Best Schools in Ankeny, Iowa

Ankeny, Iowa runs 17 ranked public schools, making it a mid-sized system with enough options to give parents real choice at each grade band. The schools span elementary through middle grades among the top performers, and the distribution tells parents quickly where academic strength is concentrated — and where it plateaus.

The city average sits at 6.2 out of 10. Only one school — 6% of the ranked total — clears the 7-point threshold. That narrow slice at the top means most Ankeny schools operate in a tight performance band. The gap between a typical neighborhood school and a below-average one is modest, but the gap between the top school and everyone else is not.

Heritage Elementary is the outlier. It scores 8.1 out of 10, sitting nearly two full points above the city average and more than a full point above the next-best elementary, Prairie Trail. It is the only school in Ankeny in that upper performance tier. Below Heritage, Northview Middle School and Southview Middle School both score 6.9 — the strongest middle school options in the city. Prairie Trail Elementary (6.8) and Parkview Middle (6.7) round out the top five, each outpacing the 6.2 city average.

For parents deciding where to live, the elementary tier is where the decision matters most. Heritage Elementary's advantage over the rest of the elementary options is significant enough that its attendance zone warrants a close look before committing to a neighborhood. Middle school options are more competitive — Northview, Southview, and Parkview post scores within two tenths of each other, so geography rather than performance will drive that choice for most families. Outside the top five, schools cluster tightly around the 6.2 average, meaning most Ankeny neighborhoods will land students in schools performing near district norms. Comparison shopping makes the biggest difference at the elementary level.