Best Schools in Kent, Washington
37 schools · 26 Elementary · 3 Middle · 6 High · 2 Other
Choosing a school in Kent?
Use this page to compare every school in Kent 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.
Sunrise Elementary School
Elementary · Kent School District. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Lake Youngs Elementary School
Elementary · Kent School District. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Grass Lake Elementary School
Elementary · Kent 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 Kent for 2026 are Sunrise Elementary School (8.4/10), Lake Youngs Elementary School (8.3/10), and Grass Lake Elementary School (8.1/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 33 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
37
32 public · 5 private
Avg Score
5.6
out of 10
Median Home
$544,600
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Schools
37
32 public · 5 private
Avg Score
5.6
out of 10
Median Home
$544,600
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Rates 8.4/10 despite 48% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.4 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 Kent schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +17.0 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Kent schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Kent
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (33 of 37). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunrise Elementary School | 8.4 / 10 |
| 2 | Lake Youngs Elementary School | 8.3 / 10 |
| 3 | Grass Lake Elementary School | 8.1 / 10 |
| 4 | Kent Laboratory Academy | 8.0 / 10 |
| 5 | Meridian Elementary School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 6 | Glenridge Elementary | 7.0 / 10 |
| 7 | Meridian Middle School | 6.7 / 10 |
| 8 | Martin Sortun Elementary School | 6.6 / 10 |
| 9 | Soos Creek Elementary School | 6.5 / 10 |
| 10 | Emerald Park Elementary 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
- 5.6/10
- Median household income
- $98,911
- Median home value
- $544,600
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 30%
- Avg commute
- 31 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 61%
18% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Kent compares
Washington rank
#138 of 193
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.8
below Washington avg (6.4)
Median household income
$99k
111% of Washington median
Schools in this city
34
About Schools in Kent, Washington
Kent, Washington has 28 ranked public schools with an average score of 6.1 out of 10. The district spans elementary, middle, and high school levels, giving families a broad range of options to evaluate. Performance varies considerably across the city — 9 schools, or 32% of the total, score 7 or higher out of 10, meaning roughly one in three schools clears that threshold. Parents researching Kent should expect a mixed landscape where school quality depends heavily on the specific campus rather than the district as a whole.
Elementary schools dominate the top tier. Meridian Elementary School leads the city with a 9.2 out of 10, the highest score among all ranked public schools in Kent. Sunrise Elementary follows at 8.8, and Neely O'Brien Elementary and Lake Youngs Elementary round out the upper range at 8.5 and 8.1 respectively. Kent Laboratory Academy, rated 7.7, rounds out the top five and offers an alternative program for families looking beyond a traditional school setting.
The gap between the city's top schools and its average tells the real story. With a citywide mean of 6.1 and a top score of 9.2, there's more than three full points separating the strongest performers from the middle of the pack. That spread is wide enough to matter in a practical sense — a family zoned for a lower-rated school but living near a top-scoring one may want to look closely at boundary lines and open enrollment options.
For parents comparing schools in Kent, start by checking which elementary feeds into your target middle and high school. Meridian and Sunrise elementary zones are worth mapping first if academic performance is a priority. Cross-reference attendance boundaries with the city's 9 highest-rated schools to understand your realistic options before factoring in distance or programs. Kent's school landscape rewards parents who do the zone-level research early rather than relying on district-level averages alone.
Elementary Schools
26 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 489 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.4 |
| 2 | 429 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.3 |
| 3 | 354 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.1 |
| 4 | 412 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.8 |
| 5 | 325 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.0 |
| 6 | 458 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.6 |
| 7 | 282 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.5 |
| 8 | 323 students · Kindergarten–5th | 6.5 |
| 9 | 465 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.3 |
| 10 | 513 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.2 |
Show all 26 elementary schools in Kent
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
3 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 656 students · 6th–8th | 6.7 |
| 2 | 737 students · 6th–8th | 4.1 |
| 3 | 819 students · 6th–8th | 3.1 |
High Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,124 students · 9th–12th | 5.6 |
| 2 | 1,706 students · 9th–12th | 5.1 |
| 3 | 80 students · 12th–12th | 5.0 |
| 4 | 454 students · 9th–12th | 4.7 |
| 5 | 1,551 students · 9th–12th | 3.9 |
| 6 | 128 students · 6th–12th | — |
Other Schools
2 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 327 students · 3rd–12th | 8.0 | ||
| 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 | Cascade Vista Baptist School
Private
124 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.3 | ||
Schools in Kent
Kent, Washington · 37 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 4 ZIP codes
Median Income
$98,911
Median Home Value
$544,600
Median Rent
$1,914/mo
Population
168,134
College Educated
30%
Homeownership
61%
Avg Commute
31 min
Poverty Rate
9.8%
Community Profile
Kent has a median household income of $98,911. It is an area where 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $544,600, with a median rent of $1,914/month. The local poverty rate of 9.8% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 31 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- Washington
- Elementary
- 26
- Middle
- 3
- High
- 6
- Other
- 2
Nearby Cities
Other Major Cities in Washington
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 Kent, Washington
How many schools are in Kent, Washington?
Kent has 37 schools, including 32 public and 5 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Kent, Washington?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Kent is 5.6 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 Kent, Washington?
The top-ranked school in Kent on MySchoolScout is Sunrise Elementary School with a composite score of 8.4/10.
What is the best elementary school in Kent, Washington?
The top-ranked elementary school in Kent on MySchoolScout is Sunrise Elementary School with a composite score of 8.4/10.
What is the best middle school in Kent, Washington?
The top-ranked middle school in Kent on MySchoolScout is Meridian Middle School with a composite score of 6.7/10.
What is the best high school in Kent, Washington?
The top-ranked high school in Kent on MySchoolScout is Kentridge High School with a composite score of 5.6/10.
How many school districts serve Kent, Washington?
Kent is served by 2 school districts: Federal Way School District, Kent School District.
What is the education level in Kent, Washington?
According to Census data, 30% of adults in Kent have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Kent, Washington?
The median household income in Kent is approximately $98,911 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Kent, Washington?
Yes, Kent has 5 private schools alongside 32 public schools. The top-rated private school is Cascade Vista Baptist School with a score of 6.3/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Kent, Washington?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Kent is 18.1:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Kent, Washington?
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, Washington Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.