Best Schools in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
64 schools · 37 Elementary · 9 Middle · 9 High · 9 Other
Choosing a school in Harrisburg?
Use this page to compare every school in Harrisburg 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.
Capital Area School for the Arts Cs
High · Capital Area School for the Arts Cs. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Harrisburg Christian School
Other. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Harrisburg HS - Scitech Cmp
High · Harrisburg City Sd. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Harrisburg for 2026 are Capital Area School for the Arts Cs (7.8/10), Harrisburg Christian School (7.8/10), and Harrisburg HS - Scitech Cmp (7.6/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 50 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
64
40 public · 24 private
Avg Score
5.6
out of 10
Median Home
$187,643
home value · ACS
Districts
11
serving the city
Schools
64
40 public · 24 private
Avg Score
5.6
out of 10
Median Home
$187,643
home value · ACS
Districts
11
serving the city
Rates 7.6/10 despite 99% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.8 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 Harrisburg schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +13.2 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Harrisburg schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Harrisburg
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (50 of 64). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Area School for the Arts Cs | 7.8 / 10 |
| 2 | Harrisburg Christian School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 3 | Harrisburg HS - Scitech Cmp | 7.6 / 10 |
| 4 | St Stephen's Episcopal School | 7.6 / 10 |
| 5 | Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School | 7.5 / 10 |
| 6 | Harrisburg Catholic Elementry School | 7.5 / 10 |
| 7 | Infinity Cs | 7.3 / 10 |
| 8 | Linglestown EL Sch | 7.3 / 10 |
| 9 | St Catherine Laboure School | 7.3 / 10 |
| 10 | The Circle School | 7.3 / 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
- 5.6/10
- Median household income
- $68,148
- Median home value
- $187,643
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 35%
- Avg commute
- 21 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 48%
27% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Harrisburg compares
Pennsylvania rank
#326 of 408
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.7
below Pennsylvania avg (6.3)
Median household income
$68k
86% of Pennsylvania median
Schools in this city
56
Education Snapshot
Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg's school landscape spans 64 schools across 11 districts, serving approximately 55,325 students in a city where the education profile reflects persistent economic headwinds. The MySchoolScout composite rating of 5.6/10 across 56 scored schools sits 11% below Pennsylvania's state average of 6.3/10 — a gap that tracks closely with the city's median household income of $71,087, which runs 15% below the state median of $83,223. The level mix skews elementary-heavy: 37 elementary schools versus 9 middle and 9 high schools, with 9 additional combined or alternative programs. Seven charter schools operate within the city, offering families alternatives to traditional district assignments across the 11-district service area. Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher stand at 32%, a figure parents often weigh when considering long-term peer context. The below-average composite scores make school-by-school comparison especially valuable here rather than relying on city-level averages.
About Schools in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg's public school landscape spans 40 ranked schools with an average score of 5.3 out of 10, placing most options in the middle tier. Performance varies considerably across the city, giving parents a wide range of outcomes to weigh depending on where they live or whether they consider charter alternatives. Only 6 schools — 15% of the ranked total — score 7 or above, so high-performing seats are limited and worth identifying early.
The strongest performer is Linglestown Elementary, rated 7.9 out of 10, the highest score in the city. Infinity Charter School (7.6) and Premier Arts and Science Charter School (7.5) round out the top three, both at the elementary level and both open-enrollment options that draw families from across district boundaries. Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School (7.3) stands out as the top-rated high school in the metro and serves students with interests in arts-focused academics. Paxtang Elementary (7.2) completes the top five. Four of the five leading schools are elementary programs, which means parents of older students face a narrower set of high-scoring options and should plan ahead for the middle and high school years.
The charter school presence is significant. Three of the five top-ranked schools are charters, giving families an alternative path to stronger academic environments regardless of home address. Charter enrollment typically involves an application and, in competitive programs, a lottery — parents should research deadlines well before the school year. District-assigned schools in the Harrisburg City School District tend to score below the city average, while schools in surrounding suburban districts like Central Dauphin contribute to the higher end of the range.
For parents comparing schools in Harrisburg, the practical priority is identifying which of the six 7-plus-rated schools are accessible — either through attendance zone or charter application — and acting on enrollment timelines early. The city average of 5.3 signals that school selection has a meaningful impact on the academic environment a child enters, making active research on MySchoolScout essential rather than optional.
