BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – U.S. News and World Report has released its 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings, offering a look at how public schools stack up within each state – and in Alabama, the results tell a familiar story.
The publication, best known for its long-running education rankings, evaluated nearly 47,000 elementary schools and more than 23,000 middle schools nationwide. In Alabama, that includes nearly 600 elementary and more than 420 middle schools.
Rankings are based on state test scores in reading from the 2022-23 school year and math scores from the 2021-22 school year with adjustments for student background and performance. U.S. News also factors in overall proficiency levels and student-teacher ratios to break ties…