Best Schools in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
71 schools · 38 Elementary · 11 Middle · 10 High · 12 Other
Choosing a school in Sioux Falls?
Use this page to compare every school in Sioux Falls 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.
Inspiration Elementary - 08
Elementary · Brandon Valley School District 49-2. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Harrisburg North Middle School - 08
Middle · Harrisburg School District 41-2. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Challenge Center - 51
Elementary · Sioux Falls School District 49-5. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Sioux Falls for 2026 are Inspiration Elementary - 08 (8.9/10), Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 (8.7/10), and Challenge Center - 51 (8.2/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 43 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
71
50 public · 21 private
Avg Score
6.4
out of 10
Median Home
$280,400
home value · ACS
Districts
3
serving the city
Schools
71
50 public · 21 private
Avg Score
6.4
out of 10
Median Home
$280,400
home value · ACS
Districts
3
serving the city
Rates 8.9/10 despite 18% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.9 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 Sioux Falls schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +11.0 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Sioux Falls schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Sioux Falls
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 43 rated schools; 71 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inspiration Elementary - 08 | 8.9 / 10 |
| 2 | Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 | 8.7 / 10 |
| 3 | Challenge Center - 51 | 8.2 / 10 |
| 4 | Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 65 | 8.1 / 10 |
| 5 | Explorer Elementary - 04 | 7.9 / 10 |
| 6 | Journey Elementary - 05 | 7.8 / 10 |
| 7 | Ben Reifel Middle School - 68 | 7.7 / 10 |
| 8 | Eugene Field A+ Elementary - 16 | 7.5 / 10 |
| 9 | Patrick Henry Middle School - 07 | 7.4 / 10 |
| 10 | John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 | 7.4 / 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
- 6.4/10
- Median household income
- $77,751
- Median home value
- $280,400
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 37%
- Avg commute
- 17 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 62%
36% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Sioux Falls compares
South Dakota rank
#66 of 129
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.1
above South Dakota avg (6.3)
Median household income
$78k
111% of South Dakota median
Schools in this city
59
Education Snapshot
Sioux Falls, South DakotaSioux Falls operates 65 schools across 3 districts — 38 elementary, 9 middle, 10 high, and 8 other or combined campuses — enrolling roughly 32,828 students. The city's average MySchoolScout composite rating of 5.7/10 across 54 scored schools falls half a point below the South Dakota state average of 6.2/10, a gap that stands out given the city's economic profile. Median household income of $77,384 runs 4% above the South Dakota median of $74,067, and 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher — both indicators that outpace the state baseline. That income-education advantage runs in the opposite direction from the school rating deficit, making Sioux Falls' aggregate score a poor proxy for what individual schools deliver. Parents comparing options across these 3 districts should filter on school-level scores directly rather than treating the city composite as a reliable guide.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 runs 84% of Sioux Falls's public schools
Sioux Falls touches 3 districts, but Sioux Falls School District 49-5 is the one most addresses actually attend.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 accounts for 42 of 50 public schools (84%). The other 2 districts hold the remaining 8.
Among 43 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.5 to 8.9 — the spread is inside Sioux Falls, not a citywide average.
- Sioux Falls School District 49-542 public · 84%
- Harrisburg School District 41-26 public · 12%
- Brandon Valley School District 49-22 public · 4%
About Schools in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls runs 44 ranked public schools across a performance range that parents should understand before choosing a neighborhood. The city average sits at 5.9 out of 10, which means quality varies meaningfully from one zip code to the next. That spread matters: only 9 schools — 20% of the total — score 7 or above, so high-performing options exist but are not evenly distributed across the city.
At the top of that group sits Lincoln High School - 02, the city's highest-rated school at 8.3 out of 10. For parents with elementary-age children, Fred Assam Elementary leads that tier at 7.8, followed closely by Discovery Elementary at 7.7. Adventure Elementary and John Harris Elementary both land at 7.4, rounding out a cluster of five elementary schools that consistently outperform the city average by a significant margin. Parents targeting strong elementary years have real options, but proximity to these schools should factor into any housing decision.
The 5.9 city average tells a practical story: roughly half of Sioux Falls schools perform below that line. Families who rely on default enrollment based on address may land in schools scoring well below the top tier. South Dakota does not have the same open-enrollment flexibility found in some other states, so parents should verify district transfer policies directly with Sioux Falls School District before assuming they can opt into a higher-rated school outside their boundary.
