From Cherry Hills Village estates to first homes in University Hills, every South Denver neighborhood plays by its own rules. Sara Garza has spent two decades helping buyers and sellers navigate these markets with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
Sara Garza · Global Real Estate Advisor, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty · Cherry Hills Village · Greenwood Village · Cherry Creek · Wash Park
Best Schools in Centennial Colorado: A Parent’s Complete Guide to Education Options in 2026
Centennial sits inside two well-regarded school districts, Cherry Creek and Littleton Public Schools, giving parents a wider range of public options than most Denver-area suburbs. Here’s how to sort through them.
What are the best schools in Centennial, Colorado?
Centennial is split between Cherry Creek School District and Littleton Public Schools, so there’s no single answer. Cherry Creek High School, Grandview High School, Arapahoe High School, and Heritage High School all rank well and serve Centennial addresses depending on which side of the city you live in. Always confirm your exact school assignment using the district boundary lookup tools before assuming coverage from a real estate listing.
Ask five different families in Centennial where their kids go to school and you’ll likely get five different answers, and that’s not a bad thing. Unlike a lot of suburbs that get carved up by a single district boundary, Centennial straddles parts of both Cherry Creek School District and Littleton Public Schools, plus a scattering of charter and private options within a short drive. That split can be confusing when you’re house-hunting or just trying to figure out where your address lands, but it also means Centennial families have more real choice than most.
I’ve spent time digging into boundary maps, school ratings, and enrollment policies for this guide, mostly because I kept getting the same question from friends moving into the area: which schools are actually good, and does it matter which side of Arapahoe Road you land on? Short answer: yes, it matters, and here’s what I found.
Two Districts, One City
Centennial doesn’t have its own school district. It’s a relatively young city, incorporated in 2001, and it was built on top of existing unincorporated Arapahoe County neighborhoods that were already assigned to district boundaries decades earlier. The result is a city split mainly between Cherry Creek School District #5 to the north and east, and Littleton Public Schools to the west and southwest, roughly along the Santa Fe Drive and Broadway corridor.
Both districts have strong reputations. Cherry Creek is the larger of the two, serving a wide swath of Arapahoe County including parts of Aurora, Centennial, and Greenwood Village, and it’s often cited statewide for its International Baccalaureate programs and district-wide resources. Littleton Public Schools is smaller and more compact geographically, covering Littleton, Centennial, and parts of unincorporated Arapahoe County, and it has built a reputation for strong neighborhood schools with an open enrollment policy that lets families apply across boundary lines when space allows.
If you’re relocating, the practical takeaway is this: don’t assume a Centennial address means a specific district. Check the exact boundary using the district’s online locator tools before you sign a lease or close on a house, because two homes on the same street can occasionally fall into different attendance zones.
Cherry Creek School District Schools Serving Centennial
Cherry Creek School District is the district most people associate with the broader South Denver area’s reputation for strong public schools, and several of its highest-rated campuses serve Centennial addresses directly.
Cherry Creek High School is the flagship, and it’s one of the largest and most recognized high schools in the state, with roughly 3,800 students and a long track record of strong academics, arts programs, and athletics. It draws from a wide attendance area that includes parts of Centennial, Greenwood Village, and Aurora.
Grandview High School also serves Centennial families and has built its own strong reputation within the district, particularly for its STEM offerings and extracurricular depth.
On the elementary side, High Plains Elementary is one of the better-regarded neighborhood schools in the Cherry Creek footprint serving Centennial, consistently ranking among the stronger elementary options in the district according to independent school-rating sites. Families should confirm current boundary assignment directly with the district, since elementary boundaries shift more frequently than high school zones.
For families interested in charter options, Cherry Creek Charter Academy serves K-8 students with a back-to-basics academic model and has drawn a loyal following among Centennial parents who want a smaller school environment. Challenge School, also a Cherry Creek district charter, focuses on gifted and high-achieving students and has a competitive application process.
Cherry Creek also operates Cherry Creek Elevation, an online school option for families who want flexibility, which has grown in popularity since the pandemic and now serves several hundred students across grades 6-12.
Littleton Public Schools Serving Centennial
On the western side of Centennial, Littleton Public Schools covers a smaller geographic footprint but has a strong reputation for consistency across its schools. The district has a genuine open enrollment process, meaning families outside a school’s default boundary can apply to attend, subject to space and a lottery process in oversubscribed schools.
