Best Schools in Denton, Texas

Denton, Texas offers 27 ranked public schools spread across a meaningful performance range. The city-wide average of 6.3 out of 10 is a useful baseline, but it obscures real variation across campuses. Seven schools, representing 26% of the ranked pool, score 7.0 or above — giving families who do their homework several strong campuses to target.

The highest-rated school in the city is Guyer High School, which earns an 8.7 — the top score across all 27 ranked schools. Denton High School follows at 8.6, giving families two high school options in the 8.5-plus range. Strong results aren't confined to secondary campuses: Ryan Elementary also scores 8.6, matching Denton High, while Nette Shultz Elementary comes in at 8.4. North Texas Collegiate Academy-North Campus, an elementary-level school, rounds out the top five at 7.9.

The 2.4-point gap between the city average (6.3) and the top score (8.7) tells parents something concrete: Denton rewards intentional school selection. Where you live determines which campuses your children can attend, and the difference between a median campus and one of the city's top five is significant. High scores appear at both the elementary and high school levels, which means parents should trace the full feeder path — the campuses in between matter as much as the endpoints.

For families evaluating Denton, start with Guyer High School and Ryan Elementary as reference points, then work backward through feeder patterns to understand which neighborhoods put students on that track. With 26% of ranked schools scoring 7.0 or above, the city has real options at the top end — but they're concentrated on specific campuses, not spread evenly across the city. Mapping school zone boundaries before committing to a neighborhood is the highest-leverage move a family can make here.