6.4 avg / 10

Best Schools in Papillion, Nebraska

19 schools · 11 Elementary · 2 Middle · 2 High · 4 Other

Last updated: July 2026

Public: 17

Private: 2

Districts: 2

Avg Rating: 6.4/10

Estimated Scores: 6%

Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Papillion?

Use this page to compare every school in Papillion by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.

Explore the map How we rate schools

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Elementary · Papillion La Vista Community Schools. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

Other. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Papillion for 2026 are Walnut Creek Elementary (8.2/10), Ashbury Elementary School (7.9/10), and Sword of the Spirit Elementary-high School (7.6/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 16 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.

Best value · beats the odds

Walnut Creek Elementary

Rates 8.2/10 despite 19% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.4 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 Papillion schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Papillion

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (16 of 19). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#	School	Rating	Level	Value	State %ile
1	Walnut Creek Elementary	8.2 / 10	Elementary	+1.4	85th
2	Ashbury Elementary School	7.9 / 10	Elementary	+0.6	79th
3	Sword of the Spirit Elementary-high School	7.6 / 10	Other	—	85th
4	Bell Elementary	7.5 / 10	Elementary	+0.5	71th
5	Tara Heights Elementary School	7.2 / 10	Elementary	+1.0	65th
6	Prairie Queen Elementary	7.1 / 10	Elementary	-0.1	64th
7	Liberty Middle School	6.7 / 10	Middle	0.0	55th
8	Papillion La Vista South HS	6.5 / 10	High	-0.2	52th
9	Patriot Elementary	6.4 / 10	Elementary	-0.4	50th
10	Papillion La Vista Senior High	6.3 / 10	High	+0.0	49th

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: 6.4/10
Median household income: $103,020
Median home value: $294,400
Bachelor's degree or higher: 44%
Avg commute: 21 min
Owner-occupied homes: 86%

How Papillion compares

Nebraska rank

#50 of 98

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

+0.2

above Nebraska avg (6.2)

Median household income

$103k

139% of Nebraska median

Schools in this city

17

About Schools in Papillion, Nebraska

Papillion, Nebraska offers parents a notably consistent public school landscape. The city has 15 ranked public schools with an average score of 7.0 out of 10 — a mark that reflects broad, sustained performance rather than a few outliers carrying the average. Nine of those 15 schools, or 60%, score 7.0 or higher, meaning the majority of schools in the district clear a meaningful quality threshold. For parents comparing cities, that concentration of above-average schools is a stronger signal than a single standout campus.

Elementary education is where Papillion performs best. Walnut Creek Elementary leads all 15 ranked schools with an 8.6 out of 10, the highest score in the city. Ashbury Elementary School follows at 8.2, with Bell Elementary and Prairie Queen Elementary both scoring 7.9. Carriage Hill Elementary rounds out the top five at 7.8. All five sit well above the city average, and the tight clustering between second and fifth place suggests the strength isn't concentrated in one corner of the city — it spans multiple attendance zones. Parents with elementary-age children have several strong options depending on where they live.

The performance range across all 15 schools spans from the 8.6 ceiling at Walnut Creek down to schools near or below the 7.0 average. That range is narrower than many comparable cities, which means the floor is higher and the gap between the best and weakest schools is relatively modest. Families who can't access a top-five school aren't necessarily making a large sacrifice — the distribution is competitive throughout.

Practically speaking, Papillion rewards parents who dig one level deeper than city averages. The 60% rate of 7-plus schools is the headline, but the specific school serving your address matters. Elementary options are the strongest segment in the city's portfolio. Parents relocating to Papillion should cross-reference their prospective neighborhood against the school boundaries for Walnut Creek, Ashbury, Bell, and Prairie Queen — those four schools alone cover a wide stretch of the city's top tier and give families real choices at the elementary level.

Filter by Level: All Levels (19) Elementary (11) Middle (2) High (2)

Filter by Type: All Types (19) Public (17) Private (2)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (19) Academics (15) Growth (14) Resources (15)

Filter by ZIP: 68046 (16)

