NEIGHBORHOODS
Cincinnati Schools
Every district in the metro in one place — Ohio and Northern Kentucky, ranked by rating where Ohio publishes one — plus the Catholic, Christian, Montessori, independent, and STEM schools families ask about.
Browse Every School
Sorted by city and grade band
Pick a city to see its full public elementary, middle/junior high, and high school lineup — plus verified private options nearby.
Public School Districts
Every district across Ohio and Northern Kentucky
All 26 traditional districts — 20 across Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties in Ohio, plus 6 in Northern Kentucky's Kenton, Campbell, and Boone counties — listed alphabetically by city. Ohio ratings reflect the state's 2024-25 Report Card overall star rating; Kentucky runs a completely different accountability system, so its districts are listed by name and location only. In this metro, the district often picks the suburb, and the price, before the house does.
Forest Hills Local Schools
Anderson Township · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
4.5
Covers Anderson Township and Newtown on the river-adjacent east side of Hamilton County.
Visit district website →Sycamore Community City Schools
Blue Ash · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
4.5
Covers Blue Ash's corporate-office corridor plus Montgomery and Symmes Township — one of Hamilton County's highest-rated districts.
Visit district website →Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
2.5
The district anchoring the urban core — the metro's largest, including the competitive-admission Walnut Hills HS magnet and buildings in Over-the-Rhine, Mt. Adams, and Clifton.
Visit district website →Northwest Local Schools
Colerain Township · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
3.5
Covers Colerain, Springfield, and Ross Townships in northwest Hamilton County.
Visit district website →Covington Independent Public Schools
Covington · Kenton County · Grades PreK–12
The urban core district for Covington's riverfront, walkable to downtown Cincinnati.
Visit district website →Deer Park Community City Schools
Deer Park · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
3.5
A small district serving the village of Deer Park in eastern Hamilton County.
Visit district website →Erlanger-Elsmere Independent Schools
Erlanger · Kenton County · Grades PreK–12
Covers portions of Erlanger and Elsmere; the rest of Erlanger falls under Kenton County Schools.
Visit district website →Fairfield City Schools
Fairfield · Butler County · Grades PreK–12
3.5
Serves Fairfield and Fairfield Township in Butler County.
Visit district website →Finneytown Local Schools
Finneytown · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
2.5
A small district serving the Finneytown community in central Hamilton County.
Visit district website →Boone County Schools
Florence · Boone County · Grades PreK–12
The countywide district covering Florence and the rest of Boone County — no independent city districts here.
Visit district website →Fort Thomas Independent Schools
Fort Thomas · Campbell County · Grades PreK–12
A well-regarded independent district in the historic, tree-lined city of Fort Thomas.
Visit district website →Oak Hills Local Schools
Green Township · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
4
Covers Green and Delhi Townships on Cincinnati's west side.
Visit district website →Hamilton City Schools
Hamilton · Butler County · Grades PreK–12
3
The urban core district for the city of Hamilton in Butler County.
Visit district website →Kenton County Schools
Independence · Kenton County · Grades PreK–12
The countywide district covering Independence and the unincorporated Kenton County area.
Visit district website →Indian Hill Exempted Village Schools
Indian Hill · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
5
One of the highest-rated districts in the state — the affluent Indian Hill community east of the city.
Visit district website →Kings Local Schools
Kings Mills · Warren County · Grades PreK–12
4
Serves Kings Mills, South Lebanon, and Deerfield Township — a high-performing district near Kings Island.
Visit district website →Loveland City Schools
Loveland · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
4.5
Small-town-feel district spanning Loveland, Symmes Township, and Miami Township across three counties.
Visit district website →Madeira City Schools
Madeira · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
5
A small, top-rated district in the village of Madeira on the east side.
Visit district website →Little Miami Local Schools
Maineville · Warren County · Grades PreK–12
4
Covers Maineville, Morrow, and South Lebanon along the Little Miami River in Warren and Clermont counties.
Visit district website →Mason City Schools
Mason · Warren County · Grades PreK–12
5
One of the top-rated districts in the state, along the I-71 corporate corridor minutes from Kings Island.
Visit district website →Middletown City Schools
Middletown · Butler County · Grades PreK–12
2
Serves Middletown, spanning the Butler/Warren county line.
Visit district website →Milford Exempted Village Schools
Milford · Clermont County · Grades PreK–12
4.5
Serves Milford and Miami Township along a multi-county Hamilton/Clermont/Warren line.
Visit district website →Newport Independent Schools
Newport · Campbell County · Grades PreK–12
Covington's riverfront neighbor — its own independent district serving Newport.
Visit district website →Princeton City Schools
Sharonville · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
4
Covers Sharonville, Springdale, Glendale, Woodlawn, and Lincoln Heights north of the city.
Visit district website →Lakota Local Schools
West Chester · Butler County · Grades PreK–12
4.5
One of Ohio's largest districts, covering the fast-growing West Chester and Liberty Township area near GE Aerospace.
