Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in District of Columbia Public Schools

This page covers 14 middle schools in District of Columbia Public Schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

14
Schools Ranked
District of Columbia
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 14
1
rank
Jefferson MS Academy
Grades 06–08386 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.1:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
86
/100
Student:Teacher
12.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Deal MS
Grades 06–081,391 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.7:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
85
/100
Student:Teacher
12.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Hardy MS
Grades 06–08571 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($36,134/student)
81
/100
Student:Teacher
14.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
MacFarland MS
Grades 06–08528 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.6:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
71
/100
Student:Teacher
9.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
McKinley MS
Grades 06–08222 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.3:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
69
/100
Student:Teacher
9.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
Ida B. Wells MS
Grades 06–08539 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.5:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
69
/100
Student:Teacher
11.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Kramer MS
Grades 06–08203 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (7.8:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
69
/100
Student:Teacher
7.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
Sousa MS
Grades 06–08215 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.2:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
67
/100
Student:Teacher
9.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Brookland MS
Grades 06–08357 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.5:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
67
/100
Student:Teacher
11.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Hart MS
Grades 06–08386 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.7:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
67
/100
Student:Teacher
11.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
4 more middle schools in District of Columbia Public Schools not shown here.
View all schools in District of Columbia Public Schools
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
14
Middle Schools
116
Total Schools
86
#1 Score
71
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare District of Columbia Public Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.