Best Schools for Low-income Students in Colorado (2026)

These are the Colorado public schools where low-income students scored highest on the state reading and math tests, ranked by the average of the two proficiency rates. Only schools with at least 20 tested low-income students are included. The list reflects how students in this group perform at each school; it is not a ranking of schools by their demographic makeup.

Other lists: Asian · Black · Hispanic · Multiracial · American Indian / Alaska Native · White

Elementary schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Cory Elementary School Denver	75%	65%	32	A+
2	Boulder Community School/Integrated Studies Boulder	70%	50%	30	A+
3	Zach Elementary School Fort Collins	70%	50%	23	A+
4	Swigert International School Denver	70%	50%	25	A+
5	Windsor Charter Academy Elementary School Windsor	70%	50%	28	A+
6	Indian Ridge Elementary School Aurora	55%	65%	35	A+
7	Rudy Elementary School Colorado Springs	52%	62%	69	A
8	Mount Carbon Elementary School Littleton	65%	45%	40	A+
9	Chipeta Elementary School Colorado Springs	55%	55%	40	A+
10	Columbia Elementary School Colorado Springs	47%	57%	83	B+
11	Gilpin County Elementary School Black Hawk	70%	30%	28	A
12	Shaffer Elementary School Littleton	70%	30%	26	A+
13	Mountain View Elementary School Colorado Springs	70%	30%	20	A+
14	Community Leadership Academy Commerce City	62%	37%	188	B
15	Ranch Creek Elementary Colorado Springs	50%	50%	28	A+
16	Altitude Elementary School Aurora	50%	50%	20	A
17	Steck Elementary School Denver	50%	50%	28	A+
18	Westerly Creek Elementary Denver	50%	50%	29	A+
19	Werner Elementary School Fort Collins	50%	50%	30	A+
20	Devinny Elementary School Lakewood	50%	50%	30	A+
21	Explorer Elementary School Colorado Springs	65%	35%	33	A
22	Ryan Elementary School Westminster	55%	45%	44	A
23	Blue Mountain Elementary Longmont	50%	50%	22	A+
24	Primero Elementary School Weston	50%	50%	24	A
25	Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside Denver	42%	52%	208	B+

Middle schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Aurora Quest K-8 Aurora	98%	87%	120	A+
2	Dennison Elementary School Lakewood	90%	70%	23	A+
3	Challenge School Denver	75%	65%	55	A+
4	Hulstrom K-8 Northglenn	75%	65%	45	A+
5	Bear Canyon Elementary School Highlands Ranch	70%	50%	29	A+
6	Englewood Leadership Academy Englewood	70%	50%	25	A+
7	Simla Junior High School Simla	70%	50%	24	A+
8	Swink Elementary School Swink	65%	55%	40	A+
9	Paonia K-8 Paonia	65%	45%	48	A
10	DSST: Cedar Middle School Denver	62%	47%	213	A+
11	Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School Fort Collins	65%	45%	54	A+
12	Kenneth Homyak PK-8 Dacono	55%	55%	38	A+
13	DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School Denver	57%	47%	110	A
14	New Vision Charter School Loveland	57%	47%	78	A
15	Soaring Eagles Community School Colorado Springs	57%	47%	145	A+
16	North Star Academy Parker	70%	30%	21	A+
17	The Classical Academy Charter Colorado Springs	55%	45%	60	A+
18	Eldorado K-8 School Superior	55%	45%	45	A+
19	Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning Colorado Springs	55%	45%	33	A
20	Eads Middle School Eads	50%	50%	21	A+
21	Bradford K8 North Littleton	50%	50%	20	A+
22	Manning Options School Lakewood	65%	35%	45	A+
23	McClave Elementary School Mc Clave	55%	45%	33	A
24	Lewis-Palmer Elementary School Monument	50%	50%	26	A+
25	Aurora Frontier K-8 Aurora	57%	42%	169	A

High schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	DSST: Cedar High School Denver	85%	65%	41	A+
2	Ralston Valley Senior High School Arvada	70%	70%	27	A+
3	DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School Denver	67%	67%	94	A
4	DSST: Montview High School Denver	67%	62%	78	A+
5	Cherry Creek High School Greenwood Village	62%	57%	112	A+
6	Monarch High School Louisville	75%	45%	33	A+
7	Thunderridge High School Highlands Ranch	70%	50%	27	A+
8	Edison Junior-Senior High School Yoder	70%	50%	23	B
9	D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School Denver	70%	50%	25	A+
10	Conifer Senior High School Conifer	70%	50%	23	A+
11	Jefferson Academy Broomfield	50%	70%	29	A+
12	Arapahoe High School Centennial	65%	55%	33	A+
13	PSD Global Academy Fort Collins	55%	55%	35	B
14	STEM School Highlands Ranch Highlands Ranch	65%	45%	55	A+
15	Denver School of the Arts Denver	65%	45%	55	A+
16	Cherokee Trail High School Aurora	57%	42%	96	A
17	Middle Park High School Granby	50%	50%	20	A
18	Crested Butte Secondary School Crested Butte	50%	50%	21	A
19	Coal Ridge High School New Castle	55%	45%	39	B+
20	Chaparral High School Parker	65%	35%	48	A+
21	KIPP Denver Collegiate High School Denver	57%	37%	100	B+
22	KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy Denver	52%	42%	92	A
23	Atlas Preparatory High School Colorado Springs	62%	32%	80	B+
24	Columbine High School Littleton	57%	37%	65	A
25	Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins Fort Collins	52%	37%	120	B

Source: U.S. Department of Education EDFacts (state assessment results by student group) via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Small schools report results as ranges; we use the midpoint. Methodology

Best Schools for Low-income Students in Colorado (2026)

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

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