Best Schools in Laurel, Mississippi

Laurel, Mississippi has 11 ranked public schools, drawing from both the Laurel School District and Jones County School District. The schools average 5.4 out of 10 across the city, and only 1 school — 9% of the total — clears the 7-of-10 threshold. That concentration near the middle tier is the defining feature of this landscape, with a single outlier at the top pulling sharply away from the rest.

That outlier is Laurel Magnet School of the Arts, an elementary school scoring 9.4 out of 10. It is the top-ranked school in the city and sits nearly three points above the next school on the list — an unusually large gap for a single-school standout. East Jones Elementary follows at 6.8, then scores compress quickly: West Jones Elementary posts a 5.9, Oak Park Elementary a 5.7, and Northeast Jones High School a 5.6. All four land within a narrow range just around the city average.

For families with elementary-age children, the Magnet School of the Arts is the first school to investigate. Its score is exceptional in this market, but access likely depends on application or eligibility requirements — confirm the admissions process and enrollment window before assuming availability. If the magnet is not an option, East Jones Elementary is the strongest conventional alternative, sitting meaningfully above the city average and the high school tier. Northeast Jones High School, the only ranked high school in the data, comes in at 5.6 — on par with the city mean. Parents evaluating secondary options should look beyond the summary score to graduation rates, course offerings, and college-placement data to get a complete picture.

With just one school exceeding a 7-of-10 rating, Laurel's public school options are limited at the top. Parents who make the magnet school a priority should research district boundaries and choice enrollment deadlines early — that single school represents most of the city's high-performance capacity.