Best Schools in Boise, Idaho
101 schools · 65 Elementary · 12 Middle · 18 High · 6 Other
Choosing a school in Boise?
Use this page to compare every school in Boise 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.
Collister Elementary School
Elementary · Boise Independent District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Highlands Elementary School
Elementary · Boise Independent District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Frontier Elementary School
Elementary · Joint School District No. 2. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Boise for 2026 are Collister Elementary School (9.2/10), Highlands Elementary School (9.1/10), and Frontier Elementary School (9.1/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 70 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
101
77 public · 24 private
Avg Score
6.9
out of 10
Median Home
$506,850
home value · ACS
Districts
12
serving the city
Schools
101
77 public · 24 private
Avg Score
6.9
out of 10
Median Home
$506,850
home value · ACS
Districts
12
serving the city
Rates 9.1/10 despite 61% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.8 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 Boise schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Boise
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 70 rated schools; 101 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Collister Elementary School | 9.2 / 10 |
| 2 | Highlands Elementary School | 9.1 / 10 |
| 3 | Frontier Elementary School | 9.1 / 10 |
| 4 | Roosevelt Elementary School | 8.9 / 10 |
| 5 | Cecil D Andrus Elementary | 8.9 / 10 |
| 6 | Pioneer School of the Arts | 8.8 / 10 |
| 7 | Longfellow Elementary School | 8.7 / 10 |
| 8 | Washington Elementary School | 8.7 / 10 |
| 9 | Adams Elementary School | 8.6 / 10 |
| 10 | Lowell Elementary School | 8.6 / 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
- 6.9/10
- Median household income
- $86,453
- Median home value
- $506,850
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 49%
- Avg commute
- 20 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 65%
54% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Boise compares
Idaho rank
#18 of 73
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.6
above Idaho avg (6.3)
Median household income
$86k
122% of Idaho median
Schools in this city
87
Education Snapshot
Boise, IdahoBoise operates 101 schools across 12 districts, enrolling roughly 39,211 students in a portfolio heavy on early grades — 66 elementary schools, 16 high schools, and 12 middle schools. The city's 88 scored schools average a 6.8/10 composite on MySchoolScout, half a point above Idaho's state average of 6.3/10, marking Boise as one of Idaho's higher-rated urban school markets. Nine charter schools expand options beyond traditional district assignment. The economic context reinforces the picture: a median household income of $85,220 runs 11% above the Idaho state median of $76,894, and 47% of Boise adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That combination of above-average school ratings, elevated household income, and high adult educational attainment places Boise's overall education profile consistently ahead of Idaho state norms — a useful baseline as families weigh individual schools across the city's 12 serving districts.
Boise Independent District runs 64% of Boise's public schools
Boise touches 12 districts, but Boise Independent District is the one most addresses actually attend.
Boise Independent District accounts for 49 of 77 public schools (64%). The other 11 districts hold the remaining 28.
Among 70 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.8 to 9.2 — the spread is inside Boise, not a citywide average.
9 of the 77 public schools are charters (12%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- Boise Independent District49 public · 64%
- Joint School District No. 216 public · 21%
- Inspire Academics Inc.2 public · 3%
- Isucceed Virtual High School Inc.2 public · 3%
- Cardinal Academy Incorporated1 public · 1%
About Schools in Boise, Idaho
Boise's public school system spans 73 ranked schools, giving parents a meaningful pool to evaluate. The city average sits at 6.7 out of 10 — but that number undersells the top of the market. Nearly half of all ranked schools, 34 out of 73 or 47%, score 7 or higher. That share above the 7-point line gives Boise a depth of competitive options that the citywide average alone doesn't convey.
The strongest schools are concentrated at the elementary level. Washington Elementary and Liberty Elementary both score 9.1 out of 10 — the highest ratings in the city. Adams Elementary, White Pine Elementary, and Eliza Hart Spalding STEM Academy each reach 8.8. All five top-ranked schools are elementary schools, so families with younger children have the richest set of choices to compare. Eliza Hart Spalding adds a STEM-focused curriculum track to that tier, offering a differentiated path starting at the elementary level.
Performance is less consistent as grade levels rise. The 6.7 average reflects a substantial middle tier — schools that are solid without breaking into the upper quarter of performers. Parents researching middle or high schools should compare school-level scores directly rather than relying on district-wide reputation. The spread between the city's highest-rated schools at 9.1 and the average school is significant, and which attendance zone a family lands in can make a material difference in outcomes.
Practical takeaway: research boundaries before you commit to a neighborhood. The 9.1-rated Washington and Liberty schools are the benchmarks — measure every other school against them. For families drawn to a STEM-focused curriculum, Eliza Hart Spalding is the dedicated option at the 8.8 tier. With 47% of Boise's ranked schools scoring 7 or above, the city's academic floor is real — but the strongest schools are concentrated in specific attendance zones, and mapping those zones early is worth the effort.
