Best Schools in Gary, Indiana
28 schools · 14 Elementary · 3 Middle · 5 High · 6 Other
Choosing a school in Gary?
Use this page to compare every school in Gary 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.
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary
Other · 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Aspire Charter Academy
Elementary · Aspire Charter Academy. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Gary Lighthouse Charter School
Other · Gary Lighthouse Charter School. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Gary for 2026 are 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary (7.3/10), Aspire Charter Academy (7.3/10), and Gary Lighthouse Charter School (6.9/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 19 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
28
22 public · 6 private
Avg Score
5.3
out of 10
Median Home
$87,871
home value · ACS
Districts
10
serving the city
Schools
28
22 public · 6 private
Avg Score
5.3
out of 10
Median Home
$87,871
home value · ACS
Districts
10
serving the city
Rates 7.3/10 despite 79% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.9 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 Gary schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +6.9 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Gary schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Gary
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 19 rated schools; 28 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary | 7.3 / 10 |
| 2 | Aspire Charter Academy | 7.3 / 10 |
| 3 | Gary Lighthouse Charter School | 6.9 / 10 |
| 4 | Bailly Middle School | 6.2 / 10 |
| 5 | Charter School of the Dunes | 6.0 / 10 |
| 6 | Lake Ridge New Tech Middle School | 5.6 / 10 |
| 7 | Banneker Elementary at Marquette | 5.5 / 10 |
| 8 | Thea Bowman Leadership Academy | 5.4 / 10 |
| 9 | Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy | 5.2 / 10 |
| 10 | Calumet New Tech High School | 5.2 / 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
- 5.3/10
- Median household income
- $37,330
- Median home value
- $87,871
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 14%
- Avg commute
- 26 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 47%
12% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Gary compares
Indiana rank
#194 of 220
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-1.1
below Indiana avg (6.4)
Median household income
$37k
52% of Indiana median
Schools in this city
25
10 districts draw attendance lines through Gary
Gary is not one school system. 10 districts cut across the city limits, and the largest still holds only 50% of the public campuses.
Gary Community School Corp is the largest slice at 11 of 22 public schools — not a majority. Choosing a Gary address is choosing a district first.
Among 19 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.0 to 7.3 — the spread is inside Gary, not a citywide average.
8 of the 22 public schools are charters (36%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- Gary Community School Corp11 public · 50%
- Lake Ridge New Tech Schools3 public · 14%
- 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary1 public · 5%
- Aspire Charter Academy1 public · 5%
- Charter School of the Dunes1 public · 5%
About Schools in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana has 21 ranked public schools with a city average of 4.8 out of 10 — well below the national midpoint. That number tells the headline, but the spread tells the real story. Only 2 schools, or 10% of the ranked total, score 7 or higher. For parents, that means the city's best options are concentrated and competitive, not broadly distributed across neighborhoods.
Charter schools hold every top position in Gary's rankings. Gary Lighthouse Charter School leads the city at 7.1 out of 10 — the highest score among all 21 ranked schools. 21st Century Charter School of Gary follows at 7.0, making these two the only schools in Gary that clear the 7-point threshold. Aspire Charter Academy reaches 6.5 at the elementary level, while Thea Bowman Leadership Academy (5.6) and Charter School of the Dunes (5.4) round out the top five. Traditional neighborhood schools don't appear in the upper tier. That pattern — charters pulling ahead of the district average — is the defining structural feature of Gary's landscape.
Gary's overall school footprint has shrunk significantly alongside the city's population decline. Twenty-one ranked schools is a small pool for a city of Gary's size, which limits geographic variety and reduces the odds that a high-performing school sits near any given address. Most of the stronger options involve application processes and enrollment caps rather than automatic attendance-zone placement. Families should start those applications early — seats at Lighthouse and 21st Century are not guaranteed.
Practically, parents targeting strong academics should pursue Gary Lighthouse Charter School and 21st Century Charter School of Gary first. Both serve grades beyond elementary, which matters for families who want continuity across school levels without transferring mid-trajectory. For younger children, Aspire Charter Academy is the strongest elementary-focused option in the ranked data. Parents with flexibility to commute into neighboring Lake County communities will find more schools operating above Gary's 4.8 average, but for those staying local, the charter sector is where the viable options concentrate.
