Best Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska
88 schools · 57 Elementary · 12 Middle · 10 High · 9 Other
Choosing a school in Lincoln?
Use this page to compare every school in Lincoln 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.
Brownell Elementary School
Elementary · Lincoln Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Riley Elementary School
Elementary · Lincoln Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Randolph Elementary School
Elementary · Lincoln Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Lincoln for 2026 are Brownell Elementary School (8.3/10), Riley Elementary School (7.9/10), and Randolph Elementary School (7.8/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 58 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
88
66 public · 22 private
Avg Score
5.7
out of 10
Median Home
$251,375
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Schools
88
66 public · 22 private
Avg Score
5.7
out of 10
Median Home
$251,375
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Rates 8.3/10 despite 70% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.5 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 Lincoln schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Lincoln
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 58 rated schools; 88 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownell Elementary School | 8.3 / 10 |
| 2 | Riley Elementary School | 7.9 / 10 |
| 3 | Randolph Elementary School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 4 | Robinson Elementary School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 5 | Pershing Elementary School | 7.7 / 10 |
| 6 | Adams Elementary School | 7.7 / 10 |
| 7 | Kahoa Elementary School | 7.6 / 10 |
| 8 | Cavett Elementary School | 7.4 / 10 |
| 9 | Moore Middle School | 7.3 / 10 |
| 10 | Campbell Elementary School | 7.2 / 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
- 5.7/10
- Median household income
- $76,666
- Median home value
- $251,375
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 40%
- Avg commute
- 19 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 58%
20% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Lincoln compares
Nebraska rank
#80 of 100
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.5
below Nebraska avg (6.3)
Median household income
$77k
103% of Nebraska median
Schools in this city
79
Education Snapshot
Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln's 86 schools across 2 districts serve approximately 46,230 students, placing it among Nebraska's larger city school systems. On MySchoolScout, 77 scored schools average a composite 5.8/10 — below the Nebraska state average of 6.2/10, a 0.4-point gap that signals room to close on statewide benchmarks. The level mix skews younger: 56 elementary schools compared with 12 middle and 10 high schools. Median household income lands at $74,506, about 3% below the Nebraska state median of $77,002 — a modest difference that keeps Lincoln near but not at the state's economic center. Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher make up 42% of the population, a relatively well-credentialed base that often correlates with stronger local school-board engagement. With just 2 districts dividing 86 schools, governance is concentrated — policy changes ripple quickly across the city's full enrollment.
Lincoln Public Schools runs Lincoln's public schools
66 public schools. Lincoln Public Schools is the dominant district on the page.
Every assigned public school in Lincoln is a Lincoln Public Schools school (65 of 66).
Among 58 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 2.6 to 8.3 — the spread is inside Lincoln, not a citywide average.
- Lincoln Public Schools65 public · 98%
- University of Nebraska High School1 public · 2%
About Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln's public school system spans 61 ranked schools across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The city-wide average sits at 5.9 out of 10 — a useful benchmark when sizing up individual campuses. Twenty-one percent of schools, 13 in total, clear the 7.0 mark, which means strong performers exist but aren't evenly distributed. Parents who map school boundaries early will have a clearer picture of what's actually accessible from a given address.
The top of the list belongs to Maxey Elementary School, which scores 8.1 — the highest rating among all 61 ranked Lincoln schools. Beattie Elementary (7.9) and Moore Middle School (7.9) follow within a tight band, with Sheridan Elementary (7.7) and Southwest High School (7.6) completing the top five. The concentration of strong performers at the elementary level is noteworthy. Three of the top five schools are elementary campuses, and Moore Middle extends that momentum into the middle grades — a valuable pipeline for families planning across multiple school transitions.
Lincoln's high school picture is narrower. Southwest High School leads at 7.6, the only high school in the top five. Families tracking performance across the full K–12 arc will want to research high school options carefully, since the ceiling there sits closer to the city average than the elementary tier does.
The practical takeaway: Lincoln offers real choice, but that choice is front-loaded toward the early grades. Use the 7.0 threshold as your first filter — 13 schools clear it, and those are where the strongest academic performance concentrates. From there, confirm enrollment boundaries, check commute distances, and look at grade-level continuity. With a city average of 5.9, the difference between attending a top-quintile school and a neighborhood default can be significant. That gap is worth investigating before a family commits to an address.
