Best Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
63 schools · 41 Elementary · 4 Middle · 7 High · 11 Other
Choosing a school in Fort Lauderdale?
Use this page to compare every school in Fort Lauderdale by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Floranada Elementary School
Elementary · Broward. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Harbordale Elementary School
Elementary · Broward. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Bayview Elementary School
Elementary · Broward. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Fort Lauderdale for 2026 are Floranada Elementary School (9.2/10), Harbordale Elementary School (8.4/10), and Bayview Elementary School (8.4/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 50 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.
Schools
63
31 public · 32 private
Avg Score
6.0
out of 10
Median Home
$475,636
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Schools
63
31 public · 32 private
Avg Score
6.0
out of 10
Median Home
$475,636
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Rates 9.2/10 despite 39% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.4 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 Fort Lauderdale schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Fort Lauderdale
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (50 of 63). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floranada Elementary School | 9.2 / 10 |
| 2 | Harbordale Elementary School | 8.4 / 10 |
| 3 | Bayview Elementary School | 8.4 / 10 |
| 4 | Westwood Heights Elementary School | 8.1 / 10 |
| 5 | St Jerome Catholic School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 6 | New Hope Christian School | 7.7 / 10 |
| 7 | North Side Elementary School | 7.6 / 10 |
| 8 | Sunland Park Academy | 7.5 / 10 |
| 9 | Brauser Maimonides Academy | 7.4 / 10 |
| 10 | New Life Charter Academy | 7.3 / 10 |
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
- $80,025
- Median home value
- $475,636
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 39%
- Avg commute
- 27 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 57%
25% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Fort Lauderdale compares
Florida rank
#192 of 280
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.3
below Florida avg (6.3)
Median household income
$80k
107% of Florida median
Schools in this city
55
Education Snapshot
Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale's 63 schools span 2 districts, with enrollment of roughly 28,111 students distributed across a level mix that skews heavily toward elementary — 41 of the city's campuses serve that grade band, compared to just 7 high schools and 4 middle schools. Composite ratings average 5.9/10 across 55 scored schools, trailing the Florida state average of 6.3/10 by nearly half a point. That gap is notable given the city's relative economic standing: a median household income of $76,279 sits 1% above the Florida state median of $75,487, suggesting the rating shortfall isn't primarily income-driven. Charter options are limited at 3 schools, so most families choose within the traditional district structure. Adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher stand at 33%, which shapes the educational attainment context for incoming students. Parents should compare individual school ratings carefully — the below-state-average composite masks significant variation within the city's 55 scored campuses.
About Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale's public school system spans 30 ranked schools with an average score of 6.1 out of 10 — a middle-of-the-road baseline that masks real variation across the city. One in three schools clears the 7-out-of-10 mark, meaning parents who research specific addresses rather than relying on city-wide averages have meaningful options to work with.
The elementary level is where Fort Lauderdale shows its strongest performance. Floranada Elementary leads the city with an 8.8 out of 10, the highest score among all 30 ranked schools. Bayview Elementary and Virginia Shuman Young Elementary each score 8.0, and Bennett Elementary (7.7) and North Side Elementary (7.5) round out a competitive top tier. Five of the city's ten highest-rated schools are elementaries, which matters for families with young children or those planning ahead — a strong elementary pipeline is a practical advantage even before middle and high school choices come into play.
The 6.1 city average tells parents to do their homework by neighborhood. The spread between the top score (8.8 at Floranada) and the city mean suggests that school quality is genuinely uneven across Fort Lauderdale's ZIP codes. Families in the northern and coastal corridors tend to have better access to the higher-performing campuses, while schools closer to the urban core show more variability. With 33% of schools scoring 7 or above, approximately 10 schools offer above-average performance — concentrated enough that where you live or which school you apply to matters considerably.
For parents comparing Fort Lauderdale to other Broward County cities, the 6.1 average is a useful benchmark but not the full picture. The 8.8 ceiling at Floranada is competitive by any regional standard. The practical takeaway: prioritize checking the score of the specific school assigned to your address, identify whether any of the ten 7-plus-rated schools are within your transfer or magnet window, and weight elementary options heavily if you have school-age children in the K-5 range.
