Best Middle Schools in Nevada: 2026 Rankings & Complete Guide
In the latest 2025 NSPF cycle, Coral Academy Windmill leads Nevada with 5★ and an index score of 100/100 on official Nevada accountability measures. The full top 5 middle schools in Nevada for 2026: 1. Coral Academy Windmill (5★) · 2. Legacy Traditional School Southwest Las Vegas (5★) · 3. Somerset Academy Aliante (5★). 5 public, magnet, and charter campuses are tracked statewide on the same framework, so you can compare any school directly on math, ELA, and student growth. Nevada schools are part of the same NSPF system as Clark & Washoe Counties. Use the NevadaSchools.org comparison tool to confirm the metrics that matter most to your family, then visit the campus before committing.
lightbulbKey Takeaway
Discover Nevada's highest-performing middle schools for 2026 ranked by official NDOE Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) index scores, SBAC math and reading proficiency, and student growth across Clark County, Washoe County, and top charter campuses.
Best Middle Schools in Nevada: 2026 Rankings & Complete Guide
> Quick Summary: Nevada's top-performing middle schools for 2026 include Coral Academy Windmill (100/100 index, 75.2% math), Somerset Academy Aliante (100/100 index), Legacy Traditional Southwest (100/100 index), Doral Academy Fire Mesa (99/100 index), Mount Rose K-8 Academy in Reno (98.8/100 index), and Gunderson Middle School in Clark County (94/100 index).
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How Nevada Middle Schools Are Ranked
Under the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF), middle schools are scored out of 100 possible index points across five key indicator categories:
1. Academic Achievement (25 Points): Student proficiency percentages on SBAC exams in Mathematics and ELA. 2. Student Growth (30 Points): Academic Growth Percentiles (AGP) measuring year-over-year improvement compared to academic peers statewide. 3. English Language Proficiency (10 Points): Progress of English Language Learners toward mastery on the WIDA ACCESS exam. 4. Closing Opportunity Gaps (20 Points): Growth and proficiency gains among historically underserved student subgroups. 5. Student Engagement & 8th Grade Readiness (15 Points): Chronic absenteeism rates and the percentage of 8th graders earning required credits for high school promotion.
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Nevada's Top 10 Middle Schools: 2026 Comparison
| School Name | District / Sector | Star Rating | Index Score | Math Prof. | ELA Prof. | Profile Link | | :--- | :--- | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :--- | | Coral Academy Windmill MS | State Charter (SPCSA) | 5 Stars | 100.0 / 100 | 75.2% | 87.4% | View Profile | | Somerset Academy Aliante MS | State Charter (SPCSA) | 5 Stars | 100.0 / 100 | 50.1% | 67.0% | View Profile | | Legacy Traditional SW MS | State Charter (SPCSA) | 5 Stars | 100.0 / 100 | 57.3% | 72.5% | View Profile | | Doral Academy Fire Mesa MS | State Charter (SPCSA) | 5 Stars | 99.0 / 100 | 59.2% | 71.7% | View Profile | | Mount Rose K-8 Academy | WCSD | 5 Stars | 98.8 / 100 | — | — | View Profile | | Pinecrest Academy Inspirada MS | State Charter (SPCSA) | 5 Stars | 96.6 / 100 | 82.6% | 85.3% | View Profile | | Gunderson Middle School | CCSD | 5 Stars | 94.0 / 100 | 60.4% | 68.2% | View Profile |
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Research & Compare Nevada Middle Schools
- Nevada NSPF Star Rating Decoder: Understand how star ratings, growth percentiles, and index scores are calculated.
- Side-by-Side School Comparison Tool: Compare Coral Academy Windmill, Somerset Academy Aliante, and Pinecrest Inspirada head-to-head.
- Search All Nevada Middle Schools: Filter by grade span, star rating, county, and charter vs. public.
rankingsTop 5 Middle Schools in Nevada (2026)
- Coral Academy Windmill — 5-star NSPF rating · 100/100 index · Henderson · Charter
- Legacy Traditional School Southwest Las Vegas — 5-star NSPF rating · 100/100 index · Las Vegas · Charter
- Somerset Academy Aliante — 5-star NSPF rating · 100/100 index · North Las Vegas · Charter
- Doral Academy Fire Mesa — 5-star NSPF rating · 99/100 index · Las Vegas · Charter
- Mount Rose K-8 Academy Of Languages — 5-star NSPF rating · 98.8/100 index · RENO
Source: Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) index scores, latest reporting year. Compare every Nevada school →
Quick answers
chevron_rightWhat is the main takeaway from Best Middle Schools in Nevada: 2026 Rankings & Complete Guide?
Discover Nevada's highest-performing middle schools for 2026 ranked by official NDOE Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) index scores, SBAC math and reading proficiency, and student growth across Clark County, Washoe County, and top charter campuses.
chevron_rightWhere does NevadaSchools.org get its school information?
NevadaSchools.org uses official Nevada school accountability data, including NSPF star ratings, index scores, proficiency metrics, graduation rates, and related public school profile information.
chevron_rightWhat is the top-rated middle school in Nevada?
Coral Academy Windmill is currently the highest-rated middle school in Nevada on the Nevada School Performance Framework, with an index score of 100/100. Use the NevadaSchools.org comparison tool to see math, ELA, and performance detail on every school in the top 10.
chevron_rightHow do Nevada schools compare to Clark & Washoe Counties schools?
Nevada and Clark & Washoe Counties both report to the same statewide Nevada accountability system — the NSPF — but typically diverge on student-teacher ratios, ELL population, and graduation rate. Nevada generally posts higher district-wide math and ELA proficiency rates than Clark & Washoe Counties, although Clark & Washoe Counties has expanded its 5-star magnet school options in recent years. Use the NevadaSchools.org district-comparison tool for a head-to-head.
chevron_rightHow is the Nevada NSPF star rating calculated?
The Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) assigns 1 to 5 stars using a weighted composite of academic achievement, academic growth, English-language progress, chronic absenteeism (elementary/middle), and graduation rate (high school). A school's index score combines the same indicators on a 0–100 scale, and star tier is bucketed from that score.
Ready to compare specific Nevada schools?
Search over 980+ public, charter, and magnet schools across Clark, Washoe, and rural counties by academic score and star rating.
Sources and next steps
NevadaSchools.org uses official Nevada school accountability data, including NSPF ratings, proficiency metrics, graduation rates, and public school profile information. For the original state source, review the Nevada Report Card.