West Des Moines: Schools & Education
There are 14 public schools in West Des Moines. Valley High School is the largest at 2,152 students (grades 10-12). Total enrollment: 8,901 students.
- ~5,077 residents per school (vs Iowa ~321).
K-12 Schools
14 K-12 schools serving the area — about 5,077 residents per school. 54.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. average ~35%).
Schools (5)
SACRED HEART SCHOOL
1601 GRAND AVE
DOWLING CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
1400 BUFFALO RD
ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL
7075 ASHWORTH RD
AIRAZI ACADEMY
1119 5TH ST
MONTESSORI CHILDREN'S HOUSE
1505 42ND ST
Schools (14)
Walnut Creek Campus
9-12 · 147 students · 1020 8th Street, West Des Moines IA 50265 · (515)633-6480
Valley Southwoods
9-9 · 687 students · 625 S 35th St, West Des Moines IA 50265 · (515)633-4500
Valley High School
10-12 · 2,152 students · 3650 Woodland Ave, West Des Moines IA 50266 · (515)633-4000
Westridge Elementary
-1-6 · 748 students · 5500 E P True Parkway, West Des Moines IA 50266 · (515)633-5400
| School Districts · Districts | Waukee Comm School District, West Des Moines Comm School Di |
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| School Districts · Total count | 2 |
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| School Statistics · Total Schools | 14 |
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| School Statistics · Total Enrollment | 8,901 |
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| School Statistics · Total Teachers | 568 |
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| School Statistics · Student Teacher Ratio | 15.70 |
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| School Statistics · Free Lunch Students | 2,952 |
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| School Statistics · Free Lunch Pct | 33.2% |
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| Schools Count | 14 |
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Sources: NCES LEA assignment from schools in this city · NCES CCD 2022 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Higher Education
Colleges and universities within commuting range, plus IPEDS scorecard data on enrollment, completion, and net price.
Schools (2)
Aveda Institute-Des Moines
244 students
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center
Colleges (1)
Aveda Institute-Des Moines
6905 Mills Civic Pkwy Suite 120 · 5152245244
| Nearest College · Name | Aveda Institute-Des Moines |
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| Nearest College · City | West Des Moines |
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| Nearest College · Phone | (515) 224-5244 |
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| Nearest College · Distance | 8.1 mi |
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Sources: NCES IPEDS 2022 — nearest by coordinates within 50 miles
Early Childhood
Daycare and preschool capacity. Federal child-care data is sparse — counts reflect state-licensed providers only.
Facilities (15)
2 FOR U CHILDCARE WEST LLC
720 S 68TH ST · CENTER BASED
A CHILD'S WORLD
475 68TH STREET · CENTER BASED
ALPHABET ACADEMY
6355 BEECHTREE DR · CENTER BASED
ASHWORTH ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH PRESCHOOL
5300 ASHWORTH RD · RELIGIOUS FACILITY
BEYOND THE BELL-MAPLE GROVE ELEMENTARY
1455 98TH ST · SCHOOL BASED
BEYOND THE BELL-WOODLAND HILLS ELEMENTARY
1120 S 95TH ST · SCHOOL BASED
BLESSINGS LLC CARE FOR KIDS
6820 ASHWORTH RD · RELIGIOUS FACILITY
CADENCE ACADEMY PRESCHOOL
5859 ASHWORTH RD · CENTER BASED
CADENCE ACADEMY PRESCHOOL
1809 GRAND AVE · CENTER BASED
DRAKE UNIVERSITY HEAD START-ASHWORTH
1025 28TH ST · HEAD START
HOPE WEST DES MOINES CHILDREN'S CENTER
925 JORDAN CREEK PARKWAY · CENTER BASED
KIDS ROOM
929 9TH ST · CENTER BASED
KIDS WEST-FAIRMEADOWS ELEMENTARY
807 23RD ST · SCHOOL BASED
KIDS WEST-HILLSIDE ELEMENTARY
713 8TH ST · SCHOOL BASED
KIDS WEST-JORDAN CREEK ELEMENTARY
4105 FULLER RD · SCHOOL BASED
Libraries
Public libraries from IMLS Public Libraries Survey — visits, circulation, and service-area population.
| Nearest Library · Name | West Des Moines Public Library |
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| Nearest Library · Address | 4000 George M. Mills Civic Parkway |
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| Nearest Library · Phone | (515) 222-3400 |
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| Nearest Library · Zip | 50265 |
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| Nearest Library · Hours Per Year | 3400 |
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| Nearest Library · Total Libraries In City | 1 |
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Sources: IMLS PLS — state+city name match
Other
Libraries (1)
WEST DES MOINES PUBLIC LIBRARY
5152223400 · 4000 GEORGE M. MILLS CIVIC PARKWAY, West Des Moines IA 50265
| Education Nonprofits · Total count | 9 |
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| Pct Bachelors Plus | 54.9% |
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| Scholarship Funds · Total count | 1 |
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Sources: IRS BMF NTEE B · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · IRS BMF keyword · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Read Next
Demographics & People
Population, age, language breakdown, and household data.
Economy & Jobs
Median income, employment, commute, and major employers.
Housing & Real Estate
Median home value, ownership rate, build-year mix.
Healthcare & Safety
Hospitals, clinics, fire, police, EMS coverage.
