Best Schools in Richardson, Texas
49 schools · 29 Elementary · 6 Middle · 8 High · 6 Other
Choosing a school in Richardson?
Use this page to compare every school in Richardson 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.
Prairie Creek EL
Elementary · Richardson ISD. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Canyon Creek EL
Elementary · Richardson ISD. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
I a N T Quranic Academy
Other. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Richardson for 2026 are Prairie Creek EL (9.5/10), Canyon Creek EL (9.2/10), and I a N T Quranic Academy (9.1/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 39 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
49
37 public · 12 private
Avg Score
6.7
out of 10
Median Home
$411,400
home value · ACS
Districts
5
serving the city
Schools
49
37 public · 12 private
Avg Score
6.7
out of 10
Median Home
$411,400
home value · ACS
Districts
5
serving the city
Rates 9.0/10 despite 50% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.1 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 Richardson schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +11.9 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Richardson schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Richardson
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (39 of 49). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie Creek EL | 9.5 / 10 |
| 2 | Canyon Creek EL | 9.2 / 10 |
| 3 | I a N T Quranic Academy | 9.1 / 10 |
| 4 | Stinson EL | 9.0 / 10 |
| 5 | Math/science/tech Magnet | 9.0 / 10 |
| 6 | Arapaho Classical Magnet | 8.9 / 10 |
| 7 | Mohawk EL | 8.7 / 10 |
| 8 | St Paul Catholic Classical School | 8.5 / 10 |
| 9 | Miller EL | 8.4 / 10 |
| 10 | Schell EL | 8.2 / 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
- 6.7/10
- Median household income
- $96,149
- Median home value
- $411,400
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 57%
- Avg commute
- 24 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 50%
51% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Richardson compares
Texas rank
#292 of 654
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.4
above Texas avg (6.3)
Median household income
$96k
129% of Texas median
Schools in this city
41
About Schools in Richardson, Texas
Richardson, Texas gives parents 35 ranked public schools to evaluate, spread across a performance range that skews meaningfully above average. The city's schools average 6.6 out of 10 — a solid baseline — and 14 of those 35 schools, or 40 percent, clear the 7-out-of-10 threshold. That concentration of higher performers is the first thing worth noting: Richardson is not a city where one exceptional outlier carries the average. It has real depth.
Jess Harben Elementary leads all 35 schools with a 9.5 out of 10, making it one of the strongest elementary programs in the area by any comparative measure. Canyon Creek Elementary follows at 8.7, and Prairie Creek Elementary and Mohawk Elementary round out a group of top-tier elementary options scoring 8.4 and 8.1 respectively. Parents with elementary-age children have multiple high-performing neighborhood schools to consider, not just one. On the secondary side, ILTexas Aggieland High School earns an 8.5, giving families a strong high school option as well.
The elementary tier is Richardson's clearest strength. Four of the five top-ranked schools in the city are elementary campuses, and they are not clustered in a single corner of the district — the geographic spread matters for families prioritizing a short commute. Parents should still check school boundaries carefully, since attendance zones determine access to these top-rated campuses, and Richardson's district lines can draw unexpected divides between neighborhoods that look similar on a map.
At the district level, an average score of 6.6 with 40 percent of schools above 7 signals a consistently performing system rather than a bifurcated one with a few stars and many low-scorers. Families relocating to Richardson can approach the school search with reasonable confidence that most attendance zones land in competent-to-good territory. For parents who want the top of the range, targeting homes zoned to Jess Harben Elementary or Canyon Creek Elementary — or checking boundary eligibility for ILTexas Aggieland High — gives the clearest path to Richardson's highest-rated campuses.
