6.0 avg / 10

Best Schools in Deland, Florida

20 schools · 13 Elementary · 2 Middle · 2 High · 3 Other

Last updated: July 2026

Public: 11

Private: 9

Districts: 1

Avg Rating: 6.0/10

Estimated Scores: 6%

Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Deland?

Use this page to compare every school in Deland by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.

Explore the map How we rate schools

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Elementary · Volusia. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

Elementary. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Deland for 2026 are Citrus Grove Elementary School (8.5/10), Stetson Baptist Christian School (7.8/10), and St Peter Catholic School (7.4/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 16 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds

Citrus Grove Elementary School

Rates 8.5/10 despite 62% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.6 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Deland schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Deland

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (16 of 20). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#	School	Rating	Level	Value	State %ile
1	Citrus Grove Elementary School	8.5 / 10	Elementary	+2.6	88th
2	Stetson Baptist Christian School	7.8 / 10	Elementary	—	92th
3	St Peter Catholic School	7.4 / 10	Elementary	—	83th
4	Southwestern Middle School	6.7 / 10	Middle	+0.9	58th
5	Casa Montessori	6.7 / 10	Elementary	—	61th
6	Children's House Montessori School	6.6 / 10	Elementary	—	56th
7	George W. Marks Elementary School	6.2 / 10	Elementary	+0.4	48th
8	Deland Preparatory Academy	6.2 / 10	High	—	43th
9	Blue Jay Academy West Volusia	6.0 / 10	Other	—	37th
10	Edith I. Starke Elementary School	5.9 / 10	Elementary	+0.4	42th

See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

Family Snapshot

At a glance

Avg school rating: 6.0/10
Median household income: $70,121
Median home value: $281,850
Bachelor's degree or higher: 27%
Avg commute: 26 min
Owner-occupied homes: 73%

How Deland compares

Florida rank

#186 of 280

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

-0.3

below Florida avg (6.3)

Median household income

$70k

94% of Florida median

Schools in this city

17

About Schools in Deland, Florida

Deland is a mid-sized Florida city with 10 ranked public schools and a city-wide average score of 6.4 out of 10. The range is encouraging: 4 of those 10 schools (40%) score 7.0 or above, giving parents a meaningful cluster of strong options across multiple grade levels.

Elementary school is where Deland performs brightest. Woodward Avenue Elementary leads the city at 7.6 — the highest score of any ranked school here. Citrus Grove Elementary follows at 7.4, and Blue Lake Elementary clears the 7.0 mark as well. George W. Marks Elementary sits just below at 6.9, a half-point above the city average and a strong performer in its own right. Four of Deland's top five schools are elementary campuses, which matters for families planning a long-term trajectory from the start.

The middle school picture offers one clear standout: Southwestern Middle scores 7.3, well above the 6.4 city average and on par with the leading elementaries. That continuity — high-scoring elementary feeders aligned with a top-tier middle school — is a practical advantage when mapping a K–8 pathway. The remaining schools in the city fall below the 7.0 threshold, pulling the overall average down, but Deland's floor still leaves families with real choices rather than a narrow one.

For parents comparing options, the priority is straightforward: Deland's top 40% are genuinely competitive, anchored by Woodward Avenue's 7.6. District assignment zones control access, so your first move is mapping your home address to the relevant attendance boundaries. Families with residential flexibility should weight proximity to the 7.0-and-above cluster, which spans both elementary and middle grades and represents the strongest concentration of high-rated schools in the city.

Filter by Level: All Levels (20) Elementary (13) Middle (2) High (2)

Filter by Type: All Types (20) Public (11) Private (9)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (20) Academics (10) Growth (9) Diversity (9) Resources (10)

Filter by ZIP: 32720 (12) 32724 (8)

