Atlanta Public Schools School District

Atlanta Public Schools serves 49,660 students across 87 schools, making it one of Georgia's largest urban districts. Of those schools, 86 carry a ranking, and they average a score of 6.7 out of 10 — a useful baseline when sizing up individual campuses against the district as a whole.

Elementary performance is where the district stands out most clearly. Mary Lin Elementary School leads the district with a 9.6 out of 10, placing it well above the district average and among the strongest elementary programs in the state. Burgess-Peterson Elementary follows at 9.5, and Parkside Elementary and Bolton Academy Elementary both score 9.1. Benteen Elementary rounds out the top five at 9.0. Five elementary schools clearing the 9.0 mark signals a cluster of high-performing options that parents searching at that grade level should prioritize.

The gap between the district average of 6.7 and these top-rated schools is significant. A district-average score means something different here than it does in a smaller, more uniform system — with 87 schools spread across a large urban footprint, performance varies considerably by neighborhood and school. Parents should look at individual school scores rather than treating the district figure as a reliable predictor of what their child will experience. A score near or above 9.0 puts a school in a different tier entirely.

For families weighing Atlanta Public Schools against suburban alternatives, the top elementary tier is genuinely competitive. The concentration of high-rated elementaries — five schools at or above 9.0 — gives parents in the right attendance zones strong options without leaving the district. Those outside those zones should check magnet and choice program availability, since APS operates a system where school assignment is not always strictly address-based. The district's size means more school types, more program variety, and more research required — but also more opportunity to find a strong fit.