Elementary Schools
57 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 335 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.3 |
| 2 | 276 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.9 |
| 3 | 450 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.8 |
| 4 | 348 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.8 |
| 5 | 436 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.7 |
| 6 | 757 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.7 |
| 7 | 436 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.6 |
| 8 | 561 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.4 |
| 9 | 649 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.2 |
| 10 | 558 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.2 |
Show all 57 elementary schools in Lincoln
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 | 759 students · 6th–8th | 7.3 |
| 2 | 1,103 students · 6th–8th | 7.2 |
| 3 | 808 students · 6th–8th | 6.9 |
| 4 | 828 students · 6th–8th | 6.9 |
| 5 | 719 students · 6th–8th | 6.8 |
| 6 | 396 students · 6th–8th | 6.7 |
| 7 | 784 students · 6th–8th | 6.7 |
| 8 | 702 students · 6th–8th | 6.4 |
| 9 | 852 students · 6th–8th | 5.9 |
| 10 | 926 students · 6th–8th | 5.5 |
Show all 12 middle schools in Lincoln
High Schools
10 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,078 students · 9th–12th | 6.6 | ||
| 2 | 2,049 students · 9th–12th | 6.3 | ||
| 3 | 204 students · 9th–12th | 6.0 | ||
| 4 | 1,880 students · 9th–12th | 6.0 | ||
| 5 | 2,118 students · 9th–12th | 5.5 | ||
| 6 | 1,914 students · 9th–12th | 5.2 | ||
| 7 | 1,769 students · 9th–12th | 4.3 | ||
| 8 | 902 students · 9th–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 | 321 students · 6th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Pius X High SchoolPrivate 1,068 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 510 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 4.9 | ||
| 2 | 136 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 4.8 | ||
| 3 | 7 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | — | ||
| 4 | 2 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | — | ||
| 5 | 8 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | — | ||
| 6 | 26 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | — | ||
Private Schools3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 221 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | College View AcademyPrivate 233 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | Berniklau Education SolutionPrivate 15 students · 2nd–12th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska · 88 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 17 ZIP codes
Median Income
$76,666
Median Home Value
$251,375
Median Rent
$1,059/mo
Population
294,927
College Educated
40%
Homeownership
58%
Avg Commute
19 min
Poverty Rate
13.1%
Community Profile
Lincoln has a median household income of $76,666. It is a well-educated community where 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $251,375, with a median rent of $1,059/month. The area has a poverty rate of 13.1%. Residents enjoy a short average commute of 19 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Nebraska
- Elementary
- 57
- Middle
- 12
- High
- 10
- Other
- 9
Resources
Other Major Cities in Nebraska
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 Lincoln, Nebraska
How many schools are in Lincoln, Nebraska?
Lincoln has 88 schools, including 66 public and 22 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Lincoln is 5.7 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 Lincoln, Nebraska?
The top-ranked school in Lincoln on MySchoolScout is Brownell Elementary School with a composite score of 8.3/10.
What is the best elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The top-ranked elementary school in Lincoln on MySchoolScout is Brownell Elementary School with a composite score of 8.3/10.
What is the best middle school in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The top-ranked middle school in Lincoln on MySchoolScout is Moore Middle School with a composite score of 7.3/10.
What is the best high school in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The top-ranked high school in Lincoln on MySchoolScout is Lincoln East High School with a composite score of 6.6/10.
How many school districts serve Lincoln, Nebraska?
Lincoln is served by 2 school districts: University of Nebraska High School, Lincoln Public Schools.
What is the education level in Lincoln, Nebraska?
According to Census data, 40% of adults in Lincoln have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The median household income in Lincoln is approximately $76,666 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Lincoln, Nebraska?
Yes, Lincoln has 22 private schools alongside 66 public schools. The top-rated private school is Parkview Christian Elementary with a score of 8.9/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Lincoln is 13.4:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Lincoln, Nebraska?
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, Nebraska Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.