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Public middle school · Merrillville Community School Corp · Merrillville, Indiana

Pierce Middle School

Pierce Middle School rates 4.7, below most Merrillville Community School Corp middle schools, whose rated median is 5.5.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.7this school

4.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Merrillville Community School Corp median is 5.5.

#1,624 of 1,828 schools in Indiana · Merrillville Community School Corp: 2 middle schools rated, median 5.5

The brief

A Merrillville Community School Corp middle school where students score 9 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,624 of 1,828 schools in Indiana and 7 of 8 in Merrillville Community School Corp.

Pierce Middle School is listed in Merrillville Community School Corp, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math19%19 points below the Indiana average of 38%2026 ILEARN
Reading27%15 points below the Indiana average of 42%2026 ILEARN
In 2026, 19% of students were proficient in math and 27% in reading, against Indiana averages of 38% and 42%.2026 ILEARN; 60 test records from IN state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.8
40% of the rating
Academics
3.8
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.7
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 29% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 41% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ILEARN · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ILEARN · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 46410; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Pierce Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$61,735
Median home value
$192,100
Median rent
$1,267/mo
College educated
24.4%
Homeownership
63.6%
Poverty rate
14.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 46410; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
41
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
47
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,420/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Merrillville. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Merrillville), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
64.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.6Compare →
  2. 6.2Compare →
  3. 5.9Compare →
  4. 5.6Compare →
  5. Steel City Academy5.0 mi · charter
    5.0Compare →
  6. Pierce Middle Schoolthis school
    4.7
  7. 3.0Compare →
Six grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and five rate higher than Pierce Middle School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Pierce Middle School serve?

Pierce Middle School serves students in grades 7th through 8th.

How many students attend Pierce Middle School?

Pierce Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 899 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pierce Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Pierce Middle School is 14.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Pierce Middle School rank in IN?

Pierce Middle School ranks #1,624 of 1,828 schools in IN.

What is Pierce Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Pierce Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Pierce Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Pierce Middle School has 29% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 41% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Pierce Middle School a charter school?

No, Pierce Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Pierce Middle School a Title I school?

No, Pierce Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Pierce Middle School?

64.8% of students at Pierce Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
7th – 8th
Enrollment
899
Student-teacher ratio
14.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
62
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Lake County
Rank in district
#7 of 8
Schools in district
8
District spending per student
$10,733
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 46410)
38,803
Area average commute
32 min
Area median age
40.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Indiana Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.