Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Atlanta Public Schools

This page covers 15 middle schools in Atlanta Public Schools, including 5 charter 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.

15
Schools Ranked
Georgia
State
5
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 15
1
rank
Willis A. Sutton Middle School
Grades 06–081,548 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($24,033/student)
61
/100
Student:Teacher
14.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
51/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
35%
Low economic need
2
rank
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter - Middle
Grades 06–08231 studentsCharter
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.7:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
60
/100
Student:Teacher
11.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
29/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
7%
Low economic need
3
rank
Sylvan Hills Middle School
Grades 06–08445 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.8:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
58
/100
Student:Teacher
10.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
4
rank
Herman J. Russell West End Academy
Grades 06–08399 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.7:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
58
/100
Student:Teacher
10.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
5
rank
David T Howard Middle School
Grades 06–081,119 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($24,033/student)
56
/100
Student:Teacher
15.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
19%
Low economic need
6
rank
KIPP Soul Academy
Grades 05–08315 studentsCharter
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.2:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
55
/100
Student:Teacher
12.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
7
rank
John Lewis Invictus Academy
Grades 06–08825 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.4:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
55
/100
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
8
rank
Ralph Bunche Middle School
Grades 06–08824 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.1:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
13.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
9
rank
Kipp Strive Charter School
Grades 05–08404 studentsCharter
Ranked for: above-average investment ($24,033/student)
51
/100
Student:Teacher
14.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
10
rank
Jean Childs Young Middle School
Grades 06–08747 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.1:1) · above-average investment ($24,033/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
12.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$24,033
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
100%
High economic need
5 more middle schools in Atlanta Public Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Atlanta 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
15
Middle Schools
86
Total Schools
61
#1 Score
52
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
Compare Atlanta Public Schools with neighbouring districts
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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.