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7.0 avg / 10

Best Schools in Burlington, Vermont

15 schools · 10 Elementary · 3 Middle · 2 High

Public: 9
Private: 6
Districts: 1
Avg Rating: 7.0/10
Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Burlington?

Use this page to compare every school in Burlington 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.

Integrated Arts Academy at H. O. Wheeler

8.2/10

Elementary · Burlington School District. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

C. P. Smith School

8.1/10

Elementary · Burlington School District. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes

7.8/10

Elementary · Burlington School District. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Burlington for 2026 are Integrated Arts Academy at H. O. Wheeler (8.2/10), C. P. Smith School (8.1/10), and Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes (7.8/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 12 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

15

9 public · 6 private

Avg Score

7.0

out of 10

Median Home

$372,867

home value · ACS

District

1

serving the city

Best value · beats the odds
C. P. Smith School

Rates 8.1/10 despite 33% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.0 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 Burlington schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Burlington

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (12 of 15). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

# School Rating
1 Integrated Arts Academy at H. O. Wheeler 8.2 / 10
2 C. P. Smith School 8.1 / 10
3 Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes 7.8 / 10
4 Edmunds Middle School 7.7 / 10
5 Edmunds Elementary School 7.2 / 10
6 Burlington High School 7.0 / 10
7 Lyman C. Hunt Middle School 6.9 / 10
8 Christ the King School 6.7 / 10
9 Champlain School 6.6 / 10
10 Mater Christi School 6.5 / 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
7.0/10

50% of schools rated 7+

Median household income
$89,444

Census ACS, ZIPs in this city

Median home value
$372,867

Owner-occupied units

Bachelor's degree or higher
50%

Adults 25+

Avg commute
24 min

Workers age 16+

Owner-occupied homes
60%

Of occupied housing units

How Burlington compares

Vermont rank

#7 of 28

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

+0.7

above Vermont avg (6.3)

Median household income

$89k

111% of Vermont median

Schools in this city

12

About Schools in Burlington, Vermont

Burlington's public school landscape is compact and consistently strong. The city's 9 ranked public schools average 7.0 out of 10, and 5 of those schools — 56% — score 7.0 or above. That ratio is the defining feature of Burlington's education picture: most parents here aren't navigating a wide performance spread. They're choosing among schools that are genuinely close in quality, which shifts the decision toward fit and logistics rather than avoiding low performers.

At the top sits C. P. Smith School, an elementary scoring 8.5 out of 10 and the city's highest-rated school. Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes follows at 8.4, also an elementary. Both schools clear the 8.0 mark, separating them as a distinct top tier. Champlain School comes in at 7.3, matched in score by Edmunds Middle School, and Edmunds Elementary sits just below at 7.2. The top five schools span a range of just 1.3 points — a signal that real quality runs across Burlington's options, not just through the first pick.

The middle school transition is a practical consideration. Edmunds Middle School (7.3) and Edmunds Elementary School (7.2) are closely rated, so families on that path move through grade bands without a noticeable quality drop. Burlington has one ranked middle school in its top five, which means middle school choice carries less weight here than elementary entry.

For families researching Burlington, the two moves that matter most are identifying which elementary school is geographically accessible and confirming the feeder path into middle school. With a city average of 7.0 and 56% of schools clearing that mark, Burlington's public options hold up well across the board. At 8.5 and 8.4 respectively, C. P. Smith and Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes are clear first-look targets for any family with access to either school.

Elementary Schools

10 schools
# School Rating
1 251 students · Pre-K–5th 8.2
2 260 students · Pre-K–5th 8.1
3 200 students · Pre-K–5th 7.8
4 241 students · Pre-K–5th 7.2
5 544 students · Pre-K–5th 6.6
6 310 students · Pre-K–5th 6.2
Private Schools 4 schools

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.

1 157 students · Pre-K–8th 6.7
2 230 students · Pre-K–8th 6.5
3 15 students · Kindergarten–3rd
4 1 students · Pre-K–TK

Middle Schools

3 schools
# School Rating
1 353 students · 6th–8th 7.7
2 329 students · 6th–8th 6.9
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 43 students · 1st–8th 5.4

High Schools

2 schools
# School Rating
1 989 students · 9th–12th 7.0
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 23 students · 9th–12th

Schools in Burlington

Burlington, Vermont · 15 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 3 ZIP codes

Median Income

$89,444

Median Home Value

$372,867

Median Rent

$1,379/mo

Population

45,982

College Educated

50%

Homeownership

60%

Avg Commute

24 min

Poverty Rate

16.0%

Community Profile

Burlington has a median household income of $89,444. It is a well-educated community where 50% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $372,867, with a median rent of $1,379/month. The area has a poverty rate of 16.0%. The average commute for residents is 24 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Burlington, Vermont

How many schools are in Burlington, Vermont?

Burlington has 15 schools, including 9 public and 6 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Burlington, Vermont?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Burlington is 7.0 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 Burlington, Vermont?

The top-ranked school in Burlington on MySchoolScout is Integrated Arts Academy at H. O. Wheeler with a composite score of 8.2/10.

What is the best elementary school in Burlington, Vermont?

The top-ranked elementary school in Burlington on MySchoolScout is Integrated Arts Academy at H. O. Wheeler with a composite score of 8.2/10.

What is the best middle school in Burlington, Vermont?

The top-ranked middle school in Burlington on MySchoolScout is Edmunds Middle School with a composite score of 7.7/10.

What is the best high school in Burlington, Vermont?

The top-ranked high school in Burlington on MySchoolScout is Burlington High School with a composite score of 7.0/10.

How many school districts serve Burlington, Vermont?

Burlington is served by 1 school district: Burlington School District.

What is the education level in Burlington, Vermont?

According to Census data, 50% of adults in Burlington have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Burlington, Vermont?

The median household income in Burlington is approximately $89,444 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Burlington, Vermont?

Yes, Burlington has 6 private schools alongside 9 public schools. The top-rated private school is Christ the King School with a score of 6.7/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Burlington, Vermont?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Burlington is 9.1:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Burlington, Vermont?

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, Vermont Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.