The practical takeaway is straightforward. Sioux Falls offers a solid top tier — Lincoln High anchors the secondary level, and several elementary schools consistently score in the 7s — but the majority of schools cluster around or below the city average. Parents who prioritize academics should map school ratings against their target neighborhoods early in a housing search, not after. With only one in five schools clearing the 7-out-of-10 threshold, demand for those seats tends to be concentrated. Research the boundary lines, ask about waitlists, and treat school ratings as a first filter, not an afterthought.
Elementary Schools
38 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 320 students · Kindergarten–4th | 8.9 |
| 2 | 177 students · 2nd–5th | 8.2 |
| 3 | 678 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.1 |
| 4 | 342 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.9 |
| 5 | 342 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.8 |
| 6 | 421 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.5 |
| 7 | 659 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.4 |
| 8 | 867 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.4 |
| 9 | 388 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.3 |
| 10 | 591 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.1 |
Show all 38 elementary schools in Sioux Falls
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
11 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 523 students · 6th–8th | 8.7 | ||
| 2 | 959 students · 6th–8th | 7.7 | ||
| 3 | 953 students · 6th–8th | 7.4 | ||
| 4 | 1,138 students · 6th–8th | 6.6 | ||
| 5 | 943 students · 6th–8th | 6.5 | ||
| 6 | 716 students · 6th–8th | 5.7 | ||
| 7 | 747 students · 6th–8th | 5.6 | ||
| 8 | 30 students · 6th–8th | 5.2 | ||
Private Schools3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Christ the King SchoolPrivate 82 students · 1st–6th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | O'gorman Junior High SchoolPrivate 329 students · 7th–8th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 11 middle schools in Sioux Falls
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
High Schools
10 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,934 students · 9th–12th | 6.5 | ||
| 2 | 62 students · 12th–12th | 6.3 | ||
| 3 | 1,840 students · 9th–12th | 5.8 | ||
| 4 | 1,859 students · 9th–12th | 5.6 | ||
| 5 | 1,776 students · 9th–12th | 5.3 | ||
| 6 | 23 students · 6th–12th | — | ||
| 7 | 1 students · 9th–12th | — | ||
| 8 | 1 students · 6th–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 | Mccrossan Boys RanchPrivate 40 students · 6th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | 6 students · 11th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
12 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 students · Kindergarten–12th | — | ||
| 2 | 4 students · Kindergarten–12th | — | ||
| 3 | 8 students · Kindergarten–12th | — | ||
Private Schools9 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | LifescapePrivate 107 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | 46 students · Pre-K–10th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | Sioux Falls Lutheran SchoolPrivate 295 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | Sioux Falls Lutheran SchoolPrivate 301 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 5 | Cornerstone SchoolPrivate 37 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 6 | O'gorman High SchoolPrivate 2,200 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 7 | Sioux Falls Catholic SchoolPrivate 2,231 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 12 other schools in Sioux Falls
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Schools in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota · 71 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 7 ZIP codes
Median Income
$77,751
Median Home Value
$280,400
Median Rent
$1,018/mo
Population
203,792
College Educated
37%
Homeownership
62%
Avg Commute
17 min
Poverty Rate
9.5%
Community Profile
Sioux Falls has a median household income of $77,751. It is an area where 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $280,400, with a median rent of $1,018/month. The local poverty rate of 9.5% is relatively low. Residents enjoy a short average commute of 17 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- South Dakota
- Elementary
- 38
- Middle
- 11
- High
- 10
- Other
- 12
Resources
Other Major Cities in South Dakota
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 Sioux Falls, South Dakota
How many schools are in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
Sioux Falls has 71 schools, including 50 public and 21 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The top-ranked school in Sioux Falls on MySchoolScout is Inspiration Elementary - 08 with a composite score of 8.9/10.
What is the best elementary school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The top-ranked elementary school in Sioux Falls on MySchoolScout is Inspiration Elementary - 08 with a composite score of 8.9/10.
What is the best middle school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The top-ranked middle school in Sioux Falls on MySchoolScout is Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 with a composite score of 8.7/10.
What is the best high school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The top-ranked high school in Sioux Falls on MySchoolScout is Lincoln High School - 02 with a composite score of 6.5/10.
How many school districts serve Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
Sioux Falls is served by 3 school districts: Brandon Valley School District 49-2, Harrisburg School District 41-2, Sioux Falls School District 49-5.
What is the education level in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
According to Census data, 37% of adults in Sioux Falls have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The median household income in Sioux Falls is approximately $77,751 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
Yes, Sioux Falls has 21 private schools alongside 50 public schools. The top-rated private school is Children's Home Society of Sd/loving School with a score of 8.6/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Sioux Falls is 12.5:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
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, South Dakota Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.