Best Schools in Salt Lake City, Utah
120 schools · 77 Elementary · 13 Middle · 18 High · 12 Other
Choosing a school in Salt Lake City?
Use this page to compare every school in Salt Lake City 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.
Dilworth School
Elementary · Salt Lake District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Canyon View School
Elementary · Canyons District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Emerson School
Elementary · Salt Lake District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Salt Lake City for 2026 are Dilworth School (9.6/10), Canyon View School (9.4/10), and Emerson School (9.4/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 88 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
120
91 public · 29 private
Avg Score
6.5
out of 10
Median Home
$508,884
home value · ACS
Districts
16
serving the city
Schools
120
91 public · 29 private
Avg Score
6.5
out of 10
Median Home
$508,884
home value · ACS
Districts
16
serving the city
Rates 8.4/10 despite 99% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.3 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 Salt Lake City schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Salt Lake City
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 88 rated schools; 120 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dilworth School | 9.6 / 10 |
| 2 | Canyon View School | 9.4 / 10 |
| 3 | Emerson School | 9.4 / 10 |
| 4 | Highland Park School | 9.2 / 10 |
| 5 | Clayton Middle | 9.1 / 10 |
| 6 | Bella Vista School | 8.9 / 10 |
| 7 | Rosecrest School | 8.8 / 10 |
| 8 | Uintah School | 8.7 / 10 |
| 9 | Eastwood School | 8.5 / 10 |
| 10 | Morningside School | 8.5 / 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
- 6.5/10
- Median household income
- $86,005
- Median home value
- $508,884
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 45%
- Avg commute
- 21 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 58%
41% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Salt Lake City compares
Utah rank
#37 of 86
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.2
above Utah avg (6.4)
Median household income
$86k
101% of Utah median
Schools in this city
107
Education Snapshot
Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City runs 121 schools across 16 districts, serving approximately 55,643 students. Elementary campuses make up the largest share of that total: 75 of 121 schools are elementary level, with 13 middle schools and 18 high schools covering upper grades, and 15 combined or specialized programs filling out the rest. On the MySchoolScout composite, the city scores 6.6/10 across 113 rated schools — 0.3 points above the Utah state average of 6.3/10. Twelve charter schools operate within the city, adding to the range of options across what amounts to 16 separate governing bodies. The median household income of $92,034 sits 4% below the Utah state median of $96,267, yet the city's school ratings still land above the state benchmark, a positive divergence from the income trend. Fifty percent of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
16 districts draw attendance lines through Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is not one school system. 16 districts cut across the city limits, and the largest still holds only 42% of the public campuses.
Salt Lake District is the largest slice at 38 of 91 public schools — not a majority. Choosing a Salt Lake City address is choosing a district first.
Among 88 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 2.5 to 9.6 — the spread is inside Salt Lake City, not a citywide average.
12 of the 91 public schools are charters (13%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- Salt Lake District38 public · 42%
- Granite District34 public · 37%
- Canyons District5 public · 5%
- Utah Schools For the Deaf and the Blind2 public · 2%
- Academy For Math Engineering & Science1 public · 1%
About Schools in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City's public school system spans 89 ranked schools, giving families a wide field to evaluate across all grade levels. The city-wide average sits at 6.4 out of 10, a score that reflects genuine variation across neighborhoods. Nearly 4 in 10 schools — 35 in total — clear the 7.0 threshold. Strong options exist here, but they require deliberate searching rather than defaulting to the nearest campus.
At the top of the rankings, Indian Hills School leads all 89 schools with a 9.8 score. Highland Park School follows at 9.6, and Dilworth rounds out the elementary tier's top performers at 8.9. Families focused on younger children have the most concentrated cluster of high-scorers to choose from. Hillside Middle earns a 9.0, well above the city average for the middle school tier. West High reaches 9.5, showing that the performance ceiling extends through all three grade levels.
The gap between that ceiling and the city floor is significant. With a 6.4 average, roughly 60% of Salt Lake City's schools score below 7.0. That spread means school selection carries real weight. A school three miles away can score two full points higher than a neighborhood default. Parents who compare scores against commute distance and program fit regularly find better matches than those who accept the assigned school.
Salt Lake City rewards the research. The 35 schools clearing 7.0 span all grade tiers, so families aren't forced into trade-offs between a strong elementary and a capable high school. Start with the highest-rated schools in your target grade band, verify district boundaries and any enrollment options in the area, and use the 9.8 at Indian Hills as a reference point — that score shows exactly what the top of this market looks like.
