Best Schools in Denver, CO — 2026 Rankings

Denver’s school landscape is one of the most diverse in the Mountain West. With 277 schools serving 107,769 students, the city offers everything from traditional neighborhood elementaries to a robust charter sector that has reshaped how families think about public education. The city’s 56 charter schools represent roughly 20% of all schools — a share that gives Denver one of the highest charter concentrations among major Colorado cities.

The citywide average composite score sits at 5.6 out of 10, which edges above the Colorado state average. That number masks significant variation: the top-performing school in Denver scores a 9.3, while many schools cluster well below the midpoint. The breakdown by level — 163 elementary, 34 middle, 63 high, and 11 K-12 or other — gives parents options at every stage, though finding the right fit requires looking beyond headline numbers.

Denver’s average student-teacher ratio of 13.7:1 is competitive, but individual schools range from under 9:1 to over 20:1. That spread matters. Class size alone does not determine outcomes, but it does shape the daily experience for students and teachers alike.

Where Denver’s Best Schools Are Concentrated

Denver’s top-performing schools are not evenly distributed. Several geographic clusters stand out in the data.

• Northeast Denver / Green Valley Ranch / Northfield: The DSST network has planted some of its strongest campuses here. DSST: Conservatory Green High School (9.3 composite) and Denver Green School Northfield (8.2) both operate in this corridor, making it a destination for families prioritizing academic rigor and growth metrics.

• South Denver / Harvey Park / College View: DSST: College View High School (8.8) anchors this area with the highest environment score among the top 10 (9.4). Nearby, Goldrick Elementary School (8.1) provides a strong elementary option with an 8.6 environment score and a 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio.

• Southeast Denver / Washington Park / University Hills: George Washington High School (8.0) and McKinley-Thatcher Elementary School (7.9) both sit in this established corridor. These schools lean heavily on academic performance — Washington scores 8.9 in academics — though their environment scores trail due to larger class sizes.

• Central Denver / Capitol Hill / Baker: Morey Middle School (7.8) and Contemporary Learning Academy (8.0) serve students in the urban core. Contemporary Learning Academy stands out for its unusually small size (132 students) and a 8.8:1 student-teacher ratio, creating a fundamentally different school experience than the larger campuses nearby.

Top 10 Schools in Denver — 2026 Rankings

1. DSST: Conservatory Green High School — Composite: 9.3/10 The top-ranked school in all of Colorado, not just Denver. DSST Conservatory Green earns a 9.2 in academics and a near-perfect 9.9 in growth, meaning students are not only performing well but improving at an exceptional rate. With 562 students and a 13.4:1 ratio, the school balances scale with attentiveness. The 5.5 equity score is the one area with room to grow.

2. DSST: College View High School — Composite: 8.8/10 Ranked 8th statewide, College View leads the top 10 in environment (9.4) — reflecting strong staffing, resources, and school culture indicators. The 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio is among the lowest of any high school in the city. Academics (7.7) and growth (8.3) are solid across the board with 543 students enrolled.

3. French American School of Denver — Composite: 8.3/10 A distinctive elementary serving just 189 students, French American earns a 9.8 growth score — nearly the highest in Denver. That growth metric signals that students are making outsized academic gains year over year. The 14.5:1 ratio is close to the city average, and the 7.7 academic score reflects strong baseline performance at the elementary level.

4. Denver Green School Northfield — Composite: 8.2/10 This middle school of 540 students posts the highest academic score of any school in the top 10 at 9.7, paired with a 9.9 growth score. Those numbers are remarkable. The trade-off shows in the environment score (3.2), driven in part by an 18.0:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than most middle schools in Denver.

5. Goldrick Elementary School — Composite: 8.1/10 Goldrick balances performance and environment better than most. The 8.6 environment score is third-highest in the top 10, and the 9.3 growth score indicates students are progressing well above expected rates. With 328 students and a 12.6:1 ratio, it offers a manageable school size for elementary families in south Denver.

6. George Washington High School — Composite: 8.0/10 The largest school in the top 10 at 1,272 students, Washington delivers strong academics (8.9) and growth (9.2) at scale. The environment score (2.9) is the lowest in the top 10, a direct reflection of the 18.4:1 student-teacher ratio. Families who prioritize academic outcomes over school size will find Washington compelling; those who value smaller settings should weigh that trade-off.

7. Contemporary Learning Academy — Composite: 8.0/10 With just 132 students and an 8.8:1 student-teacher ratio, this is the smallest and most intimate high school in the top 10. It earns a perfect 10.0 in growth and a 9.4 in environment — the highest environment score tied with DSST College View. The academic score (7.8) is respectable, and the school’s micro-size creates opportunities for individualized instruction that larger schools cannot replicate.

