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6.5 avg / 10

Best Schools in Elizabethtown, Kentucky

19 schools · 9 Elementary · 3 Middle · 4 High · 3 Other

Public: 17
Private: 2
Districts: 2
Avg Rating: 6.5/10
Estimated Scores: 7%
Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Elizabethtown?

Use this page to compare every school in Elizabethtown 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.

Elizabethtown High School

7.4/10

High · Elizabethtown Independent. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

East Hardin Middle School

7.3/10

Middle · Hardin County. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

John Hardin High School

7.3/10

High · Hardin County. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Elizabethtown for 2026 are Elizabethtown High School (7.4/10), East Hardin Middle School (7.3/10), and John Hardin High School (7.3/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 13 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

19

17 public · 2 private

Avg Score

6.5

out of 10

Median Home

$235,500

home value · ACS

Districts

2

serving the city

Best value · beats the odds
John Hardin High School

Rates 7.3/10 despite 51% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 0.7 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 Elizabethtown schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Elizabethtown

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (13 of 19). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

# School Rating
1 Elizabethtown High School 7.4 / 10
2 East Hardin Middle School 7.3 / 10
3 John Hardin High School 7.3 / 10
4 Lincoln Trail Elementary School 7.2 / 10
5 New Highland Elementary School 6.9 / 10
6 Heartland Elementary School 6.9 / 10
7 Talton K Stone Middle School 6.6 / 10
8 College View Campus 6.6 / 10
9 Helmwood Heights Elementary School 6.4 / 10
10 G C Burkhead Elementary School 6.2 / 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
6.5/10

29% of schools rated 7+

Median household income
$68,715

Census ACS, ZIPs in this city

Median home value
$235,500

Owner-occupied units

Bachelor's degree or higher
28%

Adults 25+

Avg commute
22 min

Workers age 16+

Owner-occupied homes
62%

Of occupied housing units

How Elizabethtown compares

Kentucky rank

#54 of 137

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

+0.3

above Kentucky avg (6.2)

Median household income

$69k

116% of Kentucky median

Schools in this city

14

About Schools in Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Elizabethtown, Kentucky gives parents 13 ranked public schools to evaluate, all operating within the Elizabethtown Independent and Hardin County school districts. The city's schools average 6.4 out of 10 across those rankings — a solid mid-tier baseline that masks meaningful variation from the top of the roster down to the bottom.

Four of the 13 schools, or 31%, score 7 or above, meaning nearly a third of options clear a meaningful performance threshold. Leading the pack is G C Burkhead Elementary School, rated 8.0 out of 10 — the strongest performer in the city and a clear anchor for families with young children. Morningside Elementary (7.2) and Helmwood Heights Elementary (7.1) also land above that bar, giving parents of elementary-age kids three strong options to compare. Lincoln Trail Elementary sits just below at 6.8, rounding out a competitive lower-elementary tier.

At the secondary level, Elizabethtown High School scores 7.1 — above the city average and above the 7-point threshold — which is a meaningful data point for families thinking long-term about the full K–12 path. Parents whose children will eventually feed into EHS can take some confidence that the high school performs in line with the city's better elementary schools.

The practical picture here: Elizabethtown is not a city where a single exceptional district carries everything. Performance is spread across schools, and your child's assignment zone matters. Families willing to research attendance boundaries or explore open enrollment options can meaningfully influence which school their child attends. The 13-school pool is large enough to compare but focused enough that doing the homework on your top three or four options is manageable. Prioritize visiting G C Burkhead, Morningside, and Helmwood Heights if elementary placement is the decision at hand, and cross-reference each school's specific test score trends and student population data on the full profile pages before making a final call.

Filter by ZIP: 42701 (19)

Elementary Schools

9 schools
# School Rating
1 549 students · Pre-K–5th 7.2
2 533 students · Pre-K–5th 6.9
3 558 students · Pre-K–5th 6.9
4 424 students · 1st–5th 6.4
5 832 students · Pre-K–5th 6.2
6 251 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten 5.7
7 454 students · 1st–5th 5.4
Private Schools 2 schools

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

1 317 students · Pre-K–8th 6.0
2 17 students · Pre-K–2nd

Middle Schools

3 schools
# School Rating
1 782 students · 6th–8th 7.3
2 524 students · 6th–8th 6.6
3 591 students · 6th–8th 5.2

High Schools

4 schools
# School Rating
1 799 students · 9th–12th 7.4
2 806 students · 9th–12th 7.3
3 10 students · 7th–12th
4 13 students · 6th–12th

Other Schools

3 schools
# School Rating
1 346 students · Kindergarten–12th 6.6
2 21 students · Kindergarten–12th
3 4 students · 2nd–9th

Schools in Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown, Kentucky · 19 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code

Median Income

$68,715

Median Home Value

$235,500

Median Rent

$902/mo

Population

53,240

College Educated

28%

Homeownership

62%

Avg Commute

22 min

Poverty Rate

11.8%

Community Profile

Elizabethtown has a median household income of $68,715. It is an area where 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $235,500, with a median rent of $902/month. The area has a poverty rate of 11.8%. The average commute for residents is 22 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Elizabethtown, Kentucky

How many schools are in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

Elizabethtown has 19 schools, including 17 public and 2 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Elizabethtown is 6.5 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 Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The top-ranked school in Elizabethtown on MySchoolScout is Elizabethtown High School with a composite score of 7.4/10.

What is the best elementary school in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The top-ranked elementary school in Elizabethtown on MySchoolScout is Lincoln Trail Elementary School with a composite score of 7.2/10.

What is the best middle school in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The top-ranked middle school in Elizabethtown on MySchoolScout is East Hardin Middle School with a composite score of 7.3/10.

What is the best high school in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The top-ranked high school in Elizabethtown on MySchoolScout is Elizabethtown High School with a composite score of 7.4/10.

How many school districts serve Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

Elizabethtown is served by 2 school districts: Elizabethtown Independent, Hardin County.

What is the education level in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

According to Census data, 28% of adults in Elizabethtown have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The median household income in Elizabethtown is approximately $68,715 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

Yes, Elizabethtown has 2 private schools alongside 17 public schools. The top-rated private school is St James Catholic School with a score of 6.0/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Elizabethtown is 12.9:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Elizabethtown, Kentucky?

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, Kentucky Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.