Best Schools in Erie, Pennsylvania
53 schools · 32 Elementary · 7 Middle · 9 High · 5 Other
Choosing a school in Erie?
Use this page to compare every school in Erie 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.
Northwest Pa Collegiate Academy
High · Erie City Sd. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Iroquois EL Sch
Elementary · Iroquois Sd. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Chestnut Hill EL Sch
Elementary · Millcreek Township Sd. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Erie for 2026 are Northwest Pa Collegiate Academy (8.5/10), Iroquois EL Sch (8.2/10), and Chestnut Hill EL Sch (8.1/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 34 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
53
35 public · 18 private
Avg Score
6.0
out of 10
Median Home
$139,230
home value · ACS
Districts
10
serving the city
Schools
53
35 public · 18 private
Avg Score
6.0
out of 10
Median Home
$139,230
home value · ACS
Districts
10
serving the city
Rates 8.5/10 despite 100% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.4 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 Erie schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +12.9 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Erie schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Erie
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 34 rated schools; 53 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest Pa Collegiate Academy | 8.5 / 10 |
| 2 | Iroquois EL Sch | 8.2 / 10 |
| 3 | Chestnut Hill EL Sch | 8.1 / 10 |
| 4 | Wattsburg Area EL Ctr | 7.9 / 10 |
| 5 | Grandview EL Sch | 7.7 / 10 |
| 6 | Mcdowell HS | 7.2 / 10 |
| 7 | Lincoln EL Sch | 6.9 / 10 |
| 8 | Rolling Ridge EL Sch | 6.9 / 10 |
| 9 | Robison EL Sch | 6.6 / 10 |
| 10 | Clark EL Sch | 6.6 / 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
- 6.0/10
- Median household income
- $52,547
- Median home value
- $139,230
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 28%
- Avg commute
- 18 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 56%
24% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Erie compares
Pennsylvania rank
#276 of 424
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.3
below Pennsylvania avg (6.3)
Median household income
$53k
66% of Pennsylvania median
Schools in this city
49
10 districts draw attendance lines through Erie
Erie is not one school system. 10 districts cut across the city limits, and the largest still holds only 43% of the public campuses.
Erie City SD is the largest slice at 15 of 35 public schools — not a majority. Choosing a Erie address is choosing a district first.
Among 34 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 2.9 to 8.5 — the spread is inside Erie, not a citywide average.
- Erie City SD15 public · 43%
- Millcreek Township SD7 public · 20%
- Harbor Creek SD3 public · 9%
- Wattsburg Area SD3 public · 9%
- Iroquois SD2 public · 6%
About Schools in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania has 34 ranked public schools, spanning elementary through high school across several districts. The city's schools range widely in performance, with an average score of 5.9 out of 10 across all ranked schools. That middle-of-the-road average reflects real variation — parents who dig into individual school scores will find meaningful differences depending on where they look.
The strongest options skew toward the outer districts rather than the urban core. Robison Elementary School leads all Erie-area public schools with a score of 8.5 out of 10, the highest in the city. Wattsburg Area Elementary Center and Wattsburg Area Middle School both score 8.4, making the Wattsburg Area School District a consistent performer across grade levels. Chestnut Hill Elementary (8.1) and Tracy Elementary (7.9) round out the top five. Altogether, 9 schools — 26% of ranked Erie-area public schools — score 7 or above, so high-performing options exist but require deliberate searching.
For families zoned to Erie City School District, the performance picture is more challenging. The district serves the densest part of the city and includes schools that pull the citywide average down. Parents in those zones may want to look closely at charter options, magnet programs, or whether they fall near district boundary lines that open access to higher-scoring schools.
Practical takeaway: address matters a lot in Erie. The top-scoring schools are concentrated in suburban and semi-rural districts on the city's edges, while the urban district trails the regional average. Families with flexibility on where they live should cross-reference school scores before committing to a neighborhood. Those already settled in Erie should check each school's individual score rather than relying on the citywide average — that 5.9 mean masks a spread wide enough to make school selection one of the more consequential decisions in this market. Start with Robison, Wattsburg, and Chestnut Hill as benchmarks when evaluating any school your child would attend.