Elementary Schools
14 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 576 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.3 | ||
| 2 | 674 students · Kindergarten–8th | 6.0 | ||
| 3 | 276 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.5 | ||
| 4 | 416 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.2 | ||
| 5 | 448 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.1 | ||
| 6 | 343 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.0 | ||
| 7 | 533 students · Kindergarten–5th | 4.7 | ||
| 8 | 486 students · Kindergarten–4th | 4.5 | ||
| 9 | 253 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten | 2.9 | ||
Private Schools5 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Ambassador Christian AcademyPrivate 184 students · Kindergarten–8th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 14 elementary schools in Gary
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
3 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 374 students · 6th–8th | 6.2 |
| 2 | 432 students · 5th–8th | 5.6 |
| 3 | 324 students · 6th–8th | 4.1 |
High Schools
5 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 612 students · 9th–12th | 5.2 |
| 2 | 998 students · 9th–12th | 4.7 |
| 3 | 128 students · 9th–12th | 4.2 |
| 4 | 149 students · 9th–12th | 3.6 |
| 5 | 1 students · 6th–12th | — |
Other Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,213 students · Kindergarten–12th | 7.3 | ||
| 2 | 1,066 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.9 | ||
| 3 | 849 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.4 | ||
| 4 | 317 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.0 | ||
| 5 | 59 students · Kindergarten–12th | 3.0 | ||
Private Schools1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 35 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in Gary
Gary, Indiana · 28 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 7 ZIP codes
Median Income
$37,330
Median Home Value
$87,871
Median Rent
$975/mo
Population
73,224
College Educated
14%
Homeownership
47%
Avg Commute
26 min
Poverty Rate
32.9%
Community Profile
Gary has a median household income of $37,330. It is a community where 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $87,871, with a median rent of $975/month. The area has a poverty rate of 32.9%, indicating some economic challenges in the community. The average commute for residents is 26 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Indiana
- Elementary
- 14
- Middle
- 3
- High
- 5
- Other
- 6
Resources
School Districts (10)
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
1 school · 849 students
Charter School of the Dunes
1 school · 674 students
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary
1 school · 1,213 students
Gary Lighthouse Charter School
1 school · 1,066 students
Aspire Charter Academy
1 school · 576 students
Gary Middle College
1 school · 149 students
Excel Center - Gary
1 school · 128 students
Steel City Academy
1 school · 317 students
Gary Community School Corp
11 schools · 4,025 students
Lake Ridge New Tech Schools
3 schools · 1,530 students
Other Major Cities in Indiana
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 Gary, Indiana
How many schools are in Gary, Indiana?
Gary has 28 schools, including 22 public and 6 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Gary, Indiana?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Gary is 5.3 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 Gary, Indiana?
The top-ranked school in Gary on MySchoolScout is 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary with a composite score of 7.3/10.
What is the best elementary school in Gary, Indiana?
The top-ranked elementary school in Gary on MySchoolScout is Aspire Charter Academy with a composite score of 7.3/10.
What is the best middle school in Gary, Indiana?
The top-ranked middle school in Gary on MySchoolScout is Bailly Middle School with a composite score of 6.2/10.
What is the best high school in Gary, Indiana?
The top-ranked high school in Gary on MySchoolScout is Calumet New Tech High School with a composite score of 5.2/10.
How many school districts serve Gary, Indiana?
Gary is served by 10 school districts: Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, Charter School of the Dunes, 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary, Gary Lighthouse Charter School, Aspire Charter Academy, Gary Middle College, Excel Center - Gary, Steel City Academy, Gary Community School Corp, Lake Ridge New Tech Schools.
What is the education level in Gary, Indiana?
According to Census data, 14% of adults in Gary have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Gary, Indiana?
The median household income in Gary is approximately $37,330 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Gary, Indiana?
Yes, Gary has 6 private schools alongside 22 public schools. The top-rated private school is Repairer of the Breach Ministries (d211) with a score of 8.0/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Gary, Indiana?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Gary is 16.8:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Gary, Indiana?
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, Indiana Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.