Elementary Schools
41 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 739 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.2 |
| 2 | 505 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.4 |
| 3 | 575 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.4 |
| 4 | 510 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.1 |
| 5 | 288 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.6 |
| 6 | 442 students · Pre-K–3rd | 7.5 |
| 7 | 111 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.3 |
| 8 | 325 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.2 |
| 9 | 413 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.1 |
| 10 | 692 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.9 |
Show all 41 elementary schools in Fort Lauderdale
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
4 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,238 students · 6th–8th | 6.0 | ||
| 2 | 1,589 students · 6th–8th | 4.8 | ||
| 3 | 681 students · 6th–8th | 3.2 | ||
| 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 | Leadership Preparatory Academy
Private
25 students · 6th–7th | — | ||
High Schools
7 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,182 students · 9th–12th | 6.5 | ||
| 2 | 515 students · 6th–12th | 5.8 | ||
| 3 | 76 students · 6th–12th | 5.7 | ||
| 4 | 1,328 students · 9th–12th | 3.9 | ||
| 5 | 2,199 students · 6th–12th | 3.6 | ||
| Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Cardinal Gibbons High School
Private
1,036 students · 9th–12th | 5.4 | ||
| 2 | St Thomas Aquinas High School
Private
2,045 students · 9th–12th | 4.2 | ||
Other Schools
11 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 147 students · Pre-K–12th | 6.2 | ||
| 2 | 120 students · Pre-K–12th | 6.1 | ||
| 3 | 43 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.5 | ||
| 4 | 1,270 students · Kindergarten–12th | — | ||
| 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 | Westminster Academy
Private
849 students · Pre-K–12th | 6.1 | ||
| 2 | Holy Temple Christian Academy
Private
169 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.6 | ||
| 3 | 83 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.5 | ||
| 4 | Refine Learning Center Ii, Inc.
Private
70 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.4 | ||
| 5 | 181 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.4 | ||
| 6 | The International Family Academy
Private
68 students · Kindergarten–12th | 3.7 | ||
Show all 11 other schools in Fort Lauderdale
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Schools in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida · 63 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 14 ZIP codes
Median Income
$80,025
Median Home Value
$475,636
Median Rent
$1,806/mo
Population
421,040
College Educated
39%
Homeownership
57%
Avg Commute
27 min
Poverty Rate
13.0%
Community Profile
Fort Lauderdale has a median household income of $80,025. It is an area where 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $475,636, with a median rent of $1,806/month. The area has a poverty rate of 13.0%. The average commute for residents is 27 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Florida
- Elementary
- 41
- Middle
- 4
- High
- 7
- Other
- 11
Resources
School Districts (2)
Nearby Cities
Other Major Cities in Florida
Top metros statewide by school count.
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 rateFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
How many schools are in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
Fort Lauderdale has 63 schools, including 31 public and 32 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The top-ranked school in Fort Lauderdale on MySchoolScout is Floranada Elementary School with a composite score of 9.2/10.
What is the best elementary school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The top-ranked elementary school in Fort Lauderdale on MySchoolScout is Floranada Elementary School with a composite score of 9.2/10.
What is the best middle school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The top-ranked middle school in Fort Lauderdale on MySchoolScout is Sunrise Middle School with a composite score of 6.0/10.
What is the best high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The top-ranked high school in Fort Lauderdale on MySchoolScout is Fort Lauderdale High School with a composite score of 6.5/10.
How many school districts serve Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
Fort Lauderdale is served by 2 school districts: Broward, Manatee.
What is the education level in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
According to Census data, 39% of adults in Fort Lauderdale have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The median household income in Fort Lauderdale is approximately $80,025 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
Yes, Fort Lauderdale has 32 private schools alongside 31 public schools. The top-rated private school is St Jerome Catholic School with a score of 7.8/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Fort Lauderdale is 14.0:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Fort Lauderdale, 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.
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Florida Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.