Elementary Schools

11 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Walnut Creek Elementary 419 students · Pre-K–6th	419	Pre-K–6th	8.2
2	Ashbury Elementary School 346 students · Pre-K–6th	346	Pre-K–6th	7.9
3	Bell Elementary 479 students · Pre-K–6th	479	Pre-K–6th	7.5
4	Tara Heights Elementary School 404 students · Pre-K–6th	404	Pre-K–6th	7.2
5	Prairie Queen Elementary 533 students · Pre-K–6th	533	Pre-K–6th	7.1
6	Patriot Elementary 382 students · Pre-K–6th	382	Pre-K–6th	6.4
7	Rumsey Station Elementary Sch 376 students · Pre-K–6th	376	Pre-K–6th	6.1
8	Trumble Park Elementary School 396 students · Pre-K–6th	396	Pre-K–6th	6.1
9	Carriage Hill Elementary Sch 374 students · Pre-K–6th	374	Pre-K–6th	5.4
10	Hickory Hill Elementary Sch 373 students · Pre-K–6th	373	Pre-K–6th	4.8

Show all 11 elementary schools in Papillion

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

St Columbkille School Private

Middle Schools

2 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Liberty Middle School 541 students · 7th–8th	541	7th–8th	6.7
2	Papillion Middle School 621 students · 7th–8th	621	7th–8th	6.0

High Schools

2 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Papillion La Vista South HS 1,982 students · 9th–12th	1,982	9th–12th	6.5
2	Papillion La Vista Senior High 1,873 students · 9th–12th	1,873	9th–12th	6.3

Other Schools

4 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Papillion La Vista Early Childhood Center (plecc) 83 students · Pre-K–Pre-K	83	Pre-K–Pre-K	3.8
2	Esu 3 Head Start - Sccdc 28 students · Pre-K–Pre-K	28	Pre-K–Pre-K	—
3	Esu 3 Papillion Lavista Early Childhood Center 8 students · Pre-K–Pre-K	8	Pre-K–Pre-K	—
Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Sword of the Spirit Elementary-high School Private 37 students · Kindergarten–12th	37	Kindergarten–12th	7.6

Schools in Papillion

Papillion, Nebraska · 19 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 4 ZIP codes

Median Income

$103,020

Median Home Value

$294,400

Median Rent

$1,100/mo

Population

47,981

College Educated

44%

Homeownership

86%

Avg Commute

21 min

Poverty Rate

3.2%

Community Profile

Papillion has a median household income of $103,020. It is a well-educated community where 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $294,400, with a median rent of $1,100/month. The local poverty rate of 3.2% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 21 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Schools by Level

State: Nebraska
Elementary: 11
Middle: 2
High: 2
Other: 4

Resources

🔍 Google "Papillion schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Papillion 📊 Niche Papillion Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School Districts (2)

PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

22 schools · 12,039 students

EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNIT 03

9 schools · 127 students

Nearby Cities

Springfield (3 schools)

5 mi

Omaha (193 schools)

7 mi

Bellevue (34 schools)

6 mi

Boys Town (2 schools)

9 mi

Gretna (11 schools)

9 mi

Louisville (3 schools)

12 mi

Plattsmouth (6 schools)

13 mi

Elkhorn (14 schools)

13 mi

Bennington (9 schools)

15 mi

Murray (2 schools)

17 mi

Weeping Water (3 schools)

20 mi

Fort Calhoun (2 schools)

21 mi

Other Major Cities in Nebraska

Top metros statewide by school count.

Lincoln 86 schools Grand Island 27 schools

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 rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Papillion, Nebraska

How many schools are in Papillion, Nebraska?

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

What is the average school rating in Papillion, Nebraska?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Papillion is 6.4 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 Papillion, Nebraska?

The top-ranked school in Papillion on MySchoolScout is Walnut Creek Elementary with a composite score of 8.2/10.

What is the best elementary school in Papillion, Nebraska?

The top-ranked elementary school in Papillion on MySchoolScout is Walnut Creek Elementary with a composite score of 8.2/10.

What is the best middle school in Papillion, Nebraska?

The top-ranked middle school in Papillion on MySchoolScout is Liberty Middle School with a composite score of 6.7/10.

What is the best high school in Papillion, Nebraska?

The top-ranked high school in Papillion on MySchoolScout is Papillion La Vista South HS with a composite score of 6.5/10.

How many school districts serve Papillion, Nebraska?

Papillion is served by 2 school districts: Papillion La Vista Community Schools, Educational Service Unit 03.

What is the education level in Papillion, Nebraska?

According to Census data, 44% of adults in Papillion have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Papillion, Nebraska?

The median household income in Papillion is approximately $103,020 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Papillion, Nebraska?

Yes, Papillion has 2 private schools alongside 17 public schools. The top-rated private school is Sword of the Spirit Elementary-high School with a score of 7.6/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Papillion, Nebraska?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Papillion is 15.9:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Papillion, 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.