Best Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
22 schools · 13 Elementary · 3 Middle · 3 High · 3 Other
Choosing a school in Hattiesburg?
Use this page to compare every school in Hattiesburg 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.
Rowan Elementary School
Elementary · Hattiesburg Public School Dist. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
North Forrest High School
High · Forrest County School District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Woodley Elementary School
Elementary · Hattiesburg Public School Dist. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Hattiesburg for 2026 are Rowan Elementary School (8.5/10), North Forrest High School (8.3/10), and Woodley Elementary School (8.2/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 18 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
22
18 public · 4 private
Avg Score
6.6
out of 10
Median Home
$187,750
home value · ACS
Districts
3
serving the city
Schools
22
18 public · 4 private
Avg Score
6.6
out of 10
Median Home
$187,750
home value · ACS
Districts
3
serving the city
Rates 8.5/10 despite 100% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.7 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 Hattiesburg schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +24.2 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Hattiesburg schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Hattiesburg
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 18 rated schools; 22 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowan Elementary School | 8.5 / 10 |
| 2 | North Forrest High School | 8.3 / 10 |
| 3 | Woodley Elementary School | 8.2 / 10 |
| 4 | Hattiesburg High School | 8.1 / 10 |
| 5 | Grace Christian Elementary School | 7.5 / 10 |
| 6 | N R Burger Middle School | 7.3 / 10 |
| 7 | Oak Grove Middle School | 7.3 / 10 |
| 8 | Oak Grove Elementary | 7.2 / 10 |
| 9 | North Forrest Attendance Center | 7.0 / 10 |
| 10 | Bellevue Elementary School | 7.0 / 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
- 6.6/10
- Median household income
- $55,771
- Median home value
- $187,750
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 37%
- Avg commute
- 22 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 51%
48% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Hattiesburg compares
Mississippi rank
#48 of 124
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.3
above Mississippi avg (6.3)
Median household income
$56k
107% of Mississippi median
Schools in this city
21
Hattiesburg's public schools split across 3 districts
No single ISD owns Hattiesburg. The public campuses divide among 3 districts.
The largest shares: Hattiesburg Public School Dist (8), Forrest County School District (5), Lamar County School District (5).
Among 18 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 5.1 to 8.5 — the spread is inside Hattiesburg, not a citywide average.
- Hattiesburg Public School Dist8 public · 44%
- Forrest County School District5 public · 28%
- Lamar County School District5 public · 28%
About Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi offers a public school landscape that outperforms expectations for a mid-sized Southern city. Across 18 ranked public schools, the city averages 7.5 out of 10 — a solid floor that reflects broadly consistent performance rather than a few outliers carrying the numbers. Thirteen of those 18 schools, or 72%, score 7.0 or higher, meaning most families can find a strong option without having to compete for a handful of elite seats.
Elementary education is where Hattiesburg shines most clearly. Rowan Elementary leads the city at 9.0 out of 10, the top score among all ranked public schools. Dixie Attendance Center (8.7), Woodley Elementary (8.6), North Forrest Attendance Center (8.5), and Grace Christian Elementary (8.4) round out a cluster of high-performing elementary programs. That five-school concentration at the top signals real depth at the foundational grades — parents with young children have multiple strong options within reach.
The 72% rate of schools scoring 7.0 or above is the number worth anchoring on. In many comparable cities, strong performance concentrates in one or two schools while the rest of the district lags. Hattiesburg's spread suggests the opposite: a reasonably high baseline citywide, with elite options at the top rather than just average ones. The gap between the city's mean (7.5) and its best school (9.0) is narrow enough that families outside Rowan's attendance zone are not starting from a significant disadvantage.
Practical guidance for parents: prioritize confirming attendance boundaries early, since several of the top-scoring schools are elementary-level and zoning determines access more than choice-enrollment in most Mississippi districts. Families with older students should look beyond this top-five list and evaluate individual middle and high school scores, which tend to show more variance across the city. The strong elementary cluster makes Hattiesburg a reasonable target for families with children in the younger grades who want a high-performing public option without navigating a fragmented or unpredictable district.
Elementary Schools
13 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 388 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.5 |
| 2 | 461 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.2 |
| 3 | 345 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.5 |
| 4 | 747 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.2 |
| 5 | 214 students · Kindergarten–6th | 7.0 |
| 6 | 1,179 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.0 |
| 7 | 751 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.9 |
| 8 | 507 students · Pre-K–8th | 5.8 |
| 9 | 215 students · Pre-K–6th | 5.8 |
| 10 | 258 students · Pre-K–8th | 5.6 |
Show all 13 elementary schools in Hattiesburg
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 | 533 students · 7th–8th | 7.3 |
| 2 | 1,286 students · 6th–8th | 7.3 |
| 3 | 205 students · 6th–6th | 5.2 |
High Schools
3 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 347 students · 7th–12th | 8.3 |
| 2 | 988 students · 9th–12th | 8.1 |
| 3 | 1,772 students · 9th–12th | 6.3 |
Other Schools
3 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolPrivate 554 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 2 | 910 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 3 | 880 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
Schools in Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi · 22 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 2 ZIP codes
Median Income
$55,771
Median Home Value
$187,750
Median Rent
$1,058/mo
Population
85,672
College Educated
37%
Homeownership
51%
Avg Commute
22 min
Poverty Rate
23.6%
Community Profile
Hattiesburg has a median household income of $55,771. It is an area where 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $187,750, with a median rent of $1,058/month. The area has a poverty rate of 23.6%, indicating some economic challenges in the community. The average commute for residents is 22 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Mississippi
- Elementary
- 13
- Middle
- 3
- High
- 3
- Other
- 3
Resources
Other Major Cities in Mississippi
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 Hattiesburg, Mississippi
How many schools are in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
Hattiesburg has 22 schools, including 18 public and 4 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Hattiesburg is 6.6 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 Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The top-ranked school in Hattiesburg on MySchoolScout is Rowan Elementary School with a composite score of 8.5/10.
What is the best elementary school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The top-ranked elementary school in Hattiesburg on MySchoolScout is Rowan Elementary School with a composite score of 8.5/10.
What is the best middle school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The top-ranked middle school in Hattiesburg on MySchoolScout is N R Burger Middle School with a composite score of 7.3/10.
What is the best high school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The top-ranked high school in Hattiesburg on MySchoolScout is North Forrest High School with a composite score of 8.3/10.
How many school districts serve Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
Hattiesburg is served by 3 school districts: Forrest County School District, Hattiesburg Public School Dist, Lamar County School District.
What is the education level in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
According to Census data, 37% of adults in Hattiesburg have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The median household income in Hattiesburg is approximately $55,771 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
Yes, Hattiesburg has 4 private schools alongside 18 public schools. The top-rated private school is Sacred Heart Catholic School with a score of 6.4/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Hattiesburg is 11.6:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?
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, Mississippi Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.