McKinley Elementary School earned the No. 17 spot among 658 ranked Oklahoma elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Elementary Schools rankings, released Oct. 20.

The school on South Flood Avenue scored 97.41 out of 100 and placed first among 16 ranked elementary schools in the Norman district. Sixty-two percent of McKinley students scored at or above the proficient level in math, and 57% reached that mark in reading, according to U.S. News. Both figures topped the Norman district averages of 37% in math and 34% in reading.

McKinley's reading proficiency ranked No. 11 (tied) statewide, and its math proficiency ranked No. 29 (tied). The school received ratings of "well above expectations" in both reading and math performance, a measure that compares results against modeled expectations based on student demographics.

The school serves 341 students in pre-K through fifth grade with a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio, lower than the district average. All 27 full-time teachers are certified.

Principal Carol Emerson praised the school community in a Norman Public Schools statement published in November 2025, when the same ranking appeared in the prior edition.

"Our students are amazing and work so hard each and every day! We are supported by a community that truly values education," Emerson said. "I'm so proud of our fabulous students, our outstanding teachers and staff and our wonderful families who make McKinley such a special place to learn."

Noble's top-ranked school

In the Noble district, Pioneer Elementary School ranked No. 197 statewide with an overall score of 70.17 out of 100. The school serves 441 students in grades four and five.

Forty-eight percent of Pioneer students scored at or above proficiency in math, and 27% did so in reading. Both figures exceeded the Noble district averages of 37% in math and 26% in reading.

Pioneer's math performance was rated "somewhat above expectations," while its reading performance was rated "somewhat below expectations."

A note on the data

Oklahoma was one of 10 states whose rankings were not updated for the 2027 edition, according to the U.S. News methodology. The state lacked usable assessment data, so scores and ranks carry over from the 2026 edition published in October 2025. The underlying math assessment data dates to the 2022-2023 school year, and reading data dates to 2021-2022.

Nationally, nearly 47,000 elementary schools and more than 24,000 middle schools are ranked. Schools are evaluated on four equally weighted factors: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half the formula measures raw test scores; the other half accounts for socioeconomic demographics.

Oklahoma's leading elementary schools

The statewide list, according to U.S. News, is led by Schwartz Elementary School in Oklahoma City (311 students, PK-5) at No. 1 and Clegern Elementary School in Edmond (425 students, PK-5) at No. 2. Richmond Elementary School in Stillwater (362 students, PK-5) ranks No. 3.

Schools in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Hydro, Bixby and Muskogee round out the top 10. McKinley Elementary's No. 17 ranking places it in the top 3% of all ranked Oklahoma elementary schools.