Best School Districts in Chester County
For a lot of families, choosing where to live in Chester County comes down to one question first: which school district? Below is every Chester County school district ranked by the NookLocal Academic Index, a 0-100 score built only from official Pennsylvania test and graduation results. For each district you'll find the towns it serves, so you can go straight from "which schools" to "which homes."
Academics: Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2025 PSSA and Keystone files and SY 2024-25 cohort graduation rates. Compiled 2026-06-26. School budgets and the new Common Level Ratio land each July, and we re-rank then.
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Unionville-Chadds Ford School District
Academic Index 82.7- PSSA
- 77%
- Keystone
- 81%
- Graduation
- 98%
Towns: Birmingham Township, Chadds Ford Township, East Marlborough Township, Newlin Township, Pennsbury Township, Pocopson Township, West Marlborough Township
Typical total property tax ~1.26% of home value/yr · median asking $999,450 (58 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #2
Tredyffrin-Easttown School District
Academic Index 82.6- PSSA
- 76%
- Keystone
- 82%
- Graduation
- 98%
Towns: Easttown Township, Tredyffrin Township
Typical total property tax ~1.21% of home value/yr · median asking $789,000 (59 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #3
Downingtown Area School District
Academic Index 78.2- PSSA
- 70%
- Keystone
- 77%
- Graduation
- 97%
Towns: Downingtown Borough, East Brandywine Township, East Caln Township, Upper Uwchlan Township, Uwchlan Township, Wallace Township, West Bradford Township, West Pikeland Township
Typical total property tax ~1.17% of home value/yr · median asking $825,000 (121 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #4
Great Valley School District
Academic Index 74.8- PSSA
- 66%
- Keystone
- 74%
- Graduation
- 94%
Towns: Charlestown Township, East Whiteland Township, Malvern Borough, Willistown Township
Typical total property tax ~0.95% of home value/yr · median asking $779,000 (72 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #5
Owen J Roberts School District
Academic Index 72.1- PSSA
- 67%
- Keystone
- 65%
- Graduation
- 97%
Towns: East Coventry Township, East Nantmeal Township, East Vincent Township, North Coventry Township, South Coventry Township, Warwick Township, West Vincent Township
Typical total property tax ~1.33% of home value/yr · median asking $850,000 (54 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #6
Avon Grove School District
Academic Index 70.8- PSSA
- 58%
- Keystone
- 71%
- Graduation
- 95%
Towns: Avondale Borough, Franklin Township, London Britain Township, London Grove Township, New London Township, Penn Township, West Grove Borough
Typical total property tax ~1.34% of home value/yr · median asking $649,000 (35 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #7
West Chester Area School District
Academic Index 68.5- PSSA
- 60%
- Keystone
- 63%
- Graduation
- 97%
Towns: East Bradford Township, East Goshen Township, Thornbury Township, Thornbury Township, West Chester Borough, West Goshen Township, West Whiteland Township, Westtown Township
Typical total property tax ~0.93% of home value/yr · median asking $749,995 (111 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #8
Phoenixville Area School District
Academic Index 65.2- PSSA
- 55%
- Keystone
- 60%
- Graduation
- 95%
Towns: East Pikeland Township, Phoenixville Borough, Schuylkill Township
Typical total property tax ~1.32% of home value/yr · median asking $525,000 (49 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #9
Oxford Area School District
Academic Index 57.8- PSSA
- 46%
- Keystone
- 53%
- Graduation
- 91%
Towns: East Nottingham Township, Elk Township, Lower Oxford Township, Oxford Borough, Upper Oxford Township, West Nottingham Township
Typical total property tax ~1.34% of home value/yr · median asking $539,000 (54 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #10
Kennett Consolidated School District
Academic Index 57.6- PSSA
- 51%
- Keystone
- 47%
- Graduation
- 90%
Towns: Kennett Square Borough, Kennett Township, New Garden Township
Typical total property tax ~1.34% of home value/yr · median asking $650,000 (62 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #11
Octorara Area School District
Academic Index 48.5- PSSA
- 32%
- Keystone
- 44%
- Graduation
- 91%
Towns: Atglen Borough, Christiana Borough, Highland Township, Londonderry Township, Parkesburg Borough, Sadsbury Township, West Fallowfield Township, West Sadsbury Township
Typical total property tax ~1.62% of home value/yr · median asking $379,950 (28 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
- #12
Coatesville Area School District
Academic Index 39.0- PSSA
- 27%
- Keystone
- 28%
- Graduation
- 86%
Towns: Caln Township, Coatesville City, East Fallowfield Township, Modena Borough, Sadsbury Township, South Coatesville Borough, Valley Township, West Brandywine Township, +1 more
Typical total property tax ~1.67% of home value/yr · median asking $349,900 (89 active, 2026-06-26) · full profile & taxes
Want schools and taxes side by side?
The School District Value Matrix ranks every district by academics next to its true property-tax rate, the full picture for Chester County and beyond.
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How we rank
Academic Index (0-100). 40% PSSA grades 3-8 (mean of ELA and Math proficiency), 40% Keystone grade 11 (mean of Algebra I, Literature, Biology), 20% four-year cohort graduation rate, all from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's official files, "All Students" group, 2025 administration (SY 2024-25). We publish the components so you can re-weight them yourself. The index reflects student outcomes; it isn't a verdict on any individual school or teacher. Two honest limits: participation varies (some districts have meaningful PSSA opt-out rates, which moves proficiency figures), and small districts' graduation rates ride on cohorts of under 100 students, where a handful of students moves the rate. Charter and cyber-charter schools are separate entities and aren't part of these district figures.
Common questions
What is the best school district in Chester County, PA?
By the NookLocal Academic Index, a 0-100 score built only from official PSSA, Keystone, and graduation results, Unionville-Chadds Ford ranks first among Chester County districts, with an index of 82.7 (PSSA 77%, Keystone 81%, graduation 98%). "Best" depends on your family, and the full ranking above shows how every district compares.
How is the NookLocal Academic Index calculated?
It is a 0-100 composite of official Pennsylvania Department of Education results: 40% PSSA grades 3-8 (average of English Language Arts and Math proficiency, 2025 administration), 40% Keystone Exams grade 11 (Algebra I, Literature, and Biology), and 20% four-year cohort graduation rate (SY 2024-25). All figures are the published "All Students" group, with no ratings, surveys, or demographic adjustment. It measures outcomes, not school effectiveness.
What towns are in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District?
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District serves Birmingham Township, Chadds Ford Township, East Marlborough Township, Newlin Township, Pennsbury Township, Pocopson Township, West Marlborough Township. Each town links to its homes-for-sale page above, and the district profile lists every municipality and its tax rate.
How do Chester County school districts compare on property taxes?
This page ranks districts on academics alone. Property taxes vary widely by municipality, even within one district, so we keep them on the full School District Value Matrix, which joins every district's academic score with its true tax rate (millage multiplied by the county's Common Level Ratio). See the matrix to weigh schools against what you'd actually pay.
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Academic data: Pennsylvania Department of Education public district-level files (PSSA, Keystone, cohort graduation rates). Scores summarize published outcomes only and are not a measure of any individual school. Verify current figures with the district before making decisions.