📊 What this ranking measures
Rankings are based on academic achievement — the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (AASA 2025), ranked against other districts in the same state — not on spending, district size, or staffing. See full methodology →
70 Rated Districts in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Metro Area
AASA 2025 · percentile among Arizona districts
| Metro Rank | District | District Office | Rating | State Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Scottsdale Unified District | Scottsdale | 9/10 Excellent | 85th |
| #2 | Higley Unified District | Gilbert | 9/10 Excellent | 83rd |
| #3 | Cave Creek Unified District | Cave Creek | 9/10 Excellent | 82nd |
| #4 | Chandler Unified District | Chandler | 9/10 Excellent | 81st |
| #5 | Gilbert Unified District | Gilbert | 8/10 Good | 79th |
| #6 | Deer Valley Unified District | Phoenix | 8/10 Good | 77th |
| #7 | Queen Creek Unified District | Queen Creek | 8/10 Good | 76th |
| #8 | Madison Elementary District | Phoenix | 8/10 Good | 74th |
| #9 | Paradise Valley Unified District | Phoenix | 8/10 Good | 74th |
| #10 | Tempe Union High School District | Tempe | 8/10 Good | 73rd |
| #11 | Kyrene Elementary District | Tempe | 8/10 Good | 70th |
| #12 | Litchfield Elementary District | Litchfield Park | 8/10 Good | 70th |
| #13 | Dysart Unified District | Surprise | 7/10 Good | 67th |
| #14 | Peoria Unified School District | Peoria | 7/10 Good | 65th |
| #15 | Glendale Union High School District | Glendale | 7/10 Good | 61st |
| #16 | Fountain Hills Unified District | Fountain Hills | 6/10 Average | 54th |
| #17 | Liberty Elementary District | Buckeye | 6/10 Average | 54th |
| #18 | Mesa Unified District | Mesa | 6/10 Average | 53rd |
| #19 | Agua Fria Union High School District | Avondale | 6/10 Average | 51st |
| #20 | Laveen Elementary District | Laveen | 6/10 Average | 51st |
| #21 | Aguila Elementary District | Aguila | 5/10 Average | 48th |
| #22 | Morristown Elementary District | Morristown | 5/10 Average | 48th |
| #23 | Avondale Elementary District | Avondale | 5/10 Average | 47th |
| #24 | Buckeye Union High School District | Buckeye | 5/10 Average | 46th |
| #25 | Tempe School District | Tempe | 5/10 Average | 43rd |
| #26 | Washington Elementary District | Glendale | 5/10 Average | 42nd |
| #27 | Nadaburg Unified School District | Wittmann | 5/10 Average | 40th |
| #28 | Palo Verde Elementary District | Palo Verde | 5/10 Average | 40th |
| #29 | J. O. Combs Unified School District | San Tan Vly | 4/10 Below Average | 39th |
| #30 | Buckeye Elementary District | Buckeye | 4/10 Below Average | 38th |
| #31 | Red Rock Elementary District | Red Rock | 4/10 Below Average | 36th |
| #32 | Maricopa Unified School District | Maricopa | 4/10 Below Average | 35th |
| #33 | Oracle Elementary District | Oracle | 4/10 Below Average | 34th |
| #34 | Alhambra Elementary District | Phoenix | 4/10 Below Average | 32nd |
| #35 | Tolleson Elementary District | Tolleson | 4/10 Below Average | 32nd |
| #36 | Wickenburg Unified District | Wickenburg | 4/10 Below Average | 32nd |
| #37 | Apache Junction Unified District | Apache Junction | 4/10 Below Average | 31st |
| #38 | Paloma School District | Gila Bend | 4/10 Below Average | 31st |
| #39 | Saddle Mountain Unified School District | Tonopah | 4/10 Below Average | 31st |
| #40 | Florence Unified School District | Florence | 3/10 Below Average | 29th |
| #41 | Arlington Elementary District | Arlington | 3/10 Below Average | 28th |
| #42 | Casa Grande Union High School District | Casa Grande | 3/10 Below Average | 28th |
| #43 | Phoenix Elementary District | Phoenix | 3/10 Below Average | 28th |
| #44 | Riverside Elementary District | Phoenix | 3/10 Below Average | 28th |
| #45 | Pendergast Elementary District | Phoenix | 3/10 Below Average | 27th |
| #46 | Tolleson Union High School District | Tolleson | 3/10 Below Average | 27th |
| #47 | Glendale Elementary District | Glendale | 3/10 Below Average | 26th |
| #48 | Littleton Elementary District | Cashion | 3/10 Below Average | 25th |
| #49 | Cartwright Elementary District | Phoenix | 3/10 Below Average | 21st |
| #50 | Osborn Elementary District | Phoenix | 3/10 Below Average | 21st |
| #51 | Roosevelt Elementary District | Phoenix | 2/10 Poor | 17th |
| #52 | Wilson Elementary District | Phoenix | 2/10 Poor | 17th |
| #53 | Casa Grande Elementary District | Casa Grande | 2/10 Poor | 16th |
| #54 | Isaac Elementary District | Phoenix | 2/10 Poor | 15th |
| #55 | Murphy Elementary District | Phoenix | 2/10 Poor | 15th |
| #56 | Phoenix Union High School District | Phoenix | 2/10 Poor | 14th |
| #57 | Eloy Elementary District | Eloy | 2/10 Poor | 13th |
| #58 | Fowler Elementary District | Phoenix | 2/10 Poor | 13th |
| #59 | Ray Unified District | Kearny | 2/10 Poor | 12th |
| #60 | Superior Unified School District | Superior | 2/10 Poor | 12th |
| #61 | Coolidge Unified District | Coolidge | 2/10 Poor | 11th |
| #62 | Mammoth-San Manuel Unified District | San Manuel | 2/10 Poor | 11th |
| #63 | Union Elementary District | Tolleson | 2/10 Poor | 10th |
| #64 | Balsz Elementary District | Phoenix | 1/10 Poor | 9th |
| #65 | Creighton Elementary District | Phoenix | 1/10 Poor | 9th |
| #66 | Stanfield Elementary District | Stanfield | 1/10 Poor | 7th |
| #67 | Toltec Elementary District | Eloy | 1/10 Poor | 5th |
| #68 | Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District | Eloy | 1/10 Poor | 4th |
| #69 | Sacaton Elementary District | Sacaton | 1/10 Poor | 3rd |
| #70 | Gila Bend Unified District | Gila Bend | 1/10 Poor | 2nd |
Best School Districts in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Metro Area (2026)
Counties are assigned to metropolitan areas using the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 delineation, and each district is placed in the county of its NCES directory listing. Ratings come from AASA 2025 (Arizona) and are percentile-ranked within the district's own state. Always confirm your assignment by address.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best-rated school district in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area? ▼
Among the 70 rated districts in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the highest-rated is Scottsdale Unified District (Scottsdale), rated 9/10 (Excellent) and in the 85th percentile of Arizona districts on AASA 2025 reading and math proficiency.
How are these rankings calculated? ▼
Each district's rating comes from the share of its students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments, percentile-ranked against all rated districts in its state and converted to a 1–10 scale. Full methodology here.