Best Schools in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
144 ranked schools in Montgomery County
Introduction
Montgomery County sits just northwest of Philadelphia, and for families thinking about where to plant roots in the greater Philly suburbs, it consistently ranks among the strongest counties in Pennsylvania for public education. That's not an accident — the county covers a wide range of communities, from historic Main Line townships to newer suburban developments further out along the 422 corridor, and several of its school districts have built reputations over decades that hold up when you actually look at the data.
The highest-performing schools tend to cluster in a few specific areas: the Lower Merion corridor running through Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Narberth, and into Villanova; the Colonial School District communities around Conshohocken and Plymouth Meeting; and pockets further north in Upper Dublin and Lower Moreland. If you're a parent narrowing down where to buy a home, understanding which districts are driving those numbers — and why — matters more than any single ranking.
The Districts That Stand Out
Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion is the name that comes up most often in conversations about Montgomery County schools, and the performance data backs that up. The district serves a stretch of Main Line communities — Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Narberth, Gladwyne, Rosemont, and Villanova among them — and it posts some of the strongest numbers in the state at every level.
At the elementary level, Merion Elementary in Merion Station scores at the 99th percentile overall, with English and Math both at 99th and Science at 97th. Gladwyne School hits the 98th percentile overall, and Belmont Hills Elementary in Bala Cynwyd lands at 97th. These aren't outliers within the district — they're representative of a consistent floor that Lower Merion maintains across its buildings.
The middle schools are where Lower Merion's numbers really stand out. Black Rock Middle School in Villanova scores at the 99th percentile overall, with a perfect 100th percentile in Math. Bala-Cynwyd Middle School matches at the 99th overall, and Welsh Valley Middle in Narberth sits at 98th. Three middle schools in the same district, all performing above the 98th percentile statewide — that's unusual.
Then there are the high schools. Lower Merion High School in Ardmore scores at the 100th percentile overall — 99th in English, 99th in Math, and a perfect 100th in Science. Harriton Senior High in Rosemont is right behind at the 99th percentile overall. Two high schools in the same district, both in the top one percent in Pennsylvania.
The character of Lower Merion is worth understanding before you assume it's the right fit. This is a competitive, academically oriented community. Home values reflect the school reputation directly, and families tend to be deeply engaged — in a way that can feel like an asset or a pressure depending on your household. The district isn't coasting; it's been consistently performing at this level, which suggests structural stability rather than a recent spike.
Colonial School District
Colonial covers Conshohocken, Plymouth Meeting, and surrounding areas — communities that feel a little more grounded and less status-driven than the Main Line, but are producing school performance numbers that absolutely deserve attention.
Conshohocken Elementary stands out immediately: 97th percentile in English, a perfect 100th in Math, and a 99th percentile overall ranking. That Math score is notable — it's the only elementary school in this dataset to hit 100th percentile in that subject. Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High rounds out the district's high school picture with a 97th percentile overall, including a 97th in both Math and Science and a 93rd in English.
Colonial tends to attract families who want strong academics without the intensity of the Main Line zip codes. It's more affordable entry-point territory for buyers who are paying attention to school data but working with a budget that doesn't reach Ardmore or Bala Cynwyd pricing. The district is holding steady at a high level, and Plymouth-Whitemarsh in particular has a solid reputation among parents in the Colonial footprint.
Upper Dublin School District
Upper Dublin doesn't generate as much conversation as Lower Merion, but Fort Washington Elementary makes a strong case for a closer look. Scoring at the 99th percentile overall — 99th in English, 99th in Math, 98th in Science — it matches the top performers in the county at the elementary level. The district serves Fort Washington, Ambler, and surrounding communities in the northern part of the county.
The district has a quieter reputation than its Main Line neighbors, which some families actually prefer. It's solidly suburban, the communities feel established without being flashy, and Fort Washington's performance suggests the district is investing in its elementary foundation effectively. Families who want high performance without the competitive social atmosphere that can come with some Main Line communities sometimes land here intentionally.
Spring-Ford Area School District
Spring-Ford serves Royersford and the communities along the Route 422 corridor further northwest — a part of the county that often gets overlooked in these conversations because it doesn't carry the same brand recognition as the Main Line. The data suggests that's an oversight worth correcting.
Spring-Ford MS 7th Grade Center scores at the 95th percentile overall, with English at 93rd and Math at 94th. Spring-Ford SHS 9-12 Center hits the 92nd percentile overall, with Science at 95th and Math at 92nd. These are genuinely strong numbers for a district that's more affordable than the southern end of the county and serves a more working and middle-class suburban community. For families priced out of Lower Merion or Colonial, Spring-Ford deserves serious consideration.
