More than a dozen Dallas-Fort Worth elementary and middle schools have excelled on U.S. News and World Report’s just-released list of the best K-8 schools in Texas for 2026.

The 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings compared over 81,000 public schools on the state and district level using publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students’ proficiencies in mathematics and reading, and their performances on state assessments for both subjects. Tiebreakers were decided based on which school had higher overall proficiencies, and a second tiebreaker was determined for whichever school had a lower student-teacher ratio.

Fort Worth ISD’s top grade school, Overton Park Elementary, now ranks as the 11th best Texas elementary school for 2026.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 best middle school in Texas is Dallas ISD’s William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted. The school also ranked as the 4th best elementary school statewide.

The best Texas elementary schools for 2026
Two Dallas-area schools made it among the top 10 best Texas elementary schools for 2026. In addition to William B Travis Academy, Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy rose into the statewide top five best elementary schools for 2026, moving up one spot after ranking No. 6 last year. The academy also jumped up two spots to rank as the No. 3 best middle school in Texas.

One North Texas school made a major leap into the statewide top 25 for 2026: Walnut Grove Elementary in Southlake’s Carroll ISD moved up 15 spots from last year to land as the 19th best Texas elementary school.

“At Walnut Grove Elementary, 88 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 91 percent scored at or above that level for reading,” the school’s U.S. News profile says. “The student-teacher ratio is 14:1, which is better than that of the district.”

The other Dallas-Fort Worth schools that appeared among the top 25 best elementary schools in Texas include:

No. 12 – School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas ISD (up from No. 17 last year)No. 14 – Lakewood Elementary, Dallas ISD (down from No. 11 last year)No. 17 – Robert H. Rockenbaugh Elementary, Carroll ISD (down from No. 9 last year) No. 18 – Old Union Elementary, Southlake, Carroll ISD (down from No. 14 last year)No. 21 – Carroll Elementary, Southlake, Carroll ISD (unchanged from last year)

The best Texas middle schools
In a shining achievement for Dallas-Fort Worth, nine local middle schools ranked among the statewide 10 best for 2026.

Lawler Middle School in Frisco ISD ranked as the 4th best Texas middle school for 2026, one spot lower than its 2025 ranking. It appeared behind No. 1-ranking William B. Travis Academy, T.H. Rogers School in Houston ISD (No. 2), and Dallas ISD’s Sudie L. Williams (No. 3).

Rounding out the top 10 are George Dawson Middle School in Carroll ISD (No. 5), Dallas ISD’s School for the Talented & Gifted in Pleasant Grove (No. 6), Carroll Middle School in Carroll ISD (No. 7), Willow Springs Middle School in Lovejoy ISD (No. 8), and Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy in Dallas ISD (No. 9).

Other Dallas-Fort Worth middle schools that were ranked among the 25 best in Texas are:

No. 14 – Fowler Middle School, Plano, Frisco ISD (unchanged from last year)No. 15 – Nelson Middle School, Frisco ISD (up from No. 20 last year)No. 16 – George B. Dealey Montessori Academy (up from No. 35 last year)No. 17 – Rice Middle School, Plano ISD (up from No. 34 last year)No. 23 – Uplift Education-North Hills Prep Middle School, Irving (up from No. 43 last year

“The 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings highlight institutions that excel in fostering student achievement and providing exceptional learning environments for all,” said U.S. News managing editor for education LaMont Jones, Ed.D. in a press release. “These rankings offer communities and families valuable insights into schools dedicated to preparing students for future success.”