Visit district website →Wyoming City Schools
Wyoming · Hamilton County · Grades PreK–12
5
A small, top-rated district in the historic village of Wyoming, close-in on the north side.
Visit district website →Private Schools
Catholic, Christian, Montessori, independent, and Jewish options
Catholic · 5 schools
St. Xavier High School
Cincinnati · Grades 9–12
Jesuit college-prep for boys, founded 1831 — consistently ranked among the top private schools in the state.
Visit school website →Archbishop Moeller High School
Cincinnati · Grades 9–12
Marianist college-prep high school for boys (opened 1960) with a well-known athletics tradition.
Visit school website →Mount Notre Dame High School
Reading · Grades 9–12
College-prep Catholic high school for girls, tracing back to an 1860 boarding academy.
Visit school website →Ursuline Academy
Blue Ash · Grades 9–12
Independent, all-girls Catholic college-prep founded 1896 by the Ursuline Sisters of Brown County; ~500 students.
Visit school website →The Summit Country Day School
Cincinnati · Grades PreK–12
Catholic, co-ed PreK-12 school founded 1890 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
Visit school website →Montessori · 1 school
Mercy Montessori Center
Cincinnati · Grades PreK–8
The city's oldest Catholic Montessori school, founded 1969.
Visit school website →Christian · 1 school
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
Cincinnati · Grades PreK–12
Non-denominational Christian college-prep on four campuses across the north side and downtown.
Visit school website →Independent · 2 schools
The Seven Hills School
Cincinnati · Grades PreK–12
Independent PreK-12 school established 1974, with roots to a 1906 kindergarten.
Visit school website →Cincinnati Country Day School
Indian Hill · Grades PreK–12
Independent, coeducational Country Day School founded 1926 in Indian Hill.
Visit school website →Jewish · 1 school
Rockwern Academy
Cincinnati · Grades PreK–8
Independent Jewish day school founded 1952 (originally Yavneh Day School).
Visit school website →STEM & STEAM Schools
Tuition-free STEM options, open across district lines
These are public schools — most are Ohio STEM- or STEAM-designated — that admit students from beyond a single district boundary. A real option to weigh alongside your home district.
Hughes STEM High School
Cincinnati · Grades 7–12
Cincinnati Public Schools' STEM-designated high school (since 2009), with pathways in engineering, IT, and bio-medical sciences.
Visit school website →Kinder Garden School
West Chester · Grades K–4
A smaller Ohio STEM-designated charter school in West Chester, serving grades K-4.
Visit school website →Straight Answers
Cincinnati schools, answered
What are the best public school districts in the Cincinnati area?
By Ohio's 2024-25 Report Card overall ratings, Mason City, Indian Hill, Wyoming, and Madeira lead the metro at 5 stars, with a deep 4.5-star tier right behind them — Sycamore Community, Lakota Local, Forest Hills Local, Loveland City, and Milford Exempted Village. Sycamore and Forest Hills sit closest to the corporate corridor P&G, Kroger, and Fifth Third employees commute to.
Which counties and districts does this guide cover?
Ohio's Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties — 20 districts, including Cincinnati Public Schools, Lakota, Sycamore, Mason, and Forest Hills — plus Northern Kentucky's Kenton, Campbell, and Boone counties, covering Covington, Newport, Fort Thomas, Erlanger-Elsmere, and the countywide Kenton County and Boone County districts. That's 26 public districts across two states.
Does the school district change what a home costs?
Significantly. Districts like Indian Hill, Wyoming, Madeira, and Mason carry both a purchase-price premium and higher effective property taxes — in Ohio, school funding is the biggest driver of the local tax rate. Use the Compare Neighborhoods tool to see median prices next to school ratings before you anchor on a district.
What private school options does Cincinnati have?
A deep bench for a metro this size. St. Xavier and Archbishop Moeller anchor the Catholic boys' high schools, with Mount Notre Dame and Ursuline Academy on the girls' side and The Summit Country Day School offering a Catholic, co-ed PreK-12 option. Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (CHCA) covers non-denominational Christian K-12; Mercy Montessori is the city's oldest Catholic Montessori program; The Seven Hills School and Cincinnati Country Day School are the independent college-prep options; and Rockwern Academy offers a Jewish PreK-8 program.
Are there STEM schools in the Cincinnati area?
Yes — Cincinnati Public Schools runs Hughes STEM High School, Ohio STEM-designated since 2009 with pathways in engineering, IT, and bio-medical sciences. Kinder Garden School in West Chester is a smaller Ohio STEM-designated charter serving grades K-4.
How should I use school ratings when picking a neighborhood?
Treat the rating as a starting filter, not a verdict — and remember Ohio and Kentucky run two different rating systems that don't convert directly, so don't compare an Ohio star rating to a Kentucky color rating. Shortlist two or three districts, then look at what your budget buys in each and what the commute costs you. Chris can tell you which specific streets feed which schools.
Shopping by District?
Pick the district before the house.
Chris helps families shop schools-first — which streets feed which buildings, and where the same budget lands in a stronger district.