Best Schools in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
242 ranked schools in Allegheny County
Introduction
Allegheny County sits at the heart of southwestern Pennsylvania, and its school landscape is more varied — and more competitive at the top — than most families realize before moving to the area. The county spans everything from dense urban neighborhoods in Pittsburgh proper to quieter suburban townships that have built reputations around their school systems over decades. For families prioritizing academics, the range of options is genuinely broad, but the highest-performing schools tend to cluster in a handful of districts along the northern and southern corridors out of Pittsburgh.
What draws families here isn't just the schools in isolation — it's the combination of relatively accessible home prices compared to similarly ranked suburban districts in other major metros, and school systems that consistently score in the top percentiles statewide. Districts like Upper St. Clair, Fox Chapel Area, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, and Pine-Richland come up repeatedly in these conversations, and for good reason. The data backs up the reputation.
The Districts That Stand Out
Fox Chapel Area School District
Fox Chapel Area serves communities along the northeastern edge of Pittsburgh, including parts of O'Hara Township, Indiana Township, and the borough of Fox Chapel itself. It's a district that performs at an exceptionally high level across all grade tiers — and does so consistently, not just at one level.
Fairview Elementary School sits at the 100th percentile in English, Math, and Science. Dorseyville Middle School scores at the 98th in English, 99th in Math, and 99th in Science. Fox Chapel Area High School rounds out the picture with a 99th percentile in English, 100th in Math, and 100th in Science — an overall ranking in the 100th percentile. Few districts in Pennsylvania can point to top-tier performance from elementary through high school the way Fox Chapel can.
The community leans established and low-key suburban. It's not a district that markets itself aggressively, but families who research it tend to stay once they see the numbers. Homes in the Fox Chapel borough itself sit at a higher price point, but surrounding communities in the district offer more accessible entry points.
Upper St. Clair School District
Upper St. Clair is one of the most academically consistent districts in the county. It serves the township of Upper St. Clair, located south of Pittsburgh, and has built a reputation as a district where academic expectations are high and steady — not flashy, but dependable year over year.
The data reflects that consistency across all three school levels. Eisenhower Elementary scores at the 100th percentile in English, 99th in Math, and 100th in Science. Boyce Middle School hits the 99th in English and 100th in Math. Fort Couch Middle School, also in the district, scores at the 99th in English, 98th in Math, and 97th in Science. Upper Saint Clair High School lands at the 100th percentile in English, 96th in Math, and 98th in Science — overall in the 99th percentile.
The community is solidly suburban with a strong parent engagement culture. It attracts families who are professionally oriented and tend to be involved in school life. The township is well-maintained, with a mix of single-family homes across different price ranges, though the area overall skews toward middle-to-upper-middle income households.
Mt. Lebanon School District
Mt. Lebanon is one of those districts that has held a consistent spot in conversations about Pittsburgh-area schools for a long time. It serves Mt. Lebanon township, a walkable inner-ring suburb just south of Pittsburgh with a real town center and older housing stock — which gives it a slightly different character than the newer-build suburbs further out.
Jefferson Middle School and Mellon Middle School both perform at the 98th percentile overall — Jefferson with a 99th in English and 99th in Science, Mellon with a 97th in English and 100th in Science. Mt. Lebanon Senior High School scores at the 100th percentile in English, 98th in Math, and 99th in Science for an overall 99th percentile ranking.
What makes Mt. Lebanon appealing to a certain type of family is the combination of strong academics and a neighborhood feel that the more sprawling suburban townships don't always offer. It's a district where families are invested in outcomes, and that shows in the results.
Pine-Richland School District
Pine-Richland is centered around Gibsonia and Richland Township in the northern part of the county, and it's a district that has steadily built a profile that matches the more established names in the area. Pine-Richland High School scores at the 98th percentile in both English and Math, and 99th in Science — 99th percentile overall.
The district serves a growing suburban community, and the school culture tends to reflect that mix of ambition and newer-community energy. Families choosing Pine-Richland often do so deliberately, trading proximity to the city for newer school facilities and a district that's been performing well at the high school level specifically.
Schools Worth Knowing About
South Fayette Township High School doesn't come up as often in county-wide conversations as Fox Chapel or Upper St. Clair, but it should. Located in McDonald — which borders Allegheny and Washington County — South Fayette High School scores at the 95th percentile in English, 97th in Math, and 97th in Science, landing at the 98th percentile overall. It's drawn attention for its focus on technology and innovation programs, and it appeals to families who want rigorous academics in a district that's been actively investing in how students learn, not just what they learn.