Arapahoe High School is one of the district’s flagship campuses and has consistently ranked among the top public high schools in Colorado according to U.S. News rankings, known for its academic rigor and college matriculation rates. Heritage High School is the other major LPS high school serving the Centennial area, also ranking well statewide and known for a strong sense of school community among students and staff.
Newton Middle School feeds into this system and has a solid local reputation, regularly recognized for student achievement within the district. Families relocating into the LPS side of Centennial should check the district’s open enrollment window early, since popular schools fill their available seats well before the school year starts.
One practical note for LPS: because the district is smaller than Cherry Creek, boundary changes and capacity issues get discussed and adjusted more often at board meetings. If you’re buying a home specifically for a school assignment, it’s worth attending a board meeting or checking recent minutes before finalizing anything.
Private School Options Near Centennial
Centennial itself doesn’t have a large concentration of private K-12 campuses, but families are within a short drive of several well-regarded options in neighboring areas.
Colorado Academy, located in southwest Denver, is a K-12 independent school with strong academics and a sizable financial aid program, drawing families from across the South Denver area including Centennial. St. Mary’s Academy, based in Cherry Hills Village just north of Centennial, is a Catholic PK-12 school known for its academic reputation and offers meaningful need-based financial assistance, with the school reporting several million dollars in aid awarded annually.
Both schools carry tuition in the range typical of Denver-area independent schools, generally landing somewhere between the high twenties and low forties in the thousands per year depending on grade level, though financial aid can bring the real cost down substantially for qualifying families. If private school is on your radar, it’s worth starting the admissions and financial aid conversation at least a year ahead of your intended start date, since competitive spots fill early.
How to Actually Choose
A few practical steps I’d recommend for any family sorting through Centennial’s options:
Confirm your exact boundary before you commit to an address. Both Cherry Creek and Littleton Public Schools maintain online boundary lookup tools. Don’t rely on a real estate listing’s claim about school assignment. Verify it directly with the district.
Visit during a school day if possible. Ratings and rankings are useful filters, but they don’t tell you how a school actually feels day to day. Most schools in both districts allow scheduled tours.
Ask about open enrollment timelines early. If you want a school outside your default boundary, especially in Littleton Public Schools, the application windows open months before the school year starts and popular schools do fill up.
Consider the whole picture, not just test scores. Class size, extracurricular depth, and how a school supports kids who aren’t at the top or bottom of the academic curve matter just as much as headline ratings.
For more on the broader South Denver area and where families are choosing to settle, see our guide to South Denver neighborhoods, and check our Centennial coverage for more on what daily life looks like in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which school district serves Centennial, Colorado?
Centennial is split between two districts: Cherry Creek School District #5 covers the northern and eastern portions of the city, while Littleton Public Schools covers the western and southwestern portions. There is no single Centennial school district, so it’s important to verify your specific address before assuming which schools your children would attend.
What is the best high school in Centennial?
There isn’t a single answer since it depends on which district your address falls into. Within Cherry Creek School District, Cherry Creek High School and Grandview High School both serve Centennial addresses and carry strong reputations. Within Littleton Public Schools, Arapahoe High School and Heritage High School both rank well statewide.
Can I apply to a school outside my assigned boundary in Centennial?
Yes, in most cases. Both Cherry Creek School District and Littleton Public Schools offer open enrollment processes that let families apply to schools outside their default boundary, subject to available space. Littleton Public Schools in particular is known for accessible open enrollment, though popular schools can fill up well before the school year begins.
Are there charter school options for Centennial families?
Yes. Cherry Creek Charter Academy and Challenge School are both charter schools within Cherry Creek School District that serve Centennial-area families, offering alternative academic models within the public school system. Both have competitive enrollment, especially Challenge School, which serves gifted and high-achieving students.
What private schools are near Centennial?
Centennial itself has limited private K-12 options, but Colorado Academy in southwest Denver and St. Mary’s Academy in nearby Cherry Hills Village are both within a short drive and serve families across the South Denver area, including Centennial. Both offer need-based financial aid programs.
How do I find out which school district my Centennial home is in?
Use the official boundary lookup tools on the Cherry Creek School District and Littleton Public Schools websites, which let you enter a specific address to confirm district and school assignment. Don’t rely solely on a real estate listing’s stated school assignment, since boundaries can be more granular than listing platforms account for.
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Sara Garza · LIV Sotheby’s International Realty · Cherry Hills · Greenwood Village · Cherry Creek · Wash Park