Seattle neighborhoods with the best high schools

No other aspect of a home, aside from price, is cited by families as most important than its neighborhood schools.

For those looking to live in Seattle, they are in luck. Seattle has a richly diverse population base leading to some of the finest schools in the county.

According to Niche, Seattle Public Schools rate 12th in the state of Washington. This recognition is especially impressive, given the school district has over 55,000 students with more than 100 schools.

When looking specifically at high schools, there are a few standouts in Seattle Public Schools: Garfield High School, Roosevelt High School and Ballard High School. Depending on ratings from either U.S. News & World Report or Niche, Garfield High School and Roosevelt High School are consistently the top two rated schools, trading positions depending on the year and site. The top five for the city nearly always include these two, plus Ingraham High School, Cleveland High School and Nathan Hale High School.

The neighborhoods served by these great schools offer incredible diversity. For Garfield High School, you have such established areas as Madrona, Madison Park and Capitol Hill. Roosevelt High School pulls students from Laurelhurst, Wedgewood and the University District and Greenlake areas.

In both cases, homes in these areas come at a premium. But several condominiums and co-ops are available in these areas, making it possible to purchase more affordable housing while taking advantage of these top-rated high schools.

Interestingly, several other Seattle neighborhood schools come up at the top when looking at elementary schools.

Fairmont Park Elementary School is one such school. Located in Fairmont Park, this is an area in West Seattle, south of the West Seattle Bridge. This area’s home prices range from the mid-$400,000 through the $700,000 range, making it one of the more affordable neighborhoods with top schools still within the Seattle city limits.

Cascadia Elementary School is another school that consistently receives excellent ratings while being in one of the most affordable neighborhoods in Seattle. This school serves part of Northwest Seattle between the Greenwood neighborhood and I-5.

Until now, we have only discussed the excellent public school options available in Seattle. Perhaps you are more interested in one of the many nationally recognized private schools within the Seattle region.

Ranked as the best private school in Washington state and 23rd best private school in the country by Niche is that of Lakeside School. Located at the north end of Seattle city limits, Lakeside School has less than 1,000 students, with 100% of those who graduate continuing to a four-year university. While more expensive than the University of Washington in annual tuition, if one wishes to have their child attend the top school in the state of Washington, this is it.

While it’s easy to get lost in the number one school in Seattle, the fact is that there are several exceptional private schools worth consideration. University Prep and The Bush School are both top-rated schools. Each offers the best teacher to student ratio in the state. For both University Prep and The Bush School, the rate is 8:1, and for Lakeside, it is 9:1. As a comparison, Garfield High School’s ratio is 22:1.

Regardless of public or private schools, Seattle offers a great selection of high schools.

Working with a qualified real estate professional that has experience within a given area is highly recommended. They can help guide you not only towards your dream home but towards the right neighborhoods to either take advantage of local public schools or help with proximity to one of the highly regarded private schools.