Florida Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 67 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
89.8%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$6,118
Avg School Score
36/100
Total Schools
4,210
73 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Florida
This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.
Florida Beats National Graduation Rates on Lean Budgets
Florida posts an 89.8% graduation rate, outpacing the national average of 87.0%. Remarkably, the state achieves these results while spending only $6,118 per pupil, which is less than half the national average of $13,000.
A Wide Spectrum Across 67 Diverse Districts
Education quality varies significantly across Florida's 67 school districts, with school scores ranging from 43.4 in Gadsden County to 59.4 in Monroe County. Graduation rates also fluctuate wildly, from a high of 97.0% in Lafayette County to a low of 72.0% in Franklin County.
State Score Context
How Florida Counties Are Distributed
67 of 67 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.
Scored county coverage
Counties with complete enough data for the composite score
100%
Higher measured signal
Score range 70-100
1
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
21
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
45
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
Best school counties
Best Counties for Public School Research in Florida
For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Florida, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.
Short answer for Florida
Monroe County is the strongest county-level starting point in Florida by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 74/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.
Ranking methodology
67 of 67 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.
State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $6,118.
Top measured county school signals
Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.
Lafayette County
97.0%
Lafayette County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Florida. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.
Monroe County
$9,238
Monroe County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.
Gadsden County
6/100
Gadsden County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Florida. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.
District research
Compare Florida public school districts before narrowing by address
Florida has 73 public school district records and 4,210 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.
Regional comparison guides
Compare Florida Counties in Real Relocation Shortlists
These static guides connect Florida county profiles to common metro-area school decisions. Each guide gives a direct answer, side-by-side NCES metrics, and links back into county profiles for deeper school and district research.
Which South Florida county should parents research first for schools?
Compare county-level public school signals across the three major South Florida county choices for families.
Open guideBuild a three-county school comparison
Compare any Florida county with other county profiles using the same school score, graduation-rate, and spending fields.
Open compare toolAll Florida Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
Monroe County
| 74/100 |
Sarasota County
| 59/100 |
Collier County
| 58/100 |
Lafayette County
| 54/100 |
Palm Beach County
| 51/100 |
Glades County
| 50/100 |
Jefferson County
| 50/100 |
Columbia County
| 50/100 |
Indian River County
| 48/100 |
St. Lucie County
| 47/100 |
Seminole County
| 47/100 |
Miami-Dade County
| 46/100 |
Sumter County
| 46/100 |
Clay County
| 45/100 |
Pinellas County
| 45/100 |
Wakulla County
| 45/100 |
St. Johns County
| 44/100 |
Leon County
| 44/100 |
Walton County
| 44/100 |
Holmes County
| 43/100 |
Gilchrist County
| 42/100 |
Charlotte County
| 41/100 |
Taylor County
| 40/100 |
Madison County
| 40/100 |
Bradford County
| 39/100 |
Dixie County
| 39/100 |
Calhoun County
| 39/100 |
Duval County
| 39/100 |
Liberty County
| 38/100 |
Martin County
| 37/100 |
Nassau County
| 37/100 |
Orange County
| 36/100 |
Okaloosa County
| 36/100 |
Jackson County
| 36/100 |
Flagler County
| 35/100 |
Hernando County
| 35/100 |
Broward County
| 35/100 |
Lake County
| 35/100 |
Bay County
| 35/100 |
Osceola County
| 34/100 |
Hillsborough County
| 34/100 |
Polk County
| 34/100 |
Gulf County
| 34/100 |
Suwannee County
| 33/100 |
Alachua County
| 33/100 |
Putnam County
| 33/100 |
Franklin County
| 32/100 |
Pasco County
| 32/100 |
Hardee County
| 31/100 |
Santa Rosa County
| 31/100 |
Brevard County
| 30/100 |
Levy County
| 30/100 |
Washington County
| 27/100 |
Manatee County
| 26/100 |
Hendry County
| 26/100 |
Lee County
| 24/100 |
Citrus County
| 23/100 |
Marion County
| 23/100 |
Escambia County
| 23/100 |
Volusia County
| 22/100 |
Union County
| 21/100 |
Hamilton County
| 21/100 |
DeSoto County
| 20/100 |
Okeechobee County
| 15/100 |
Baker County
| 13/100 |
Highlands County
| 13/100 |
Gadsden County
| 6/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in Florida
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Schools
Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?
Which regional school comparisons include Florida counties?
What are the best school counties in Florida?
Which Florida county has the strongest measured school score?
What is the average graduation rate in Florida?
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.