Best 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.