These Michigan Counties Have the Best Public Schools in the State
Moving to a county with good schools is an important goal for many families with children. Here in Michigan, we’re fortunate to have some highly rated public school districts throughout…

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Moving to a county with good schools is an important goal for many families with children. Here in Michigan, we're fortunate to have some highly rated public school districts throughout the state, whether you're in the Mitten or Upper Peninsula.
So, if you're looking to live in a county with the highest-rated public schools in Michigan, where should you turn? The staff at Niche.com has put together a study to answer that question and help families find the best public education in their area.
"The 'Counties with the Best Public Schools' ranking provides a comprehensive overall assessment of the public education available at the county level," the Niche.com crew states in the study. "This ranking takes into account the grades of all the public schools of the district(s) that serve an area and weighs each school’s score by the number of students the school serves. The same methodology is used to produce the Public Schools Grade for each ranked county as well as additional places. Statistics are primarily obtained from the U.S. Census and represent the most recent data available."
For the study, they didn't just go by numbers, either. They also asked actual residents for their thoughts on public schools throughout the state. "First, we carefully selected each ranking’s factors to represent a healthy balance between statistical rigor and practical relevance in the ranking," they explain.
Read on for the full list of the 50 Michigan counties with the best public schools in the state. The county in which I grew up is in here, which makes me happy, because I had a great experience at my public school. My parents actually taught at my school, too, but that's a whole different story. No matter where you live, changes are you'll find a county near you with a great educational rating. The list begins with the best Michigan county for public schools and descends.
Washtenaw County
Public schools grade: A+
Ottawa County
Public schools grade: A+
Oakland County
Public schools grade: A
Dickinson County
Public schools grade: A
Grand Traverse County
Public schools grade: A
Kent County
Public schools grade: A
Crawford County
Public schools grade: A-
Leelanau County
Public schools grade: A-
Kalamazoo County
Public schools grade: A-
Ingham County
Public schools grade: A-
Benzie County
Public schools grade: A-
Livingston County
Public schools grade: A-
Houghton County
Public schools grade: A-
Midland County
Public schools grade: B+
Macomb County
Public schools grade: B+
Clinton County
Public schools grade: B+
Charlevoix County
Public schools grade: B+
Emmet County
Public schools grade: B+
Baraga County
Public schools grade: B+
Saginaw County
Public schools grade: B
Ostego County
Public schools grade: B
Huron County
Public schools grade: B
Ionia County
Public schools grade: B
Eaton County
Public schools grade: B
Barry County
Public schools grade: B
Monroe County
Public schools grade: B
Wexford County
Public schools grade: B
Muskegon County
Public schools grade: B
Bay County
Public schools grade: B-
Allegan County
Public schools grade: B-
St. Clair County
Public schools grade: B-
Berrien County
Public schools grade: B-
Genesee County
Public schools grade: B-
Sanilac County
Public schools grade: B-
Alpena County
Public schools grade: B-
Chippewa County
Public schools grade: B-
Delta County
Public schools grade: B-
Marquette County
Public schools grade: B-
Isabella County
Public schools grade: B-
Menominee County
Public schools grade: B-
Antrim County
Public schools grade: B-
Lapeer County
Public schools grade: B-
Jackson County
Public schools grade: B-
Calhoun County
Public schools grade: B-
Oscoda County
Public schools grade: B-
St. Joseph County
Public schools grade: B-
Presque Isle County
Public schools grade: B-
Gratiot County
Public schools grade: B-
Iosco Cuonty
Public schools grade: B-
Lenawee County
Public schools grade: B-