Denver Metro Communities Ranked by Top School District

By Jessica Car · Updated August 2026

Colorado uses independent school districts that don't follow city boundaries. A single community can be split across two, three, or four districts. This list ranks every Denver-metro community by the Niche grade of its top-rated district, so the relative tier is clear at a glance.

Niche.com grades districts from A+ to F using academics, teachers, college prep, diversity, and parent reviews. The A+ tier includes Lewis-Palmer D38 (serving Monument and Palmer Lake), Douglas County RE-1 (Castle Pines, Parker, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch), Cherry Creek SD (Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village), and St. Vrain Valley SD (Erie). Boulder Valley SD's A grade serves the Boulder Area communities. Most communities fall in the A-/B+ range, solid public schools that fit most families.

Three caveats before you use this list: (1) district boundaries are block-by-block; always verify your address before any decision, (2) Niche aggregates across an entire district, so high-performing individual schools may exist inside lower-graded districts, and (3) charter and private options aren't reflected in the district grade. Use this page to narrow the list, then check the community-specific schools section.

Each axis ranks the same 63 communities on a different dimension. A community that wins on one rarely wins on all; these views are complementary, not competing. See all rankings →