Best School Districts in the Lehigh Valley

For a lot of families, choosing where to live in the Lehigh Valley comes down to one question first: which school district? Below is every Lehigh Valley 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 in July, and we re-rank then.

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#1
Southern Lehigh School District
Academic Index 74.7
PSSA
70%
Keystone
68%
Graduation
97%
Towns: Coopersburg, Coopersburg Borough, Upper Saucon Township
Typical total property tax ~1.14% of home value/yr · median asking $817,495 · full profile & taxes
#2
Parkland School District
Academic Index 73.1
PSSA
68%
Keystone
67%
Graduation
96%
Towns: South Whitehall Township, Upper Macungie Township
Typical total property tax ~1.13% of home value/yr · median asking $778,654 · full profile & taxes
#3
Nazareth Area School District
Academic Index 70.3
PSSA
62%
Keystone
66%
Graduation
96%
Towns: Nazareth, Upper Nazareth Township
Typical total property tax ~1.40% of home value/yr · median asking $730,000 · full profile & taxes
#4
Saucon Valley School District
Academic Index 69.4
PSSA
57%
Keystone
68%
Graduation
97%
Towns: Hellertown, Hellertown Borough, Lower Saucon Township
Typical total property tax ~1.37% of home value/yr · median asking $725,000 · full profile & taxes
#5
East Penn School District
Academic Index 69.1
PSSA
62%
Keystone
63%
Graduation
96%
Towns: Emmaus, Emmaus Borough, Lower Macungie Township, Macungie, Upper Milford Township
Typical total property tax ~1.48% of home value/yr · median asking $399,900 · full profile & taxes
#6
Northwestern Lehigh School District
Academic Index 68.2
PSSA
56%
Keystone
66%
Graduation
97%
Typical total property tax ~1.28% of home value/yr · median asking $559,900 · full profile & taxes
#7
Bangor Area School District
Academic Index 63.8
PSSA
53%
Keystone
59%
Graduation
93%
Towns: Bangor
Typical total property tax ~1.39% of home value/yr · median asking $1,117,500 · full profile & taxes
#8
Wilson Area School District
Academic Index 58.1
PSSA
48%
Keystone
51%
Graduation
93%
Towns: Williams Township
Typical total property tax ~1.44% of home value/yr · median asking $815,000 · full profile & taxes
#9
Northampton Area School District
Academic Index 57.6
PSSA
47%
Keystone
52%
Graduation
91%
Towns: Allen Township, Bath, Lehigh Township, Moore Township, Northampton, Northampton Borough
Typical total property tax ~1.32% of home value/yr · median asking $437,495 · full profile & taxes
#10
Salisbury Township School District
Academic Index 56.6
PSSA
47%
Keystone
51%
Graduation
87%
Towns: Salisbury Township
Typical total property tax ~1.65% of home value/yr · median asking $487,500 · full profile & taxes
#11
Whitehall-Coplay School District
Academic Index 56.3
PSSA
43%
Keystone
51%
Graduation
94%
Towns: Coplay
Typical total property tax ~1.66% of home value/yr · full profile & taxes
#12
Pen Argyl Area School District
Academic Index 55.8
PSSA
42%
Keystone
49%
Graduation
98%
Towns: Pen Argyl
Typical total property tax ~1.39% of home value/yr · median asking $184,450 · full profile & taxes
#13
Northern Lehigh School District
Academic Index 51.7
PSSA
35%
Keystone
46%
Graduation
95%
Towns: Slatington, Walnutport
Typical total property tax ~1.72% of home value/yr · median asking $334,450 · full profile & taxes
#14
Easton Area School District
Academic Index 48.2
PSSA
38%
Keystone
37%
Graduation
92%
Towns: Easton, Easton City, Forks Township, Palmer Township
Typical total property tax ~1.59% of home value/yr · median asking $569,490 · full profile & taxes
#15
Catasauqua Area School District
Academic Index 46.6
PSSA
31%
Keystone
39%
Graduation
92%
Towns: Catasauqua
Typical total property tax ~1.70% of home value/yr · median asking $275,000 · full profile & taxes
#16
Bethlehem Area School District
Academic Index 45.4
PSSA
33%
Keystone
36%
Graduation
89%
Towns: Bethlehem, Bethlehem City, Bethlehem City, Bethlehem Township, Hanover Township
Typical total property tax ~1.59% of home value/yr · median asking $427,500 · full profile & taxes
#17
Allentown School District
Academic Index 28.8
PSSA
16%
Keystone
19%
Graduation
75%
Towns: Allentown, Allentown City
Typical total property tax ~1.53% of home value/yr · median asking $270,000 · full profile & taxes

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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.

Common questions

What is the best school district in the Lehigh Valley, PA?

By the NookLocal Academic Index, a 0-100 score built only from official PSSA, Keystone, and graduation results, Southern Lehigh ranks first among Lehigh Valley districts, with an index of 74.7 (PSSA 70%, Keystone 68%, graduation 97%). "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 Southern Lehigh School District?

Southern Lehigh School District serves Coopersburg, Coopersburg Borough, Upper Saucon Township. Each town links to its homes-for-sale page above, and the district profile lists every municipality and its tax rate.

How do Lehigh Valley 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.