Elementary Schools
65 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 257 students · Pre-K–6th | 9.2 |
| 2 | 280 students · Pre-K–6th | 9.1 |
| 3 | 271 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.1 |
| 4 | 289 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.9 |
| 5 | 407 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.9 |
| 6 | 644 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.8 |
| 7 | 247 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.7 |
| 8 | 267 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.7 |
| 9 | 240 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.6 |
| 10 | 308 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.6 |
Show all 65 elementary schools in Boise
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
12 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 924 students · 7th–9th | 8.1 |
| 2 | 594 students · 7th–9th | 8.0 |
| 3 | 794 students · 6th–8th | 7.7 |
| 4 | 34 students · 7th–8th | 7.7 |
| 5 | 668 students · 6th–9th | 7.5 |
| 6 | 595 students · 7th–9th | 7.0 |
| 7 | 1,015 students · 6th–8th | 6.9 |
| 8 | 746 students · 7th–9th | 6.6 |
| 9 | 520 students · 7th–9th | 6.1 |
| 10 | 560 students · 7th–9th | 5.8 |
Show all 12 middle schools in Boise
High Schools
18 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,517 students · 9th–12th | 8.3 |
| 2 | 1,391 students · 10th–12th | 8.0 |
| 3 | 1,295 students · 9th–12th | 7.3 |
| 4 | 1,162 students · 9th–12th | 7.0 |
| 5 | 1,770 students · 9th–12th | 6.9 |
| 6 | 46 students · 9th–12th | 6.6 |
| 7 | 171 students · 6th–12th | 6.2 |
| 8 | 591 students · 9th–12th | 5.6 |
| 9 | 151 students · 6th–12th | 4.7 |
| 10 | 386 students · 7th–12th | 4.7 |
Show all 18 high schools in Boise
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Other Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 7.5 | ||
| 2 | 1,022 students · Kindergarten–12th | 7.2 | ||
| 3 | 1,150 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.1 | ||
| 4 | 6 students · 4th–12th | — | ||
Private Schools2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 349 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Petra Christian AcademyPrivate 39 students · 1st–10th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in Boise
Boise, Idaho · 101 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 10 ZIP codes
Median Income
$86,453
Median Home Value
$506,850
Median Rent
$1,458/mo
Population
292,693
College Educated
49%
Homeownership
65%
Avg Commute
20 min
Poverty Rate
9.8%
Community Profile
Boise has a median household income of $86,453. It is a well-educated community where 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $506,850, with a median rent of $1,458/month. The local poverty rate of 9.8% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 20 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Idaho
- Elementary
- 65
- Middle
- 12
- High
- 18
- Other
- 6
Resources
School Districts (12)
INSPIRE ACADEMICS INC.
2 schools · 1,301 students
ISUCCEED VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL INC.
2 schools · 1,224 students
IDAHO VIRTUAL EDUCATION PARTNERS INC.
2 schools · 317 students
THE SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOISE A PUBLIC CHARTER SCH
1 school · 1,022 students
PEACE VALLEY CHARTER SCHOOL INC.
1 school · 259 students
CARDINAL ACADEMY INCORPORATED
1 school · 46 students
BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT
52 schools · 22,425 students
ROLLING HILLS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL INC.
1 school · 231 students
JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2
61 schools · 38,991 students
MINIDOKA COUNTY JOINT DISTRICT
11 schools · 4,394 students
MOUNTAIN HOME DISTRICT
9 schools · 3,683 students
SUGAR-SALEM JOINT DISTRICT
6 schools · 2,199 students
Other Major Cities in Idaho
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 Boise, Idaho
How many schools are in Boise, Idaho?
Boise has 101 schools, including 77 public and 24 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Boise, Idaho?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Boise is 6.9 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 Boise, Idaho?
The top-ranked school in Boise on MySchoolScout is Collister Elementary School with a composite score of 9.2/10.
What is the best elementary school in Boise, Idaho?
The top-ranked elementary school in Boise on MySchoolScout is Collister Elementary School with a composite score of 9.2/10.
What is the best middle school in Boise, Idaho?
The top-ranked middle school in Boise on MySchoolScout is North Junior High School with a composite score of 8.1/10.
What is the best high school in Boise, Idaho?
The top-ranked high school in Boise on MySchoolScout is Boise Senior High School with a composite score of 8.3/10.
How many school districts serve Boise, Idaho?
Boise is served by 12 school districts: Inspire Academics Inc., Isucceed Virtual High School Inc., Idaho Virtual Education Partners Inc., The Sage International School of Boise a Public Charter Sch, Peace Valley Charter School Inc., Cardinal Academy Incorporated, Boise Independent District, Rolling Hills Public Charter School Inc., Joint School District No. 2, Minidoka County Joint District, Mountain Home District, Sugar-Salem Joint District.
What is the education level in Boise, Idaho?
According to Census data, 49% of adults in Boise have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Boise, Idaho?
The median household income in Boise is approximately $86,453 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Boise, Idaho?
Yes, Boise has 24 private schools alongside 77 public schools. The top-rated private school is St Marys School with a score of 9.1/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Boise, Idaho?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Boise is 14.8:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Boise, Idaho?
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, Idaho Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.