SOMERSET PREPARATORY ACADEMY SUNSET vs SOMERSET PALMS ACADEMY

Both schools sit near the top of Florida's 3,777-school rankings, but Somerset Preparatory Academy Sunset holds a slight edge overall — rated 9.4/10 and ranked #17 statewide versus Somerset Palms Academy's 9.3/10 and #29 statewide ranking. That 0.1-point overall gap and 12-rank difference are narrow, but both positions represent genuinely elite standing in a large, competitive state system.

The academic and growth scores tell a more instructive story. Somerset Preparatory Academy Sunset scores 9.9/10 on academics compared to Somerset Palms Academy's 9.2/10 — a 0.7-point gap that reflects meaningfully stronger tested proficiency outcomes. Somerset Palms Academy reverses the advantage on growth, scoring 9.8/10 versus Sunset's 9.4/10, meaning students at Palms are progressing faster relative to their starting points. Families prioritizing absolute achievement levels will favor Sunset; families who weight year-over-year student gains will find Palms compelling.

The two schools differ on every demographic metric. Somerset Preparatory Academy Sunset enrolls 432 students with a 16.6:1 student-teacher ratio and a 46% free/reduced-price lunch rate. Somerset Palms Academy serves 315 students, carries an 18.5:1 ratio, and has a 60% free/reduced lunch rate. Sunset's lower ratio means more adult attention per child on average, while Palms serves a meaningfully higher proportion of economically disadvantaged families — a factor that makes its strong growth score especially notable. Both schools are 2.5 miles apart in Miami and serve grades KG–08.

Grade span is identical at both — kindergarten through eighth grade — so neither school forces an earlier transition. The key structural difference is size and classroom density: Sunset's 432-student campus with 16.6 students per teacher offers a slightly smaller, more staffed learning environment than Palms's 315-student campus running at 18.5:1.