Elementary Schools

13 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Citrus Grove Elementary School 825 students · Pre-K–5th	825	Pre-K–5th	8.5
2	George W. Marks Elementary School 787 students · Pre-K–5th	787	Pre-K–5th	6.2
3	Edith I. Starke Elementary School 282 students · Pre-K–5th	282	Pre-K–5th	5.9
4	Freedom Elementary School 748 students · Pre-K–5th	748	Pre-K–5th	5.9
5	Woodward Avenue Elementary School 469 students · Pre-K–5th	469	Pre-K–5th	4.9
6	Blue Lake Elementary School 525 students · Pre-K–5th	525	Pre-K–5th	4.3
Private Schools 7 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Stetson Baptist Christian School Private 132 students · Pre-K–8th	132	Pre-K–8th	7.8
2	St Peter Catholic School Private 198 students · Pre-K–8th	198	Pre-K–8th	7.4
3	Casa Montessori Private 85 students · Pre-K–8th	85	Pre-K–8th	6.7
4	Children's House Montessori School Private 47 students · Pre-K–6th	47	Pre-K–6th	6.6

Show all 13 elementary schools in Deland

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.

St Barnabas Episcopal School Private T.o.p Academy Private T.o.p. Academy Private

Middle Schools

2 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Southwestern Middle School 704 students · 6th–8th	704	6th–8th	6.7
2	Deland Middle School 1,063 students · 6th–8th	1,063	6th–8th	4.7

High Schools

2 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Deland High School 2,869 students · 9th–12th	2,869	9th–12th	5.1
Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Deland Preparatory Academy Private 52 students · 6th–12th	52	6th–12th	6.2

Other Schools

3 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Ese Related Services 61 students · Pre-K–Pre-K	61	Pre-K–Pre-K	3.7
2	PK Child Care Program 5 students · Pre-K–Pre-K	5	Pre-K–Pre-K	—
Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Blue Jay Academy West Volusia Private 70 students · Pre-K–12th	70	Pre-K–12th	6.0

Schools in Deland

Deland, Florida · 20 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 2 ZIP codes

Median Income

$70,121

Median Home Value

$281,850

Median Rent

$1,181/mo

Population

78,248

College Educated

27%

Homeownership

73%

Avg Commute

26 min

Poverty Rate

13.2%

Community Profile

Deland has a median household income of $70,121. It is an area where 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $281,850, with a median rent of $1,181/month. The area has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The average commute for residents is 26 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Schools by Level

State: Florida
Elementary: 13
Middle: 2
High: 2
Other: 3

Resources

🔍 Google "Deland schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Deland 📊 Niche Deland Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School District

VOLUSIA

89 schools · 62,742 students

Nearby Cities

Lake Helen (4 schools)

5 mi

Orange City (6 schools)

6 mi

De Leon Springs (2 schools)

Enterprise (2 schools)

Lake Mary (14 schools)

19 mi

Pierson (2 schools)

18 mi

Daytona Beach (34 schools)

19 mi

Port Orange (12 schools)

18 mi

Sorrento (1 school)

21 mi

Other Major Cities in Florida

Top metros statewide by school count.

Miami 497 schools Orlando 299 schools Jacksonville 296 schools Tampa 239 schools Hialeah 118 schools

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Deland, Florida

How many schools are in Deland, Florida?

Deland has 20 schools, including 11 public and 9 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Deland, Florida?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Deland is 6.0 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.

What is the top-ranked school in Deland, Florida?

The top-ranked school in Deland on MySchoolScout is Citrus Grove Elementary School with a composite score of 8.5/10.

What is the best elementary school in Deland, Florida?

The top-ranked elementary school in Deland on MySchoolScout is Citrus Grove Elementary School with a composite score of 8.5/10.

What is the best middle school in Deland, Florida?

The top-ranked middle school in Deland on MySchoolScout is Southwestern Middle School with a composite score of 6.7/10.

What is the best high school in Deland, Florida?

The top-ranked high school in Deland on MySchoolScout is Deland Preparatory Academy with a composite score of 6.2/10.

How many school districts serve Deland, Florida?

Deland is served by 1 school district: Volusia.

What is the education level in Deland, Florida?

According to Census data, 27% of adults in Deland have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Deland, Florida?

The median household income in Deland is approximately $70,121 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Deland, Florida?

Yes, Deland has 9 private schools alongside 11 public schools. The top-rated private school is Stetson Baptist Christian School with a score of 7.8/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Deland, Florida?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Deland is 12.4:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Deland, Florida?

MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.