These are the 9 Best Elementary Schools in the U.S., according to US News 2026 Report

Best Elementary schools in the U.S. in 2026: Choosing the right school is arguably the biggest decision a parent makes. That’s why the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings, the definitive list for educational excellence, are essential reading. This year's 2026 report is out, and it names the absolute best elementary schools in the US, based on rigorous data from over 50,000 institutions.

U.S. News stressed that this year's focus was heavily weighted on schools that prove high academic proficiency while successfully serving students from all backgrounds, underscoring the importance of equitable education. If you want to know which institutions are setting the standard, check out the top elementary schools in the US that shattered expectations and made the elite list.

Which are the Best Elementary Schools in the U.S. as per the U.S. News 2026 Report?

The U.S. News ranking focused on student proficiency in math and reading, as well as the performance of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Here are the best us elementary schools for 2026:

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1. Topsail Elementary School

Topsail earned the coveted #1 spot nationwide, primarily due to its stellar performance in the reading/language arts assessment. The U.S. News report highlighted their incredibly low student-teacher ratio (a key tie-breaker metric), which directly supports early literacy and personalized learning. This success story demonstrates that high academic achievement can thrive in a smaller, coastal community environment, earning them the title of the nation's best elementary school.

2. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School

This Florida school is a powerhouse of equitable education. U.S. News explicitly lauded their success in dramatically closing achievement gaps between economically disadvantaged students and their peers. The report noted that this school’s proficiency rates were among the highest nationally when factoring in student background, securing its place among the top ranked elementary schools in the US for social and academic impact.

3. Rosa Parks Elementary

Rosa Parks Elementary is officially one of the best elementary schools in California, and it is at the top of the list for the West Coast. The school was praised for having the best math and reading scores while also having a very progressive curriculum that focuses on student support and health. One of the main reasons they ranked so high was that they were dedicated to getting high scores without giving up on creative, inclusive ways of teaching.

4. Lakeside Elementary School

Analysts were impressed with Lakeside's strong technology integration program, which U.S. News linked to high student success rates. The official data showed that this campus had excellent math performance across all demographic groups, which shows that the teaching tools were used well. This school is one of the top five elementary schools in the country because it knows how to use its resources well.

5. Northwood Elementary School

Northwood stood out dramatically in the U.S. News' "advanced reading" metric. This means that a large number of its students consistently score well above the proficient level on state reading tests, often showing skills that are usually seen in higher grades. This focus on accelerating literacy skills is a clear sign of the intensive academic push at one of the nation's best elementary schools.

6. Lincoln School

Community strength turned out to be a big factor in the rankings here. U.S. News analysts said that Lincoln School's consistently high academic performance over the past five years was because of the high level of parental involvement and effective community-based learning programs. The data showed that this collaborative setting builds a strong support system that leads to measurable student success on state tests.

7. Highland Park Elementary

Schools all over the country can learn from Highland Park how to include all of their students. The school got an A+ for its creative and thorough Special Education programs, which make sure that all students, no matter what their needs are, are included and get the help they need. The U.S. News report cited this as a key reason for their uniformly high scores in both core subject proficiency metrics.

8. Maplewood School

Maplewood was located in a very diverse city and was known for having a high percentage of students who were proficient in both math and reading, often by large margins over the local district average. The school's smart use of resources and focused teaching proved that it is one of the best elementary schools in the country that can handle the difficulties of a complicated school system.

9. Central Academy of Excellence

Central Academy is also well-known for its commitment to integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into the curriculum from the very beginning. U.S. News praised its strong student growth trajectory, saying that the specialized curriculum is getting young learners ready for future academic challenges at a much faster pace than most of their peers across the country.

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This final list is a great way for parents to find the best elementary schools. U.S. News has named these schools as models of educational excellence. They show that the best way to help students reach their full potential is to combine strong academic programs with fair practices.