Best schools in Tri-Cities ranked in new study. How did your student’s school stack up?

Parenthood means making many decisions for your child every day. Some are more difficult than others, and some have more impact on a child’s life than others. But no single day as a parent is void of decision-making.

Arguably, one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your child regards their education. What schools will they go to, what district do you want them in?

The school ranking and information site Niche aims to ease this process by offering parents and students searchable data on their education options. For the last decade, this has included an annual ranking of schools, determining the “best” school in specific locations and categories.

Top five best schools in Tri-Cities

According to the Niche ranking, the best school in the Tri-Cities area is Hanford High School in the Richland School District, which was also ranked the 23rd-best public high school in the entire state of Washington. Like the rest of the top five schools, Hanford High received an A overall grade.

Next in line is Tri-Cities Prep Catholic High School in Pasco. The only Catholic high school option in the area, the school ranked 34th-best private high school in the state.

Third place went to Leona Libby Middle School in the Richland School District, which was ranked the 35th best public middle school in Washington.

In fourth place is White Bluffs Elementary School, and fifth place went to Orchard Elementary School, both in the Richland School District.

Best schools in Tri-Cities, ranked

Not every school received a ranking. Some were left without grades due to lack of available data.

Of the remaining 75 graded schools, three received an A-:

• Amon Creek Elementary School in the Kennewick School District ranked sixth

• Wiley Elementary School in the Richland School District

• Lewis and Clark Elementary School in the Richland School District

The schools that placed ninth-place or lower received a B+ (in order of ranking):

• 9. Cottonwood Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 10. Richland High School - Richland School District

• 11. Jason Lee Elementary School - Richland School District

• 12. Ridge View Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 13. Enterprise Middle School - Richland School District

• 14. Badger Mountain Elementary School - Richland School District

• 15. Sagecrest Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 16. Southridge High School - Kennewick School District

• 17. Marcus Whitman Elementary School - Richland School District

11 schools received a B:

• 18. Desert Hills Middle School - Kennewick School District

• 19. Ruth Livingston Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 20. Jefferson Elementary School - Richland School District

• 21. Kamiakin High School - Kennewick School District

• 22. Kennewick High School - Kennewick School District

• 23. Lincoln Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 24. Sacajawea Elementary School - Richland School District

• 25. Edwin Markham Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 26. Tapteal Elementary School - Richland School District

• 27. Prosser High School - Prosser School District

• 28. Carmichael Middle School - Richland School District

Another 11 schools received B- grades:

• 29. Sunset View Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 30. Horse Heaven Hills Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 31. Chief Joseph Middle School - Richland School District

• 32. Chinook Middle School - Kennewick School District

• 33. Vista Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 34. Cascade Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 35. Chiawana High School - Pasco School District

• 36. Canyon View Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 37. Hawthorne Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 38. Phoenix High School - Kennewick School District

• 39. McLoughlin Middle School - Pasco School District

10 schools received a C+:

• 40. River View High School - Finley School District

• 41. Washington Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 42. Southgate Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 43. Kiona-Benton City High School - Kiona-Benton City School District

• 44. Westgate Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 45. Liberty Christian School of the Tri-Cities - Private school in Richland

• 46. Fuerza Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 47. Maya Angelou Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 48. Rosalind Franklin STEM Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 49. James McGee Elementary School - Pasco School District

C grades went to eleven schools:

• 50. Three Rivers HomeLink - Richland School District

• 51. Park Middle School - Kennewick School District

• 52. Barbara McClintock STEM Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 53. Prosser Heights Elementary School - Prosser School District

• 54. Eastgate Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 55. Edison Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 56. Mark Twain Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 57. Kennewick Mid- Columbia Parent Partnership - Kennewick School District

• 58. Highlands Middle School - Kennewick School District

• 59. Pasco Senior High School - Pasco School District

• 60. Whitstran Elementary School - Prosser School District

The most popular grade was a C-, given to 19 schools:

• 61. Housel Middle School - Prosser School District

• 62. Amistad Elementary School - Kennewick School District

• 63. Kiona-Benton City Primary School - Kiona-Benton City School District

• 64. Virgie Robinson Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 65. Robert Frost Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 66. Marie Curie STEM Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 67. Finley Middle School - Finley School District

• 68. Emerson Elementary School - Finley School District

• 69. Kiona-Benton City Intermediate School - Kiona-Benton City School District

• 70. Stevens Middle School - Pasco School District

• 71. Longfellow Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 72. Ellen Ochoa Middle School - Pasco School District

• 73. Finley Elementary School - Finley School District

• 74. Whittier Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 75. Kiona-Benton City Middle School - Kiona-Benton City School District

• 76. Rowena Chess Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 77. Rivers Edge High School - Richland School District

• 78. Captain Gray STEM Elementary School - Pasco School District

• 79. New Horizons High School - Pasco School District

Only one school received a lower grade. Legacy High School in Kennewick School District received a D-.

How Niche grades are calculated

Niche uses a myriad of datasets to determine each ranking, depending on the type of school, mixing quantifiable data with parent and student reviews. Certain aspects of data are worth more than others. A full breakdown of methodology is available here.

“We get deep, too, asking questions about everything from college prep to cafeteria food,” Niche said on its website. “Though quality data is a priority, at Niche, we know that a school is more than a collection of stats.”

In general, the factors included make up the following categories:

• Academic Grade: Based on state assessment proficiency and survey responses on academics from students and parents.

• Teacher Grade: Based on teacher salary, teacher absenteeism, state test results and survey responses on teachers from students and parents.

• District Grade: Based on rigorous academic and student life data analysis and millions of reviews from students and parents.

• Culture & Diversity Grade: Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses from students and parents on school culture and diversity.

• Parent/Student Surveys Grade: Niche survey responses scored on a 1-5 scale regarding the overall experience of students and parents from the school.

So, with that in mind, how did Tri-Cities schools stack up?