See if your school, district made Niche’s list of the best in Tennessee

Niche just released its latest rankings of the best K-12 schools and districts in Tennessee.

The ranking and review organization based its annual rankings on an analysis of statistics, U.S. Department of Education Data and reviews from students and parents. It considered factors like academics, diversity, surveys, test scores, college prep resources and other data.

While the popular ranking lists generate buzz each year, they have also drawn pusbhack in recent years. Crticis say they are subjective and tend to favor schools in wealthier, less diverse neighborhoods. That can be due to a wide range of factors, from schools having enough resources and connections to solicit reviews to people having an internet connection to submit them.

Generally speaking, University of Massachusetts professor, historian and policy analyst Jack Schneider said rankings don’t paint the full picture of what schools or districts have to offer. If rankings include surveys or reviews as part of their methodology, Schneider cautioned they may only be measuring the extremes of how people see them.

“Unless you have a representative sample of people who are weighing in, you may only be getting the people that are the happiest or the most grumpy,” he said.

And while ranking lists can be a starting point, Schneider said people should approach them with skepticism and do their own research, as well.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how Niche ranked schools and districts in Tennessee.

10 best schools in Tennessee

Niche’s rankings of the best overall schools in Tennessee represent a mix of private and public schools that offer a variety of grades.

Here are the top 10:

• No. 1: Lausanne Collegiate School (PK-12, private, Memphis)

• No. 2: University School of Nashville (K-12, private, Nashville)

• No. 3: St. Mary’s Episcopal School (PK-12, private, Memphis)

• No. 4: McCallie School (6-12, private, Chattanooga)

• No. 5: Hume-Fogg Academic High School (9-12, public academic magnet, Nashville)

• No. 6: The Ensworth School (K-12, private, Nashville)

• No. 7: Central Magnet School (6-12, public academic magnet, Murfreesboro)

• No. 8: Montgomery Bell Academy (7-12, private, Nashville)

• No. 9: Ravenwood High School (9-12, public, Brentwood)

• No. 10: Harpeth Hall School (5-12, private, Nashville)

10 best school districts in Tennessee

The best school school districts in Tennessee are mostly in East Tennessee, with a few peppered throughout West and Middle Tennessee.

Here are the top 10:

• No. 1: Colliervielle Schools (West Tennessee)

• No. 2: Maryville City Schools (East Tennessee)

• No. 3: Oak Ridge School District (East Tennessee)

• No. 4: Williamson County Schools (Middle Tennessee)

• No. 5: Arlington Community Schools (West Tennessee)

• No. 6: Germantown Municipal School District (West Tennessee)

• No. 7: Johnson City Schools (East Tennessee)

• No. 8: Kingsport City Schools (East Tennessee)

• No. 9: Alcoa City Schools (East Tennessee)

• No. 10: Bartlett City Schools (West Tennessee)

10 best private schools in Tennessee

The best private schools in Tennessee are mostly concentrated in greater Nashville or Memphis, save for a few in East Tennessee.

Here are the top 10:

• No. 1: Lausanne Collegiate School (PK-12, Memphis)

• No. 2: University School of Nashville (K-12, Nashville)

• No. 3: St. Mary’s Episcopal School (PK-12, Memphis)

• No. 4: McCallie School (6-12, Chattanooga)

• No. 5: The Ensworth School (K-12, Brentwood)

• No. 6: Montgomery Bell Academy (7-12, Nashville)

• No. 7: Harpeth Hall School (5-12, Nashville)

• No. 8: Hutchison School (PK-12, Memphis)

• No. 9: Memphis University School (6-12, Memphis)

• No. 10: Baylor School (6-12, Chattanooga)

10 best public schools in Tennessee

The best public schools in Tennessee are a combination of academic magnet and traditional schools. Five high schools, three elementary schools and two blended high school and middle school campuses are in the mix.

Here are the top 10:

• No. 1: Hume-Fogg Academic High School (9-12, academic magnet, Nashville)

• No. 2: Central Magnet School (6-12, academic magnet, Murfreesboro)

• No. 3: Ravenwood High School (9-12, traditional, Brentwood)

• No. 4: Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School (7-12, academic magnet, Nashville)

• No. 5: Brentwood High School (9-12, traditional, Brentwood)

• No. 6: L&N STEM Academy (9-12, magnet, Knoxville)*

• No. 7: Madison Academic Magnet High School (9-12, academic magnet, Jackson)

• No. 8: Jordan Elementary School (PK-5, traditional, Brentwood)

• No. 9: Clovercroft Elementary School (K-5, traditional, Franklin)

• No. 10: Kenrose Elementary School (PK-5, traditional, Brentwood)

*While L&N STEM Academy is a magnet school, it does not have academic requirements to enroll.

Learn more

Want to dig deeper? Learn more at niche.com/k12. Use the search bar across the top to search by school, district and state.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: See Tennessee’s best K-12 schools and districts, per Niche