These Michigan elementary schools retain top-5 spots in latest U.S. News ranking

Michigan’s five best-ranked public elementary schools are keeping their top-five spots according to the latest analyses from U.S. News and World Report.
Meanwhile, nearly all of the top 50 schools statewide are in the southern half of the state’s lower peninsula.
The media platform released its rankings for the 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools on Tuesday, Oct. 28. According to a news release, the report covered 47,000 public elementary and 23,000 middle schools ranked both at the state and district levels.
The U.S. News ranking focuses on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in math and reading or language arts, while also accounting for student background and achievement, as well as student-teacher ratios.
In Michigan, many of the top 50 are located in Southeastern and West Michigan.
That includes five elementaries in Ann Arbor Public Schools, Three in Byron Center Public Schools and two in Birmingham, Forest Hills, Grand Haven Area, Northville and Spring Lake public schools.
The following are the top 50, including each school’s home district and city, its previous 2025 state ranking, its enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and proficiency scores in math and reading.
For more information, visit USNews.com.
50. Cross Creek Charter Academy
District: Cross Creek Charter Academy
City: Byron Center
2025 state ranking: No. 74
Enrollment: 807
Student-teacher ratio: 21-1
Math proficiency: 71%
Reading proficiency: 70%
49. Wass Elementary School
District: Troy School District
City: Troy
2025 state ranking: No. 88
Enrollment: 431
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 71%
Reading proficiency: 78%
48. George Defer Elementary School
District: Grosse Pointe Public Schools
City: Grosse Pointe Park
2025 state ranking: No. 20
Enrollment: 464
Student-teacher ratio: 18-1
Math proficiency: 67%
Reading proficiency: 82%
47. Rochester Community Schools Virtual Campus
District: Rochester Community School District
City: Rochester Hills
2025 state ranking: No. 54
Enrollment: 96
Student-teacher ratio: 11-1
Math proficiency: 63%
Reading proficiency: 71%
46. Pierce Elementary School
District: Birmingham Public Schools
City: Birmingham
2025 state ranking: No. 75
Enrollment: 514
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 77%
45. Hill Elementary School
District: Davison Community Schools
City: Davison
2025 state ranking: No. 38
Enrollment: 261
Student-teacher ratio: 20-1
Math proficiency: 72%
Reading proficiency: 72%
44. Weidman Elementary School
District: Chippewa Hills School District
City: Weidman
2025 state ranking: No. 48
Enrollment: 255
Student-teacher ratio: 15-1
Math proficiency: 67%
Reading proficiency: 77%
43. Lake Hills Elementary School
District: Grand Haven Area Public Schools
City: Spring Lake
2025 state ranking: No. 58
Enrollment: 275
Student-teacher ratio: 15-1
Math proficiency: 67%
Reading proficiency: 77%
42. Lakewood Elementary School
District: West Ottawa Public School District
City: Holland
2025 state ranking: No. 32
Enrollment: 308
Student-teacher ratio: 12-1
Math proficiency: 67%
Reading proficiency: 77%
41. Quarton Elementary
District: Birmingham Public Schools
City: Birmingham
2025 state ranking: No. 16
Enrollment: 366
Student-teacher ratio: 13-1
Math proficiency: 72%
Reading proficiency: 87%
40. Valley View Elementary School
District: Rockford Public Schools
City: Rockford
2025 state ranking: No. 55
Enrollment: 617
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 79%
Reading proficiency: 74%
39. Okemos Public Montessoricentral
District: Okemos Public Schools
City: Okemos
2025 state ranking: No. 22
Enrollment: 323
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 67%
Reading proficiency: 87%
38. Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
District: Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
City: Plymouth
2025 state ranking: No. 47
Enrollment: 804
Student-teacher ratio: 22-1
Math proficiency: 76%
Reading proficiency: 76%
37. Knapp Forest Elementary School
District: Forest Hills Public Schools
City: Grand Rapids
2025 state ranking: No. 39
Enrollment: 557
Student-teacher ratio: 19-1
Math proficiency: 76%
Reading proficiency: 79%
36. Way Elementary School
District: Bloomfield Hills Schools
City: Bloomfield Hills
2025 state ranking: No. 40
Enrollment: 473
Student-teacher ratio: 13-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 77%
35. Dutton Elementary School
District: Caledonia Community Schools
City: Caledonia
2025 state ranking: No. 59
Enrollment: 299
Student-teacher ratio: 15-1
Math proficiency: 82%
Reading proficiency: 67%
34. New Buffalo Elementary School
District: New Buffalo Area Schools
City: New Buffalo
2025 state ranking: No. 36
Enrollment: 216
Student-teacher ratio: 11-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 72%
33. Bach Elementary School
District: Ann Arbor Public Schools
City: Ann Arbor
2025 state ranking: No. 28
Enrollment: 322
Student-teacher ratio: 13-1
Math proficiency: 72%
Reading proficiency: 77%
32. Wines Elementary School
District: Ann Arbor Public Schools
City: Ann Arbor
2025 state ranking: No. 26
Enrollment: 416
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 77%
31. South Arbor Charter Academy
District: South Arbor Charter Academy
City: Ypsilanti
2025 state ranking: No. 44
Enrollment: 802
Student-teacher ratio: 20-1
Math proficiency: 70%
Reading proficiency: 78%
30. Wattles Elementary School
District: Troy School District
City: Troy
2025 state ranking: No. 29
Enrollment: 412
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 73%
Reading proficiency: 77%
29. Messmore Elementary School
District: Utica Community Schools
City: Sterling Heights
2025 state ranking: No. 30
