Blue Valley Schools Dominate Kansas City’s Top-Ranked Middle Schools
Niche, a prominent school and neighborhood ranking service, has released its 2025 rankings for the best public middle schools in the Kansas City metro area. The rankings, based on data from various sources and reviews from current and former students, reveal a strong showing from Overland Park schools, mirroring similar trends seen in elementary and high school rankings.
Pleasant Ridge Middle School in Overland Park has claimed the top spot, ranking as the best middle school in both the Kansas City area and the state of Kansas. The school received an A+ rating for academics and teachers, solidifying its position at the forefront of educational excellence in the region.
The Blue Valley Unified School District’s dominance is evident, with its schools occupying the top six positions in the Kansas City metro rankings. Following Pleasant Ridge are Lakewood Middle School, Prairie Star Middle School in Leawood, Harmony Middle School, Overland Trail Middle School, and Oxford Middle School, all located in Overland Park. Aubry Bend Middle School, also part of the Blue Valley district, secured a spot in the top 10.
While Kansas schools lead the pack, Missouri is not without representation in the upper echelons. Summit Lakes Middle School in Lee’s Summit broke into the top 10, ranking ninth in the Kansas City metro. As part of the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District, it received an A grade overall, including an A+ for teachers, and stands as the best middle school in Jackson County.
Other notable entries in the top rankings include Patton Junior High School in Fort Leavenworth and Lexington Trails Middle School in De Soto.
The Missouri presence strengthens further down the list, with several schools placing in the top 25. These include Delta Woods Middle School and Brittany Hills Middle School from the Blue Springs R-IV School District, Bernard C. Campbell Middle School from Lee’s Summit R-VII, Paul Kinder Middle School and Moreland Ridge Middle School from Blue Springs R-IV, and Lakeview Middle School from the Park Hill School District.
These rankings offer valuable insights for parents and educators, highlighting the strengths of various middle schools across the Kansas City metropolitan area.