Elementary Schools
32 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 543 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.2 |
| 2 | 396 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.1 |
| 3 | 485 students · Kindergarten–4th | 7.9 |
| 4 | 672 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.7 |
| 5 | 337 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.9 |
| 6 | 469 students · Kindergarten–6th | 6.9 |
| 7 | 364 students · Kindergarten–5th | 6.6 |
| 8 | 296 students · Kindergarten–6th | 6.6 |
| 9 | 298 students · Kindergarten–6th | 6.3 |
| 10 | 571 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.6 |
Show all 32 elementary schools in Erie
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
7 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 536 students · 6th–8th | 6.5 | ||
| 2 | 477 students · 6th–8th | 6.3 | ||
| 3 | 395 students · 5th–8th | 5.9 | ||
| 4 | 722 students · 6th–8th | 5.0 | ||
| 5 | 739 students · 6th–8th | 4.2 | ||
| 6 | 709 students · 6th–8th | 3.6 | ||
Private Schools1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 8 students · 1st–8th | Not Rated | ||
High Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 748 students · 9th–12th | 8.5 | ||
| 2 | 2,161 students · 9th–12th | 7.2 | ||
| 3 | 547 students · 7th–12th | 5.9 | ||
| 4 | 388 students · 9th–12th | 5.9 | ||
| 5 | 601 students · 6th–12th | 3.8 | ||
| 6 | 2,417 students · 9th–12th | 2.9 | ||
| 7 | 3 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 | 416 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Cathedral Preparatory SchoolPrivate 665 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
5 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 134 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 2 | Community Country Day SchoolPrivate 67 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated |
| 3 | 134 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 4 | Erie First Christian AcademyPrivate 173 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
| 5 | Bethel Christian SchoolPrivate 173 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
Schools in Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania · 53 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 11 ZIP codes
Median Income
$52,547
Median Home Value
$139,230
Median Rent
$882/mo
Population
177,194
College Educated
28%
Homeownership
56%
Avg Commute
18 min
Poverty Rate
22.5%
Community Profile
Erie has a median household income of $52,547. It is an area where 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $139,230, with a median rent of $882/month. The area has a poverty rate of 22.5%, indicating some economic challenges in the community. Residents enjoy a short average commute of 18 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Pennsylvania
- Elementary
- 32
- Middle
- 7
- High
- 9
- Other
- 5
Resources
School Districts (10)
Robert Benjamin Wiley Community CS
1 school · 542 students
Perseus House CS of Excellence
1 school · 601 students
Montessori Regional CS
1 school · 632 students
Erie City SD
15 schools · 10,493 students
Fort LeBoeuf SD
5 schools · 1,992 students
Harbor Creek SD
5 schools · 2,101 students
Iroquois SD
2 schools · 1,091 students
Millcreek Township SD
9 schools · 6,393 students
Wattsburg Area SD
3 schools · 1,276 students
Erie County Technical School
1 school · 3 students
Other Major Cities in Pennsylvania
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 Erie, Pennsylvania
How many schools are in Erie, Pennsylvania?
Erie has 53 schools, including 35 public and 18 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Erie is 6.0 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 Erie, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked school in Erie on MySchoolScout is Northwest Pa Collegiate Academy with a composite score of 8.5/10.
What is the best elementary school in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked elementary school in Erie on MySchoolScout is Iroquois EL Sch with a composite score of 8.2/10.
What is the best middle school in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked middle school in Erie on MySchoolScout is James S Wilson MS with a composite score of 6.5/10.
What is the best high school in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked high school in Erie on MySchoolScout is Northwest Pa Collegiate Academy with a composite score of 8.5/10.
How many school districts serve Erie, Pennsylvania?
Erie is served by 10 school districts: Robert Benjamin Wiley Community Cs, Perseus House Cs of Excellence, Montessori Regional Cs, Erie City Sd, Fort Leboeuf Sd, Harbor Creek Sd, Iroquois Sd, Millcreek Township Sd, Wattsburg Area Sd, Erie County Technical School.
What is the education level in Erie, Pennsylvania?
According to Census data, 28% of adults in Erie have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The median household income in Erie is approximately $52,547 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Erie, Pennsylvania?
Yes, Erie has 18 private schools alongside 35 public schools. The top-rated private school is Elizabeth Lee Black Barber National Institute with a score of 8.3/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Erie, Pennsylvania?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Erie is 12.1:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Erie, Pennsylvania?
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, Pennsylvania Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.