Elementary Schools
29 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 280 students · Kindergarten–6th | 9.5 |
| 2 | 304 students · Pre-K–6th | 9.2 |
| 3 | 506 students · Kindergarten–5th | 9.0 |
| 4 | 628 students · Kindergarten–6th | 9.0 |
| 5 | 578 students · Kindergarten–6th | 8.9 |
| 6 | 496 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.7 |
| 7 | 306 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.4 |
| 8 | 450 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.2 |
| 9 | 444 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.6 |
| 10 | 365 students · Pre-K–6th | 7.5 |
Show all 29 elementary schools in Richardson
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 793 students · 7th–8th | 7.8 |
| 2 | 560 students · 7th–8th | 7.7 |
| 3 | 415 students · 6th–8th | 7.1 |
| 4 | 617 students · 7th–8th | 6.0 |
| 5 | 425 students · 6th–8th | 2.8 |
| 6 | 7 students · 5th–11th | — |
High Schools
8 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,754 students · 9th–12th | 7.4 | ||
| 2 | 2,453 students · 9th–12th | 6.7 | ||
| 3 | 247 students · 9th–12th | 6.6 | ||
| 4 | 2,312 students · 9th–12th | 5.2 | ||
| 5 | 221 students · 9th–12th | 5.0 | ||
| 6 | 216 students · 9th–12th | 4.8 | ||
| 7 | 241 students · 9th–12th | 3.8 | ||
| 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 | Qalam Collegiate Academy
Private
88 students · 5th–12th | 6.0 | ||
Other Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 153 students · 2nd–12th | 4.8 | ||
| 2 | 1 students · 10th–10th | — | ||
| Private Schools 4 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | I a N T Quranic Academy
Private
237 students · Pre-K–12th | 9.1 | ||
| 2 | Salam Academy
Private
145 students · Pre-K–12th | 6.8 | ||
| 3 | North Dallas Adventist Academy
Private
264 students · Pre-K–12th | 5.6 | ||
| 4 | Chase's Place
Private
17 students · UG–UG | — | ||
Schools in Richardson
Richardson, Texas · 49 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 3 ZIP codes
Median Income
$96,149
Median Home Value
$411,400
Median Rent
$1,822/mo
Population
118,269
College Educated
57%
Homeownership
50%
Avg Commute
24 min
Poverty Rate
9.5%
Community Profile
Richardson has a median household income of $96,149. It is a well-educated community where 57% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $411,400, with a median rent of $1,822/month. The local poverty rate of 9.5% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 24 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Texas
- Elementary
- 29
- Middle
- 6
- High
- 8
- Other
- 6
Resources
Nearby Cities
Other Major Cities in Texas
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 Richardson, Texas
How many schools are in Richardson, Texas?
Richardson has 49 schools, including 37 public and 12 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Richardson, Texas?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Richardson is 6.7 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 Richardson, Texas?
The top-ranked school in Richardson on MySchoolScout is Prairie Creek EL with a composite score of 9.5/10.
What is the best elementary school in Richardson, Texas?
The top-ranked elementary school in Richardson on MySchoolScout is Prairie Creek EL with a composite score of 9.5/10.
What is the best middle school in Richardson, Texas?
The top-ranked middle school in Richardson on MySchoolScout is Richardson West Technology and Arts Magnet with a composite score of 7.8/10.
What is the best high school in Richardson, Texas?
The top-ranked high school in Richardson on MySchoolScout is Richardson H S with a composite score of 7.4/10.
How many school districts serve Richardson, Texas?
Richardson is served by 5 school districts: Evolution Academy Charter School, International Leadership of Texas (iltexas), Cedar Hill ISD, Plano ISD, Richardson ISD.
What is the education level in Richardson, Texas?
According to Census data, 57% of adults in Richardson have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Richardson, Texas?
The median household income in Richardson is approximately $96,149 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Richardson, Texas?
Yes, Richardson has 12 private schools alongside 37 public schools. The top-rated private school is I a N T Quranic Academy with a score of 9.1/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Richardson, Texas?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Richardson is 12.9:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Richardson, Texas?
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.
Related reading
- Best Public Schools in Texas 2026: Top-Ranked Elementary, Middle & High Schoolsbest schools
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- Best Schools in Dallas, TX — 2026 Rankingsbest schools
- Best Schools in Fort Worth, TX — 2026 Rankingsbest schools
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Texas Education Agency, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.