Middle school is an important transitional phase for every student, when the hormones of puberty begin affecting mind and body alike. Add on the change in schedule, responsibilities and community created by going to a new school and you have a perfect storm for a messy time. All that considered, it makes perfect sense that many parents want to identify the best regarded middle schools in their area, but many don’t know where to start.
Washington Parent has compiled a list of the top 10 public middle schools in the DC area for your help in decision-making, through Niche, a trusted platform for ratings and reviews of schools across the country. Niche includes many valuable factors into its rating of schools, including alumni and family reviews, class sizes, teacher expertise, graduation rates and more.
BASIS Washington, D.C. Public Charter School
- Address: 410 8th St. NW, Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: Open to all students who live in the District of Columbia.
- Why it Stands Out: In addition to being Niche’s No. 1 ranked public middle school in DC, BASIS also sets up students to attend their high school program, a program from which almost half of all students received the title of AP Scholar with Distinction in 2024.
BASIS is located in Penn Quarter, just two blocks north of the National Mall. According to a survey of parents, students and alumni, its most beloved tradition is its annual Term Project Week, where students from every grade work on multidisciplinary projects with their peers and sometimes go on group learning trips, which sometimes even go to other continents.
District of Columbia International School
- Address: 1400 Main Dr. NW, Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: Some attendance slots are reserved for attendees of their member primary schools, which mostly focus on bilingual or ESL students.
- Why it Stands Out: Declaring itself an “IB for All” school, it focuses on making the International Baccalaureate program an accessible and realistic option for every student, regardless of financial or language barriers.
The District of Colombia International School’s campus is in the Delano building of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center. According to Niche’s rankings, it is the most diverse high school and second most diverse middle school in the District.
Washington Latin Public Charter School
- Address: 5200 2nd St. NW, Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: Through the Equitable Access Preference program, this school has seats set aside for students who are in the foster care system or are dealing with food or housing insecurity.
- Why it Stands Out: Their curriculum is derived from the wisdom and practices of Greek and Roman educators and philosophers.
Washington Latin Public Charter School has a second location at their Anna Julia Cooper Campus, which opened just a few years ago, and will be moving to its permanent location at 4301 Harewood Rd. for the 2025-26 school year.
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
- Address: 105 Mustang Aly., Falls Church, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: Part of Falls Church City Public Schools, so attendance is limited to students living with at least one parent or guardian in Falls Church City.
- Why it Stands Out: It’s an IB school which also is ranked the #2 best public middle school in all of Virginia.
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School is situated close to the West Falls Church Metro Station, accessible by a less than 15-minute walk, vastly improving transportation options for many students.
Dorothy Hamm Middle School
- Address: 2110 Washington Blvd., Arlington, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: The student and at least one parent or guardian must have permanent residence in Arlington County.
- Why it Stands Out: This school with a 12-to-1 student to teacher ratio, rather low for a public non-charter school, is Niche’s #4 best public middle school in Virginia.
Dorothy Hamm Middle School, formerly known as Stratford Jr. High, was renamed in the 2019-2020 school year to honor Dorothy Hamm, the activist who filed the lawsuit that led Virginia to desegregate its public schools – with this school being the first to do so.
Cabin John Middle School
- Address: 10701 Gainsborough Rd., Potomac, Md.
- Notes on Admissions: Part of the Montgomery County Public School system, serving students primarily from Bethesda, Potomac and North Potomac.
- Why it Stands Out: Niche ranks it as having the best public middle school teachers in the state and being the #1 public middle school in the state overall.
An interesting feature on Cabin John Middle School’s website is their public facing school improvement plan for the academic year, which highlights target goals like increasing the proportion of students who feel they have a trusted adult at the school, demonstrating what the administration prioritizes.
Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School
- Address: 200 Douglas St. NE, Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: Students from all eight wards of DC are able to attend this school, but the lottery application process begins December of the previous year before attendance begins.
- Why it Stands Out: Working from the perspective that each child is inherently good and desires to learn, and that their individual quirks are things to be worked with, not against, this school takes a customized approach to each student’s education.
Inspired Teaching Demonstration has a second set of students – the teachers themselves. The school has a teaching residency program that helps teachers develop their skills in a professional environment before serving in schools all over the country.
Rocky Run Middle School
- Address: 4400 Stringfellow Rd., Chantilly, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: Part of the Fairfax County Public School system, the exact area of it serves can be seen on this map.
- Why it Stands Out: Rocky Run splits its teachers into teams that focus on smaller numbers of students, allowing for more personal connections.
Rocky Run has a family book club that parents can participate in with their students. If your child attends here, the club could offer an opportunity to meet other parents and get more involved with the community.
Thomas W. Pyle Middle School
- Address: 6311 Wilson Ln., Bethesda, Md.
- Notes on Admissions: Part of the Montgomery County Public School system, serving neighborhoods seen on this map.
- Why it Stands Out: It’s ranked in the top 5 middle schools in the state, in no small part due to having what Niche ranks as the 3rd best public middle school teachers in all of Maryland.
While Thomas W. Pyle doesn’t have a dedicated website of its own, its page on the MCPS website provides links under reports to data on demographics, performance and security under its reports tab.
Robert Frost Middle School
- Address: 9201 Scott Dr., Rockville, Md.
- Notes on Admissions: Part of the Montgomery County Public School system. The areas it serves are divided unintuitively and can be seen on this map.
- Why it Stands Out: Its proportion of teachers who are in their first or second year is only 6%, the lowest rate of any non-charter school on this list and the second lowest overall, meaning that teachers are sticking around and following the journeys of the students they teach.
Robert Frost Middle School is located near, and feeds into, Wooten High School, providing a clear path forward that will allow many attending students to have a place to continue their education where they will know many of their fellow students.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is assistant editor at Washington Parent. He also works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
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Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