Poff Elementary School in the Hampton Township School District (Gibsonia) scores at the 100th percentile in English, 100th in Math, and 98th in Science. Hampton Township isn't always the first district families mention, but Poff's numbers put it squarely in the top tier of elementary schools in the state. Families in Gibsonia who are earlier in their research process sometimes discover this one later than they should.
Mellon Middle School in Mt. Lebanon is worth calling out specifically because its 100th percentile Science score stands out even within a strong district. For families with kids who are particularly science-oriented, knowing that the middle school level is as strong as the high school is useful information when making grade-level decisions.
How We Rank Schools
Rankings on The School Advocate are built from state assessment data across three subjects: English (weighted at 40%), Math (weighted at 40%), and Science (weighted at 20%). More recent testing years are weighted more heavily to reflect where a school is now, not just its historical average. Every public school in Pennsylvania is ranked on the same scale, which means the percentile scores reflect how a school compares to the full universe of Pennsylvania public schools — not just schools within its county or district.
Compare Schools Yourself
For parents who want to go deeper, the school comparison tool at /compare lets you put any two schools side by side across all scored subjects. It's useful when you're weighing schools within the same district or trying to understand the gap between two districts you're considering.
Top Elementary Schools
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairview Elementary School | Fox Chapel Area SD | Pittsburgh | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | William Penn Elementary School | Bethel Park SD | Bethel Park | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| 3 | Bradford Woods Elementary School | North Allegheny SD | Bradford Woods | 100 | 99 | 100 |
| 4 | Eisenhower Elementary School | Upper St. Clair SD | Pittsburgh | 100 | 99 | 100 |
| 5 | Poff Elementary School | Hampton Township SD | Gibsonia | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 6 | Hosack Elementary School | North Allegheny SD | Allison Park | 99 | 99 | 100 |
| 7 | Baker Elementary School | Upper St. Clair SD | Pittsburgh | 100 | 100 | 99 |
| 8 | Donaldson Elementary School | West Allegheny SD | Oakdale | 99 | 100 | 99 |
| 9 | Franklin Elementary School | North Allegheny SD | Sewickley | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 10 | Wyland Elementary School | Hampton Township SD | Allison Park | 98 | 99 | 99 |
Top Middle Schools
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boyce Middle School | Upper St. Clair SD | Pittsburgh | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | Dorseyville Middle School | Fox Chapel Area SD | Pittsburgh | 98 | 99 | 99 |
| 3 | Fort Couch Middle School | Upper St. Clair SD | Pittsburgh | 99 | 98 | 99 |
| 4 | Jefferson Middle School | Mt Lebanon SD | Pittsburgh | 99 | 96 | 98 |
| 5 | Mellon Middle School | Mt Lebanon SD | Pittsburgh | 97 | 97 | 98 |
| 6 | South Fayette Middle School | South Fayette Township SD | McDonald | 98 | 97 | 98 |
| 7 | Marshall Middle School | North Allegheny SD | Wexford | 95 | 98 | 97 |
| 8 | Ingomar Middle School | North Allegheny SD | Pittsburgh | 97 | 95 | 97 |
| 9 | Hampton Middle School | Hampton Township SD | Allison Park | 98 | 93 | 96 |
| 10 | Quaker Valley Middle School | Quaker Valley SD | Sewickley | 93 | 93 | 95 |
Top High Schools
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fox Chapel Area High School | Fox Chapel Area SD | Pittsburgh | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | Mt Lebanon Senior High School | Mt Lebanon SD | Pittsburgh | 100 | 98 | 99 |
| 3 | Pine-Richland High School | Pine-Richland SD | Gibsonia | 98 | 98 | 99 |
| 4 | Upper Saint Clair High School | Upper St. Clair SD | Pittsburgh | 100 | 96 | 99 |
| 5 | South Fayette Township High School | South Fayette Township SD | McDonald | 95 | 97 | 98 |
| 6 | Hampton High School | Hampton Township SD | Allison Park | 98 | 91 | 96 |
| 7 | North Allegheny High School | North Allegheny SD | Wexford | 97 | 91 | 96 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Science and Technol | Pittsburgh SD | 93 | 96 | 95 | |
| 9 | Quaker Valley High School | Quaker Valley SD | Leetsdale | 92 | 97 | 95 |
| 10 | Thomas Jefferson High School | West Jefferson Hills SD | Jefferson Hills | 98 | 87 | 94 |