced elementary with a 9.2 environment score, then move to a high school where the environment score drops to 2.5. The academics get better; the support gets thinner. Families who plan for this — by building study skills, independence, and resilience during elementary years — will navigate the transition far better than those who are surprised by it. The data does not just rank schools; it reveals the hidden architecture of Austin’s education pipeline.