Elementary Schools
37 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 256 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.3 |
| 2 | 460 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.3 |
| 3 | 579 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.1 |
| 4 | 677 students · Kindergarten–5th | 6.9 |
| 5 | 378 students · Kindergarten–5th | 6.9 |
| 6 | 705 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.8 |
| 7 | 473 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.8 |
| 8 | 163 students · Kindergarten–3rd | 4.6 |
| 9 | 280 students · Kindergarten–5th | 4.6 |
| 10 | 248 students · Kindergarten–5th | 4.6 |
Show all 37 elementary schools in Harrisburg
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 855 students · 6th–8th | 5.3 | ||
| 2 | 814 students · 6th–8th | 4.9 | ||
| 3 | 663 students · 6th–8th | 4.8 | ||
| 4 | 73 students · 5th–8th | 4.7 | ||
| 5 | 470 students · 6th–8th | 4.5 | ||
| 6 | 577 students · 6th–8th | 3.7 | ||
| 7 | 380 students · 5th–8th | 2.7 | ||
| 8 | 744 students · 6th–8th | 2.3 | ||
| 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 | 68 students · 5th–8th | 6.6 | ||
High Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 168 students · 9th–12th | 7.8 | ||
| 2 | 323 students · 9th–12th | 7.6 | ||
| 3 | 1,998 students · 9th–12th | 7.2 | ||
| 4 | 1,175 students · 9th–12th | 7.1 | ||
| 5 | 1,596 students · 9th–12th | 5.5 | ||
| 6 | 774 students · 9th–12th | 5.1 | ||
| 7 | 1,333 students · 9th–12th | 3.6 | ||
| Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Bishop Mcdevitt High School
Private
716 students · 9th–12th | 6.7 | ||
| 2 | 9 students · 8th–12th | — | ||
Other Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 322 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.2 | ||
| 2 | 6,146 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.4 | ||
| 3 | 23,589 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.3 | ||
| Private Schools 6 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Harrisburg Christian School
Private
314 students · Kindergarten–12th | 7.8 | ||
| 2 | The Circle School
Private
47 students · UG–UG | 7.3 | ||
| 3 | New Story School
Private
43 students · Kindergarten–12th | 7.0 | ||
| 4 | Lighthouse Christian Academy
Private
43 students · T1–12th | 6.6 | ||
| 5 | Covenant Christian Academy
Private
243 students · Pre-K–12th | 6.4 | ||
| 6 | The Samuel School
Private
20 students · Pre-K–12th | — | ||
Schools in Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania · 64 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 8 ZIP codes
Median Income
$68,148
Median Home Value
$187,643
Median Rent
$1,159/mo
Population
171,641
College Educated
35%
Homeownership
48%
Avg Commute
21 min
Poverty Rate
16.9%
Community Profile
Harrisburg has a median household income of $68,148. It is an area where 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $187,643, with a median rent of $1,159/month. The area has a poverty rate of 16.9%. The average commute for residents is 21 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Pennsylvania
- Elementary
- 37
- Middle
- 9
- High
- 9
- Other
- 9
Resources
School Districts (11)
Sylvan Heights Science CS
1 school · 209 students
Infinity CS
1 school · 256 students
Commonwealth Charter Academy CS
1 school · 23,590 students
Premier Arts and Science CS
1 school · 163 students
Capital Area School for the Arts CS
1 school · 168 students
Reach Cyber CS
1 school · 6,146 students
Pennsylvania STEAM Academy CS
1 school · 279 students
Central Dauphin SD
19 schools · 12,543 students
Dauphin County Technical School
1 school · 1,175 students
Harrisburg City SD
12 schools · 6,395 students
Susquehanna Township SD
4 schools · 3,128 students
Nearby Cities
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 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
How many schools are in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Harrisburg has 64 schools, including 40 public and 24 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Harrisburg is 5.6 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 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked school in Harrisburg on MySchoolScout is Capital Area School for the Arts Cs with a composite score of 7.8/10.
What is the best elementary school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked elementary school in Harrisburg on MySchoolScout is St Stephen's Episcopal School with a composite score of 7.6/10.
What is the best middle school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked middle school in Harrisburg on MySchoolScout is The Nativity School of Harrisburg with a composite score of 6.6/10.
What is the best high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The top-ranked high school in Harrisburg on MySchoolScout is Capital Area School for the Arts Cs with a composite score of 7.8/10.
How many school districts serve Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Harrisburg is served by 11 school districts: Sylvan Heights Science Cs, Infinity Cs, Commonwealth Charter Academy Cs, Premier Arts and Science Cs, Capital Area School for the Arts Cs, Reach Cyber Cs, Pennsylvania Steam Academy Cs, Central Dauphin Sd, Dauphin County Technical School, Harrisburg City Sd, Susquehanna Township Sd.
What is the education level in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
According to Census data, 35% of adults in Harrisburg have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The median household income in Harrisburg is approximately $68,148 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Yes, Harrisburg has 24 private schools alongside 40 public schools. The top-rated private school is Harrisburg Christian School with a score of 7.8/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Harrisburg is 15.0:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Harrisburg, 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.