Elementary Schools
77 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 445 students · Pre-K–6th | 9.6 |
| 2 | 478 students · Kindergarten–5th | 9.4 |
| 3 | 462 students · Kindergarten–6th | 9.4 |
| 4 | 502 students · Kindergarten–6th | 9.2 |
| 5 | 212 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.9 |
| 6 | 329 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.8 |
| 7 | 422 students · Kindergarten–6th | 8.7 |
| 8 | 314 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.5 |
| 9 | 585 students · Kindergarten–6th | 8.5 |
| 10 | 377 students · Pre-K–6th | 8.4 |
Show all 77 elementary schools in Salt Lake City
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
13 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 555 students · 7th–8th | 9.1 |
| 2 | 403 students · 5th–8th | 8.3 |
| 3 | 904 students · 6th–8th | 8.3 |
| 4 | 813 students · 6th–8th | 8.1 |
| 5 | 516 students · 7th–8th | 8.0 |
| 6 | 790 students · 5th–9th | 7.9 |
| 7 | 579 students · 7th–8th | 7.4 |
| 8 | 633 students · 6th–9th | 7.2 |
| 9 | 534 students · 6th–8th | 6.9 |
| 10 | 624 students · 6th–8th | 6.1 |
Show all 13 middle schools in Salt Lake City
High Schools
18 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 students · 7th–12th | 7.8 |
| 2 | 2,009 students · 9th–12th | 7.6 |
| 3 | 2,393 students · 8th–12th | 7.4 |
| 4 | 469 students · 9th–12th | 7.0 |
| 5 | 2,125 students · 7th–12th | 6.8 |
| 6 | 2,505 students · 7th–12th | 6.5 |
| 7 | 98 students · 7th–12th | 6.3 |
| 8 | 363 students · 6th–12th | 6.0 |
| 9 | 2,167 students · 9th–12th | 5.7 |
| 10 | 303 students · 7th–12th | 5.7 |
Show all 18 high schools in Salt Lake City
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Other Schools
12 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 68 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 6.7 | ||
| 2 | 143 students · Pre-K–12th | 5.8 | ||
| 3 | 513 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.6 | ||
| 4 | 947 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.7 | ||
| 5 | 80 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.7 | ||
| 6 | 11 students · Pre-K–12th | — | ||
Private Schools6 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Elizabeth AcademyPrivate 175 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Carmen B Pingree CenterPrivate 60 students · UG–UG | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | 273 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | 37 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 12 other schools in Salt Lake City
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Schools in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah · 120 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 19 ZIP codes
Median Income
$86,005
Median Home Value
$508,884
Median Rent
$1,468/mo
Population
544,220
College Educated
45%
Homeownership
58%
Avg Commute
21 min
Poverty Rate
11.1%
Community Profile
Salt Lake City has a median household income of $86,005. It is a well-educated community where 45% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $508,884, with a median rent of $1,468/month. The area has a poverty rate of 11.1%. The average commute for residents is 21 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Utah
- Elementary
- 77
- Middle
- 13
- High
- 18
- Other
- 12
Resources
School Districts (16)
City Academy
1 school · 99 students
Academy for Math Engineering & Science
1 school · 469 students
Salt Lake Arts Academy
1 school · 403 students
Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
1 school · 163 students
Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
9 schools · 271 students
Canyon Rim Academy
1 school · 520 students
Guadalupe School
1 school · 396 students
Dual Immersion Academy
1 school · 456 students
Open Classroom
1 school · 289 students
Utah Connections Academy
1 school · 947 students
Pacific Heritage Academy
1 school · 300 students
Salt Lake Center for Science Education
1 school · 363 students
Canyons District
50 schools · 33,196 students
Wallace Stegner Academy
2 schools · 1,425 students
Granite District
86 schools · 60,270 students
Salt Lake District
40 schools · 19,477 students
Other Major Cities in Utah
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 Salt Lake City, Utah
How many schools are in Salt Lake City, Utah?
Salt Lake City has 120 schools, including 91 public and 29 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Salt Lake City, Utah?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Salt Lake City is 6.5 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 Salt Lake City, Utah?
The top-ranked school in Salt Lake City on MySchoolScout is Dilworth School with a composite score of 9.6/10.
What is the best elementary school in Salt Lake City, Utah?
The top-ranked elementary school in Salt Lake City on MySchoolScout is Dilworth School with a composite score of 9.6/10.
What is the best middle school in Salt Lake City, Utah?
The top-ranked middle school in Salt Lake City on MySchoolScout is Clayton Middle with a composite score of 9.1/10.
What is the best high school in Salt Lake City, Utah?
The top-ranked high school in Salt Lake City on MySchoolScout is City Academy with a composite score of 7.8/10.
How many school districts serve Salt Lake City, Utah?
Salt Lake City is served by 16 school districts: City Academy, Academy for Math Engineering & Science, Salt Lake Arts Academy, Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Canyon Rim Academy, Guadalupe School, Dual Immersion Academy, Open Classroom, Utah Connections Academy, Pacific Heritage Academy, Salt Lake Center for Science Education, Canyons District, Wallace Stegner Academy, Granite District, Salt Lake District.
What is the education level in Salt Lake City, Utah?
According to Census data, 45% of adults in Salt Lake City have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Salt Lake City, Utah?
The median household income in Salt Lake City is approximately $86,005 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Salt Lake City, Utah?
Yes, Salt Lake City has 29 private schools alongside 91 public schools. The top-rated private school is Elizabeth Academy with a score of 9.0/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Salt Lake City, Utah?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Salt Lake City is 17.2:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Salt Lake City, Utah?
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, Utah Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.