Finding the right school to enroll your child or children can prove to be more challenging than one might think. In Georgia, many parents end up enrolling their children at the closest school in the zone they live in.
Although this may work just fine for some families, many students might have missed a chance to enroll in a different school and receive additional educational opportunities had they known the schooling options their county or neighboring counties offered. Here are the top 10 counties across Georgia to look for public school education at each educational level.
About This List
The ranking of the top school districts is based on an in-depth analysis of test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users surrounding student life and academic data from the U.S. Department of Education. To learn more about Niche’s data-gathering methods click here .
This same methodology is used for overall Niche grades for each school district, as statistics that represent the most recent data available have been obtained from the U.S. Department of Education . While several school districts self-report said statistics, Niche also collects data directly from schools via their Niche Partner Portal. If you work for a school and would like to update your data, please claim your school .
Top 10 Counties for Public Schools
No. 10 | Columbia County
Columbia County, with a population of 156,921 residents, offers 32 schools. The county neighbors Augusta, so it’s possible that bordering residents of the city may also be able to attend school in Columbia County.
The top 10 schools of the county have an average of around 69% of students proficient in math and 65% proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of Columbia County high schools average out to approximately 1067 and 22 respectively. Other features listed about Columbia County like diversity, housing, and family friendliness also rank high among counties according to public opinion of both residents and non-residents.
No. 9 | Lowndes County
Lowndes County, with a population of 118,257 residents, offers 20 schools. The county includes Valdosta and over 10 smaller cities and towns that may be in the range to attend Lowndes County schools.
The top 10 schools of the county have an average of around 63% of students proficient in math and 51% proficient in reading. The average SAT and ACT scores of Lowndes County high schools are approximately 1030 and 19 respectively. Other features listed about Lowndes County like diversity, weather, nightlife, and family friendliness have been considered one of the county’s better qualities according to the opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 8 | Heard County
Heard County, with the lowest population on the list at 11,489 residents, offers six schools. The county neighbors Newnan, Lagrange, and over 10 other cities in Georgia as well as bordering cities in Alabama.
Cumulatively, all the schools in the county have an average of around 54% of students being proficient in math and 51% being proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of both Heard County high schools average out to approximately 1003 and 21 respectively. Other features listed about Heard County like family friendliness, housing price, and housing availability have been highly ranked according to the opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 7 | Monroe County
Monroe County, with a population of 28,287 residents, offers five schools. The relatively nearby city of Athens, paired with over 10 smaller neighboring cities, has school options in Monroe County for residents of the lesser recognized areas in the middle of north Georgia.
Cumulatively, all the schools in the county have an average of around 53% of students being proficient in math and 48% being proficient in reading. The average SAT and ACT scores of Monroe County high schools are approximately 1016 and 21 respectively. Other features listed about Monroe County such as family friendliness, weather conditions, cost of living, and housing availability have been highly ranked according to the opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 6 | Pierce County
Pierce County, with a population of 19,822 residents, offers five schools. Because no neighboring big cities reside in the area, Pierce County serves as a good waypoint for those looking for educational opportunities in less recognized or well-known areas.
Cumulatively, all the schools in the county have an average of around 61% of students being proficient in math and 53% being proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of Pierce County High School, the county’s only high school, approximately average out to 1082 and 20 respectively. Other features surrounding Pierce County such as cost of living and housing availability have been highly ranked according to opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 5 | Morgan County
Morgan County, with a population of 20,171 residents, offers four schools. Morgan County may serve as a viable schooling area for those who need to commute to work in the closest major city, which in Morgan County’s situation would be Athens or Atlanta. However, these same people may live on the further outskirts but still need a school option closer to home for their kids.
Cumulatively, all the schools in the county have an average of around 48% of students being proficient in math and 46% being proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of Morgan County High School, the county’s sole high school, approximately average out to 1064 and 21 respectively. Other features listed for Morgan County such as family friendliness and housing availability, have been highly ranked according to opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 4 | Camden County
Camden County, with a population of 55,105 residents, offers 12 schools. The county rests around 45 minutes away from the southeast coast of Georgia, specifically Brunswick. It’s also relatively close to Jacksonville, FL, meaning there may be visitors and potentially students from both cities.
The top 10 schools in the county have an average of around 63% of students being proficient in math and 56% being proficient in reading. The average SAT and ACT scores of Camden County High School, the only high school in the county, are approximately 1085 and 22 respectively. Other features listed for Camden County such as family friendliness and diversity, have been highly ranked according to opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 3 | Fayette County
Fayette County, with a population of 119,259 residents, offers 25 schools. With one of the closest distances from the Atlanta area, this county rests within 30 minutes or so of outskirt cities like Fairburn, Union City, East Point, etc.
The top 10 schools in the county have an average of around 71% of students being proficient in math and 74% being proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of Fayette County’s high schools average out to approximately 1109 and 22 respectively. Other features listed for Fayette County such as family friendliness, diversity, nightlife, housing and job availability, affordability, etc. have been highly ranked according to the opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 2 | Forsyth County
Forsyth County, with the highest population on the list at 253,225 residents, offers 43 schools. With a similar distance from the Atlanta area as Fayette County, but on the other side, this county neighbors smaller cities that lie around Lake Lanier and the northeast outskirts of Atlanta.
The top 10 schools in the county have an average of around 79% of students being proficient in math and 78% being proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of Forsyth County’s high schools average out to approximately 1165 and 24 respectively. Other features listed for Forsyth County such as health and fitness, jobs and housing accessibility, outdoor activities, and family friendliness have been highly ranked according to opinions of residents and non-residents.
No. 1 | Oconee County
Oconee County, with a population of 41,978 residents, offers 11 schools. The Northeastern corner piece of Georgia borders both South Carolina and Tennessee with no major Georgian cities nearby. The only notable cities close in proximity to the county would be Greenville and Clemson, SC.
The schools in the county have an average of around 78% of students being proficient in math and 71% being proficient in reading. The SAT and ACT scores of Oconee County’s high schools average out to approximately 1148 and 25 respectively. Other features listed for Oconee County such as jobs and housing accessibility, health and fitness, outdoor activities, and family friendliness have been highly ranked according to opinions of residents and non-residents.
Where do local Counties Rank?
If you can’t make the commute to any of the listed counties, Middle GA has plenty of options with high ratings.
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