Schools in Lawrence
Lawrence Public Schools (USD 497) ranked #21 among Best School Districts in Kansas per Niche's 2026 rankings (overall grade A-minus), though this record discloses a real, disclosed gap between the district's two public high schools: Free State High School ranked #18 statewide versus Lawrence High School at #64.
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Learn moreUSD 497 Ranked Solidly Above-Median Statewide
Lawrence Public Schools (USD 497) ranked #21 among Best School Districts in Kansas per Niche's 2026 rankings, with an overall Niche grade of A-minus across 18 schools and 10,443 students -- a real, cited, solidly above-median (though not top-tier) districtwide ranking this record does not round up or down.
A Real, Disclosed Gap Between Lawrence's Two Public High Schools
Lawrence Free State High School ranked #18 among Best Public High Schools in Kansas per Niche (overall grade A-minus, 1,774 students) -- the higher-ranked of USD 497's two public high schools per this specific source. Lawrence High School ranked #64 among Best Public High Schools in Kansas (overall grade B+, 1,499 students) -- real, currently ranked lower than Free State per this same source, though both remain above-median Kansas high schools per this rating.
Cited Elementary Schools Also Ran Above-Median
Multiple Lawrence elementary schools carried real, cited above-median Niche rankings within Kansas -- for example, individual schools ranked #71 and #102 among Best Public Elementary Schools in Kansas, both with an A-minus overall Niche grade. This pass did not independently confirm comprehensive, current school-by-school rankings across every USD 497 elementary school beyond these specific cited examples.
This Record Did Not Cross-Reference GreatSchools or SchoolDigger Ratings This Pass
This pass relied primarily on Niche's 2026 rankings for USD 497 and did not independently cross-reference GreatSchools or SchoolDigger ratings for the same schools this pass -- families researching a specific school in depth should review multiple independent rating sources directly, consistent with this project's general sourcing discipline.
Confirm a Specific Target Address's Assigned School Directly
Given the real, disclosed gap between Lawrence's two public high schools, confirm a specific target address's actual assigned school directly with USD 497, and review that school's own current performance data, rather than assuming a uniform districtwide quality level.
Key takeaways
- USD 497 ranked #21 among Kansas school districts per Niche (A-minus overall, 18 schools, 10,443 students) -- a solidly above-median districtwide figure.
- Free State High School ranked #18 in Kansas (A-minus) while Lawrence High School ranked #64 (B+) -- a real, disclosed gap between USD 497's two public high schools.
- Cited elementary schools ranked #71 and #102 in Kansas (A-minus each) -- this pass did not confirm comprehensive school-by-school data beyond these examples.
- This record relied on Niche's 2026 rankings and did not independently cross-reference GreatSchools or SchoolDigger ratings this pass.
- Confirm a specific target address's assigned USD 497 school directly, given the real, disclosed ranking gap between Lawrence's two high schools.
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