Farmington STEAM Academy placed No. 278 out of 1,499 ranked elementary schools in Michigan in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the highest finish in Farmington Public Schools.
The K-8 school on West 12 Mile Road in Farmington Hills also ranked No. 25 among Michigan’s 857 ranked middle schools. Hillside Elementary School, also in Farmington Hills, placed No. 369 among Michigan elementary schools.
Both schools exceeded the district and statewide proficiency comparison rates listed in their respective U.S. News profiles.
At Farmington STEAM Academy, 66% of tested students scored at or above the proficient level in math and 70% in reading. Its profile lists district comparison rates of 46% in math and 54% in reading, and statewide rates of 34% and 41%, respectively.
Hillside Elementary posted 63% math proficiency and 57% reading proficiency. Its profile lists district elementary-school averages of 49% in math and 53% in reading, and statewide comparison rates of 38% and 42%, respectively.
The STEAM profile lists 714 students, 37 full-time-equivalent teachers and a 19-to-1 student-teacher ratio. It reports that all full-time teachers were certified. Hillside’s profile lists 682 students and a 17-to-1 ratio.
In the district’s August 2025 newsletter, Superintendent Kelly Coffin discussed student success in an article about the district’s automotive technology programs.
“When students feel noticed, they take risks, grow, and achieve more than they imagined,” Coffin said.
The U.S. News profiles list nine ranked elementary schools and four ranked middle schools across 16 total district schools, serving 9,110 students.
How the rankings work
The rankings use publicly available data from state education agencies and the U.S. Department of Education.
Half the formula uses math and reading performance indexes that account for results across proficiency levels. The other half compares results with expectations based on students’ socioeconomic backgrounds. Student-teacher ratios break ties.
U.S. News ranked 46,713 elementary schools and 24,756 middle schools in the 2027 edition. Schools receive state and district rankings, rather than a national placement.
Only public schools are included because they participate in common statewide assessments that allow comparison. The Michigan rankings use 2023-24 state assessment data.
Michigan’s top 10 elementary schools
The highest-ranked elementary schools statewide, according to the U.S. News Michigan rankings, are:
- Avondale Gifted and Talented Education, Rochester Hills — grades 2-8; 381 students
- Webster Elementary School, Livonia — grades 1-6; 253 students
- Brown Elementary School, Byron Center — grades K-4; 438 students
- Amerman Elementary School, Northville — grades K-5; 504 students
- Martin Luther King Elementary School, Ann Arbor — grades K-5; 511 students
- Jeffers Elementary School, Spring Lake — pre-K through fourth grade; 379 students
- Countryside Elementary School, Byron Center — grades K-4; 426 students
- Hemmeter Elementary School, Saginaw — pre-K through fifth grade; 331 students
- Marshall Elementary School, Byron Center — pre-K through fourth grade; 463 students
- Novi Woods Elementary School, Novi — grades K-4; 496 students