Enrollment: 333
Student-teacher ratio: 18-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 77%
28. Chandler Woods Charter Academy
District: Chandler Woods Charter Academy
City: Belmont
2025 state ranking: No. 24
Enrollment: 752
Student-teacher ratio: 21-1
Math proficiency: 75%
Reading proficiency: 73%
27. Gardens Elementary School
District: Marysville Public Schools
City: Marysville
2025 state ranking: No. 35
Enrollment: 475
Student-teacher ratio: 24-1
Math proficiency: 79%
Reading proficiency: 75%
26. Eberwhite School
District: Ann Arbor Public Schools
City: Ann Arbor
2025 state ranking: No. 33
Enrollment: 368
Student-teacher ratio: 15-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 77%
25. Hamilton Elementary School
District: Troy School District
City: Troy
2025 state ranking: No. 42
Enrollment: 449
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 78%
Reading proficiency: 81%
24. Winn Elementary School
District: Shepherd Public Schools
City: Shepherd
2025 state ranking: No. 41
Enrollment: 222
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 85%
Reading proficiency: 75%
23. Riverview Elementary School
District: Big Rapids Public Schools
City: Big Rapids
2025 state ranking: No. 27
Enrollment: 321
Student-teacher ratio: 18-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 82%
22. Creekside Elementary School
District: Hartland Consolidated Schools
City: Hartland
2025 state ranking: No. 14
Enrollment: 409
Student-teacher ratio: 14-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 82%
21. Ada Elementary School
District: Forest Hills Public Schools
City: Ada
2025 state ranking: No. 18
Enrollment: 310
Student-teacher ratio: 13-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 82%
20. Marshall Elementary School
District: Byron Center Public Schools
City: Byron Center
2025 state ranking: No. 25
Enrollment: 528
Student-teacher ratio: 19-1
Math proficiency: 84%
Reading proficiency: 78%
19. Schroeder Elementary School
District: Troy School District
City: Troy
2025 state ranking: No. 11
Enrollment: 443
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 82%
Reading proficiency: 83%
18. Jeffers Elementary School
District: Spring Lake Public Schools
City: Spring Lake
2025 state ranking: No. 23
Enrollment: 368
Student-teacher ratio: 12-1
Math proficiency: 87%
Reading proficiency: 77%
17. Handley School
District: Saginaw City Schools
City: Saginaw
2025 state ranking: No. 31
Enrollment: 320
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 82%
Reading proficiency: 82%
16. Rosy Mound School
District: Grand Haven Area Public Schools
City: Grand Haven
2025 state ranking: No. 19
Enrollment: 268
Student-teacher ratio: 15-1
Math proficiency: 82%
Reading proficiency: 82%
15. Conant Elementary School
District: Bloomfield Hills Schools
City: Bloomfield Hills
2025 state ranking: No. 17
Enrollment: 500
Student-teacher ratio: 14-1
Math proficiency: 82%
Reading proficiency: 82%
14. Hemmeter Elementary School
District: Saginaw Township Community Schools
City: Saginaw
2025 state ranking: No. 9
Enrollment: 318
Student-teacher ratio: 22-1
Math proficiency: 77%
Reading proficiency: 87%
13. Moraine Elementary School
District: Northville Public Schools
City: Northville
2025 state ranking: No. 15
Enrollment: 403
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 81%
Reading proficiency: 84%
12. King Elementary School
District: Ann Arbor Public Schools
City: Ann Arbor
2025 state ranking: No. 12
Enrollment: 512
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 85%
Reading proficiency: 81%
11. Countryside Elementary School
District: Byron Center Public Schools
City: Byron Center
2025 state ranking: No. 13
Enrollment: 617
Student-teacher ratio: 21-1
Math proficiency: 87%
Reading proficiency: 81%
10. Bemis Elementary School
District: Troy School District
City: Troy
2025 state ranking: No. 8
Enrollment: 453
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 83%
Reading proficiency: 85%
9. Caledonia Elementary School
District: Caledonia Community Schools
City: Caledonia
2025 state ranking: No. 21
Enrollment: 308
Student-teacher ratio: 18-1
Math proficiency: 87%
Reading proficiency: 82%
8. Angell School
District: Ann Arbor Public Schools
City: Ann Arbor
2025 state ranking: No. 10
Enrollment: 288
Student-teacher ratio: 13-1
Math proficiency: 87%
Reading proficiency: 82%
7. Holmes Elementary School
District: Spring Lake Public Schools
City: Spring Lake
2025 state ranking: No. 7
Enrollment: 420
Student-teacher ratio: 13-1
Math proficiency: 82%
Reading proficiency: 87%
6. Amerman Elementary School
District: Northville Public Schools
City: Northville
2025 state ranking: No. 6
Enrollment: 556
Student-teacher ratio: 19-1
Math proficiency: 85%
Reading proficiency: 89%
5. Brown Elementary School
District: Byron Center Public Schools
City: Byron Center
2025 state ranking: No. 5
Enrollment: 600
Student-teacher ratio: 21-1
Math proficiency: 93%
Reading proficiency: 90%
4. Avondale Gifted and Talented Education
District: Avondale School District
City: Rochester Hills
2025 state ranking: No. 4
Enrollment: 328
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 97%
Reading proficiency: 98%
3. Crestwood Accelerated Program
District: Crestwood School District
City: Dearborn Heights
2025 state ranking: No. 3
Enrollment: 18
Student-teacher ratio: 16-1
Math proficiency: 95%
Reading proficiency: 95%
2. Webster Elementary School
District: Livonia Public Schools
City: Livonia
2025 state ranking: No. 2
Enrollment: 272
Student-teacher ratio: 17-1
Math proficiency: 98%
Reading proficiency: 98%
1. Gallimore Elementary School
District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
City: Canton
2025 state ranking: No. 1
Enrollment: 315
Student-teacher ratio: 14-1
Math proficiency: 100%
Reading proficiency: 100%