Lower Merion School District

301 E Montgomery Ave
Ardmore, PA 19003
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 5%

Top Rankings

Lower Merion School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Pennsylvania for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 5%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 1%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 5%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 1%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public elementary schools serving 5,524 students in Lower Merion School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 1% of public elementary schools in Pennsylvania.
Public Elementary Schools in Lower Merion School District have an average math proficiency score of 74% (versus the Pennsylvania public elementary school average of 35%), and reading proficiency score of 85% (versus the 54% statewide average).
The top ranked public elementary schools in Lower Merion School District are Merion Elementary School, Gladwyne School and Penn Wynne School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Minority enrollment is 37% of the student body (majority Asian and Black), which is less than the Pennsylvania public elementary school average of 42% (majority Hispanic and Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (PA)
# Schools
11 Schools
2,145 Schools
# Students
8,487 Students
1,108,977 Students
# Teachers
781 Teachers
82,943 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

District Rank

Lower Merion School District, which is ranked within the top 5% of all 675 school districts in Pennsylvania (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 97% has decreased from 99% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (PA)
#7 out of 684 school districts
(Top 5%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Lower Merion   School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
75%
36%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Lower Merion   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
86%
55%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Lower Merion   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
87%
57%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Lower Merion   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
97%
87%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Lower Merion   School District and public school graduation rate of Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.56
0.61
# American Indian Students
2 Students
2,278 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
975 Students
51,838 Students
% Asian Students
12%
5%
# Hispanic Students
545 Students
173,776 Students
% Hispanic Students
6%
16%
# Black Students
778 Students
169,696 Students
% Black Students
9%
15%
# White Students
5,439 Students
645,871 Students
% White Students
64%
58%
# Hawaiian Students
5 Students
965 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
743 Students
63,991 Students
% of Two or more races Students
9%
6%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
-
7,744
# Students in K Grade:
342
110,287
# Students in 1st Grade:
629
120,767
# Students in 2nd Grade:
597
126,133
# Students in 3rd Grade:
655
120,907
# Students in 4th Grade:
657
125,574
# Students in 5th Grade:
657
126,000
# Students in 6th Grade:
677
126,698
# Students in 7th Grade:
649
94,854
# Students in 8th Grade:
661
93,972
# Students in 9th Grade:
729
16,255
# Students in 10th Grade:
700
14,467
# Students in 11th Grade:
737
12,872
# Students in 12th Grade:
797
12,447
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $34,093 is higher than the state median of $23,696. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $35,337 is higher than the state median of $23,119. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (PA)
Total Revenue
$289 MM
$39,541 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Lower Merion   School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$300 MM
$38,578 MM
This chart displays total spending of Lower Merion   School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$34,093
$23,696
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Lower Merion   School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$35,337
$23,119
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Lower Merion   School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Pennsylvania by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Lower Merion School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Merion Elementary School
(Math: 88% | Reading: 91%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 1%
549 S Bowman Ave
Merion Station, PA 19066
(610) 645-1470
Grades: K-4
| 442 students
Rank: #22.
Gladwyne School
(Math: 86% | Reading: 87%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
230 West Righters Mill Rd
Gladwyne, PA 19035
(610) 645-1440
Grades: K-4
| 545 students
Rank: #33.
Penn Wynne School
(Math: 83% | Reading: 84%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
250 Haverford Rd
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 645-1450
Grades: K-4
| 607 students
Rank: #44.
Cynwyd School
(Math: 84% | Reading: 83%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
101 W Levering Mill Rd
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
(610) 645-1430
Grades: K-4
| 442 students
Rank: #55.
Penn Valley School
(Math: 78% | Reading: 84%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
301 Righters Mill Rd
Narberth, PA 19072
(610) 645-1460
Grades: K-4
| 500 students
Rank: #66.
Belmont Hills Elementary School
(Math: 73% | Reading: 82%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
200 School Street
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
(610) 645-1420
Grades: K-4
| 344 students
Rank: #77.
Bala-cynwyd Middle School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 86%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
510 Bryn Mawr Ave
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
(610) 645-1480
Grades: 5-8
| 796 students
Rank: #88.
Welsh Valley Middle School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 83%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
325 Tower Lane
Narberth, PA 19072
(610) 658-3920
Grades: 5-8
| 818 students
Rank: n/an/a
1860 W Montgomery Ave
Villanova, PA 19085
(484) 418-2222
Grades: 5-8
| 1,030 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 11 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 8,487 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 36%
  • : 97% (Top 5% in PA)
  • : Top 5%
  • : 75% (Top 1%)
  • : 86% (Top 5%)
  • : 87% (Top 1%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), PA Dept. of Education

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