📊 What this ranking measures
Rankings are based on academic achievement — the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (CMAS 2025), ranked against other districts in the same state — not on spending, district size, or staffing. See full methodology →
Top 25 Districts Colorado
Sorted by rating — highest first
| # | District | City | Rating | State Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | McClave School District RE-2 | Hasty | 10/10 Excellent | 99th |
| #2 | Ridgway School District R-2 | Montrose | 10/10 Excellent | 99th |
| #3 | Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 | Colorado Springs | 10/10 Excellent | 98th |
| #4 | Karval School District RE-23 | Karval | 10/10 Excellent | 98th |
| #5 | Kiowa County School District No. RE-1 | Arlington | 10/10 Excellent | 98th |
| #6 | Salida School District R-32 | Salida | 10/10 Excellent | 97th |
| #7 | Steamboat Springs School District RE-2 | Clark | 10/10 Excellent | 97th |
| #8 | Boulder Valley School District RE-2 | Broomfield | 10/10 Excellent | 96th |
| #9 | Douglas County School District RE-1 | Castle Rock | 10/10 Excellent | 95th |
| #10 | Littleton School District 6 | Littleton | 10/10 Excellent | 95th |
| #11 | Academy School District 20 | Usaf Academy | 10/10 Excellent | 94th |
| #12 | Lewis-Palmer School District 38 | Monument | 10/10 Excellent | 93th |
| #13 | Poudre School District R-1 | Bellvue | 10/10 Excellent | 93th |
| #14 | Aspen School District 1 | Aspen | 10/10 Excellent | 92th |
| #15 | Telluride School District R-1 | Ophir | 10/10 Excellent | 92th |
| #16 | Pritchett School District RE-3 | Pritchett | 10/10 Excellent | 91th |
| #17 | Idalia School District RJ-3 | Idalia | 10/10 Excellent | 90th |
| #18 | Kit Carson School District R-1 | Kit Carson | 10/10 Excellent | 90th |
| #19 | Platte Canyon School District 1 | Bailey | 10/10 Excellent | 90th |
| #20 | Ouray School District R-1 | Ouray | 9/10 Excellent | 89th |
| #21 | Revere School District | Ovid | 9/10 Excellent | 89th |
| #22 | Limon School District RE-4J | Limon | 9/10 Excellent | 88th |
| #23 | Meeker School District RE1 | Meeker | 9/10 Excellent | 88th |
| #24 | Creede School District | Creede | 9/10 Excellent | 87th |
| #25 | Windsor School District RE-4 | Severance | 9/10 Excellent | 87th |
Best School Districts in Colorado (2026)
This ranking covers 174 rated public school districts in Colorado, scored using CMAS 2025 state assessment data. Each district's reading and math proficiency rates are averaged, then ranked against other districts in the same state to produce a 1–10 score.
A district's score reflects how its students perform on state assessments relative to same-state peers — it is not a direct measure of teaching quality, school culture, or individual student outcomes. Always visit schools, talk to local families, and contact districts directly before making decisions. Learn how ratings are calculated →
Colorado School Districts at a Glance
- 177 of the 178 regular school districts operating in Colorado have a published rating on this site.
- 54 districts score 8/10 or higher, the top three rating bands.
- Ratings come from CMAS 2025, and every district is ranked against other districts in Colorado only — never against districts in another state, because the tests differ.
- The highest-rated district is McClave School District RE-2 in Hasty, rated 10/10.
- Almost every district in Colorado is unified, meaning one district runs kindergarten through 12th grade for an address.
How to Use This List
Click any district name to see its zip code page and confirm your exact assignment with the district office. Boundaries don't always follow city or neighborhood lines — the zip code search gives you the most accurate result.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school district in Colorado? ▼
Based on state reading and math assessment proficiency (CMAS 2025), the top-rated district is McClave School District RE-2 in Hasty, rated 10/10 (Excellent).
How are these rankings calculated? ▼
Rankings use the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (CMAS 2025), ranked against other districts in the same state, then converted to a 1–10 scale. Full methodology here.
Are ratings based on test scores? ▼
Yes. Ratings are based directly on state reading and math assessment proficiency rates, not on enrollment, spending, or school count. They are a starting point for research, not a final verdict on school quality.
How many school districts are in Colorado? ▼
Colorado has 178 regular school districts operating in the 2024–25 school year, according to the NCES Common Core of Data. 177 of them have enough state assessment data to carry a rating on this site.
What test are Colorado school district ratings based on? ▼
CMAS 2025. The rating is the share of students scoring proficient or above in reading and math, converted to a percentile against other districts in Colorado and then to a 1–10 scale. Spending, staffing and district size are not part of it.
How many districts in Colorado are rated 8 out of 10 or higher? ▼
54 of the 177 rated districts in Colorado score 8/10 or above. Because the scale is a within-state percentile, a high rating means the district outperforms most other districts in Colorado, not the country.
Does one district cover all grades in Colorado? ▼
In Colorado nearly every district is unified, so the same district runs elementary, middle and high school for an address. A few states split those into separate districts; Colorado is not one of them.