U.S. News & World Report released its rankings for the top elementary and middle schools in each state, and seven Nassau County school districts were included in New York’s top 50.
The rankings were comprised of two main factors: mathematics and reading performance (50%), which evaluates mathematics and reading results on state assessments, and mathematics and reading proficiency (50%), which measures students’ abilities that equal the percentage of each school’s test-takers who were at least proficient in the two subject areas, according to the American media company.
There were no national rankings for these categories.
Lakeville Elementary in the Great Neck School District was the highest-ranking elementary school in the county, placing 12th on the list. The school was also Nassau’s top elementary school in 2025, listed at 13th, according to the news outlet.
North Side School in the East Williston School District was second in Nassau, coming in as the state’s 17th-best elementary school.
Three elementary schools in the Jericho School District placed within the top 50, with those being the George A. Jackson School (19), Jeffery Ratner Robert Seaman Elementary School (21) and Cantiague Elementary School (50).
Denton Avenue School (43) in Herricks and Glenwood Landing Elementary School (48) in the North Shore School District also placed within the top 50.
Nassau County’s top middle school, according to the online media outlet, is Jericho Middle School, coming in at 24th in the state and, once again, being the top middle school in the county.
Great Neck South Middle School was ranked 34th, Manhasset Middle School was ranked 35th, North Shore Middle School was ranked 37th, The Wheatley School in East Williston was ranked 40th, Herricks Middle School was ranked 43rd, Willets Road School in East Williston was ranked 44th and H.B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset was ranked 47th.
U.S. News & World Report said it examined roughly 47,000 public elementary schools and over 23,000 middle schools throughout the country for the 2026 rankings. The rankings are created using publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, the company said.
“The 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings highlight institutions that excel in fostering student achievement and providing exceptional learning environments for all,” LaMont Jones, the managing editor for education at U.S. News, said.
Several local school districts expressed their excitement about the rankings.
“We are thrilled that our schools have been recognized in this latest report of U.S. News & World Report,” said North Shore School District Superintendent Christopher Zublionis. “We are proud of the experiences that help our students grow along their North Shore Journey while also realizing that we must always seek continuous improvement for our most precious natural resource – our students.”
“We’re proud that our schools continue to be recognized for academic excellence,” said Great Neck School District Superintendent Kenneth Bossert. “These rankings reflect the collective commitment of our educators, families, residents and Board of Education to provide outstanding programs and support our students at every level.”
“We are honored that our schools have been recognized,” Jericho School District Superintendent Robert Kravitz said. “This achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of our staff, students, and community.”
“While we don’t chase rankings for recognition, we always graciously accept a compliment, and this is certainly one we’re honored to receive,” Syosset School District spokeswoman Philomena Hefferon said.
U.S. News & World Report also releases its rankings for the best school districts and high schools annually.