8. Girls Athletic Leadership School Middle School — Composite: 8.0/10 GALS is the only single-gender school in the top 10, serving 203 middle school students with a 13.5:1 ratio. Its score profile is unusually balanced: 8.3 academics, 7.9 growth, 7.8 environment. No single metric is a standout outlier, which suggests consistent quality across every dimension we measure.

9. McKinley-Thatcher Elementary School — Composite: 7.9/10 Located in southeast Denver, McKinley-Thatcher scores 8.9 in academics — the strongest academic mark among the three elementaries in the top 10. Growth (7.5) is above average but lower than peers, suggesting students enter already performing at high levels. The 276-student enrollment keeps the school small enough for a tight-knit community feel.

10. Morey Middle School — Composite: 7.8/10 Morey rounds out the top 10 with the highest academic score of any middle school in Denver at 9.9, plus a 9.6 growth score. Those two metrics are elite. The challenge is a 1.9 environment score — the lowest in the entire top 10 — driven by a 20.0:1 student-teacher ratio. Morey is a school that delivers exceptional academic results in a less-resourced setting.

A Parent’s Decision Framework for Denver

Denver’s school choice landscape can feel overwhelming. Here is how to use this data effectively.

If academic performance is your top priority, look at schools with academic scores above 8.5. George Washington High (8.9), Denver Green School Northfield (9.7), Morey Middle (9.9), and McKinley-Thatcher Elementary (8.9) all clear that bar. These schools produce strong test results regardless of other factors.

If student growth matters most, focus on growth scores above 9.0. Contemporary Learning Academy (10.0), DSST Conservatory Green (9.9), Denver Green School Northfield (9.9), Morey Middle (9.6), and French American School (9.8) all demonstrate that students are improving dramatically year over year. High growth scores are especially meaningful at schools serving diverse populations, because they indicate the school is moving all students forward.

If you want a smaller, more supportive environment, sort by environment score. Contemporary Learning Academy (9.4), DSST College View (9.4), Goldrick Elementary (8.6), and DSST Conservatory Green (7.9) offer the best combination of staffing, resources, and school culture indicators. Schools scoring below 3.0 on environment — like Morey Middle and George Washington High — may deliver results but with larger class sizes and fewer per-student resources.

Charter vs. traditional: Four of the top 10 are DSST or charter-affiliated schools. Denver’s charter sector is mature and well-established, so charter status alone does not predict quality — but the DSST network specifically shows consistent performance across multiple campuses.

Our methodology page explains how each score component is calculated and weighted: Academic (50%), Growth (20%), Equity (15%), and Environment (15%).

How Denver Compares Statewide

Denver’s 5.6 average composite score places it above the Colorado state average. The city’s top school — DSST Conservatory Green at 9.3 — is ranked #1 in the entire state, which is a distinction few cities of any size can claim. Five of Denver’s top 10 schools rank within the state’s top 70, signaling real depth beyond just the top slot.

That said, the citywide average is pulled down by a long tail of lower-performing schools. Denver has both the best school in Colorado and a significant number of schools scoring below 4.0. The range is wide, which makes school selection in Denver unusually high-stakes compared to smaller Colorado cities like Aurora or Colorado Springs where the variance tends to be narrower.

For a full view of how Denver fits into the statewide picture, visit our Colorado schools page.

Explore Denver Schools on the Map

The rankings above tell part of the story, but geography matters when you are choosing a school. Our interactive Denver school map lets you see every school’s composite score plotted by location, so you can quickly identify high-performing options near your home or workplace. Filter by school level, zoom into specific neighborhoods, and compare scores visually across the city.

View the Denver Interactive School Map

The DSST Effect: What Denver’s Data Reveals

One pattern jumps out of Denver’s data: the DSST (Denver School of Science and Technology) network dominates the top of the rankings. The top two schools — and four of the top 10 citywide — are DSST campuses. DSST Conservatory Green holds the #1 spot in the entire state of Colorado.

What makes this notable is not just the scores but the consistency. DSST schools post strong growth numbers (9.9 and 8.3 for the top two) alongside strong academics (9.2 and 7.7). Growth and academics do not always move together — a school can have high test scores with low growth if students enter already performing well, or high growth with moderate academics if students start further behind. DSST manages both simultaneously across multiple campuses, which suggests a replicable instructional model rather than a one-campus anomaly.

The equity scores (5.5) across all top 10 schools — including DSST — indicate room for improvement district-wide in serving all student subgroups equally. This is an area worth watching as Denver’s school landscape continues to evolve.

For families researching Denver schools, the full Denver city page offers detailed enrollment data, demographic breakdowns, and comparisons across all 277 schools.