Schools Worth Knowing About
Conshohocken Elementary School is worth a specific mention for its Math performance. A 100th percentile Math score at the elementary level is rare statewide, and for families with kids who are showing early strength in quantitative reasoning, that's a signal worth investigating. It sits within Colonial SD, which gives it an accessible price point compared to some of its counterparts in the county.
Black Rock Middle School in Villanova has a perfect 100th percentile Math score alongside a 99th percentile overall ranking — and middle school math performance tends to be one of the stronger predictors of high school trajectory. Families who are thinking ahead to competitive high school coursework often flag this school specifically.
Lower Moreland Middle School in Montgomery sits at the 94th percentile overall within Lower Moreland Township SD — a smaller district that rarely comes up in the headline conversations about Montgomery County schools. For families looking at northern Montgomery County communities who want solid middle school performance without the price tags of the Main Line, it's a district worth putting on the research list.
How We Rank Schools
School 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 current performance rather than historical trends. Every public school in Pennsylvania is included in the rankings, which means percentile scores reflect where a school stands against the full state pool — not just within a county or region.
Compare Schools Yourself
Rankings give you a starting point, but the real work is in the comparison. The School Advocate's comparison tool at /compare lets you put any two schools side by side — across districts, grade levels, or subjects — so you can see exactly where the differences lie. If you're deciding between two neighborhoods or trying to understand how a school has changed over time, that's the place to dig in.
Top Elementary Schools
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Washington Elementary School | Upper Dublin SD | Fort Washington | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 2 | Merion Elementary School | Lower Merion SD | Merion Station | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 3 | Conshohocken Elementary School | Colonial SD | Conshohocken | 97 | 100 | 99 |
| 4 | Gladwyne School | Lower Merion SD | Gladwyne | 96 | 98 | 98 |
| 5 | Belmont Hills Elementary School | Lower Merion SD | Bala Cynwyd | 96 | 97 | 97 |
| 6 | Stony Creek Elementary School | Wissahickon SD | Blue Bell | 98 | 97 | 97 |
| 7 | Penn Valley School | Lower Merion SD | Narberth | 98 | 98 | 97 |
| 8 | Whitemarsh Elementary School | Colonial SD | Lafayette Hill | 92 | 99 | 97 |
| 9 | Worcester Elementary School | Methacton SD | Lansdale | 95 | 97 | 97 |
| 10 | Maple Glen Elementary School | Upper Dublin SD | Maple Glen | 97 | 96 | 96 |
Top Middle Schools
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Rock Middle School | Lower Merion SD | Villanova | 99 | 100 | 99 |
| 2 | Bala-Cynwyd Middle School | Lower Merion SD | Bala Cynwyd | 98 | 99 | 99 |
| 3 | Welsh Valley Middle School | Lower Merion SD | Narberth | 98 | 99 | 98 |
| 4 | Spring-Ford MS 7th Grade Ctr | Spring-Ford Area SD | Royersford | 93 | 94 | 95 |
| 5 | Lower Moreland Middle School | Lower Moreland Township SD | 94 | 92 | 94 | |
| 6 | Sandy Run Middle School | Upper Dublin SD | Dresher | 92 | 90 | 92 |
| 7 | Wissahickon Middle School | Wissahickon SD | Ambler | 94 | 88 | 92 |
| 8 | Spring-Ford Intrmd Sch 5th/6th | Spring-Ford Area SD | Royersford | 87 | 94 | 92 |
| 9 | Perkiomen Valley MS-East | Perkiomen Valley SD | Collegeville | 90 | 87 | 89 |
| 10 | Colonial Middle School | Colonial SD | Plymouth Meeting | 83 | 89 | 87 |
Top High Schools
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Merion High School | Lower Merion SD | Ardmore | 99 | 99 | 100 |
| 2 | Harriton Senior High School | Lower Merion SD | Rosemont | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 3 | Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School | Colonial SD | Plymouth Meeting | 93 | 97 | 97 |
| 4 | Wissahickon Senior High School | Wissahickon SD | Ambler | 95 | 91 | 93 |
| 5 | Spring-Ford SHS 9-12 Ctr | Spring-Ford Area SD | Royersford | 86 | 92 | 92 |
| 6 | Perkiomen Valley High School | Perkiomen Valley SD | Collegeville | 93 | 86 | 92 |
| 7 | Souderton Area High School | Souderton Area SD | 83 | 88 | 89 | |
| 8 | Upper Dublin High School | Upper Dublin SD | Fort Washington | 90 | 76 | 86 |
| 9 | Springfield Township High School | Springfield Township SD | Erdenheim | 82 | 74 | 84 |
| 10 | Upper Perkiomen High School | Upper Perkiomen SD | Pennsburg | 79 | 86 | 84 |