📊 What this ranking measures
Rankings are based on academic achievement — the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (PSSA 2024–25), ranked against other districts in the same state — not on spending, district size, or staffing. See full methodology →
All 16 Rated Districts in Lancaster County, PA
Sorted by rating, then state percentile
| County Rank | District | District Office | Rating | State Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Manheim Township School District | Lancaster | 9/10 Excellent | 88th |
| #2 | Cocalico School District | Denver | 9/10 Excellent | 87th |
| #3 | Hempfield School District | Landisville | 9/10 Excellent | 85th |
| #4 | Lampeter-Strasburg School District | Lampeter | 9/10 Excellent | 81st |
| #5 | Penn Manor School District | Millersville | 9/10 Excellent | 81st |
| #6 | Elizabethtown Area School District | Elizabethtown | 8/10 Good | 73rd |
| #7 | Warwick School District | Lititz | 8/10 Good | 72nd |
| #8 | Ephrata Area School District | Ephrata | 6/10 Average | 57th |
| #9 | Conestoga Valley School District | Lancaster | 6/10 Average | 54th |
| #10 | Donegal School District | Mount Joy | 6/10 Average | 54th |
| #11 | Manheim Central School District | Manheim | 6/10 Average | 50th |
| #12 | Eastern Lancaster County School District | New Holland | 5/10 Average | 45th |
| #13 | Pequea Valley School District | Kinzers | 5/10 Average | 41st |
| #14 | Solanco School District | Quarryville | 3/10 Below Average | 22nd |
| #15 | Lancaster School District | Lancaster | 1/10 Poor | 8th |
| #16 | Columbia Borough School District | Columbia | 1/10 Poor | 4th |
Best School Districts in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (2026)
This page lists the 16 public school districts headquartered in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania that have a SchoolDistrictFinder rating, scored using PSSA 2024–25 state assessment data. The county rank is simply their order here; the state percentile compares each district with every rated district in Pennsylvania, which is how the 1–10 rating is set. Ratings are not comparable with districts in other states.
Districts are placed in the county of their NCES directory listing. A district's boundaries can cross county lines, and a home in Lancaster County may be served by a district headquartered next door — search your address or zip code to confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best-rated school district in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania? ▼
Among the 16 rated districts in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the highest-rated is Manheim Township School District (Lancaster), rated 9/10 (Excellent) and in the 88th percentile of Pennsylvania districts on PSSA 2024–25 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 (PSSA 2024–25), percentile-ranked against all rated districts in Pennsylvania and converted to a 1–10 scale. Full methodology here.