Georgia Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 159 counties.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Avg Graduation Rate

88.1%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$7,405

Avg School Score

50/100

Total Schools

2,316

228 districts

State Overview

About Schools in Georgia

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.

Georgia Outperforms National Graduation Average on Lean Budget

Georgia maintains an 88.1% graduation rate, which sits slightly above the national average of 87.0%. Despite this success, the state spends significantly less than the national median, investing just $7,405 per pupil compared to the $13,000 national benchmark.

Extreme Disparities Define Georgia's 158 School Districts

Performance varies wildly across the state, with school scores ranging from a high of 74.7 in Taliaferro County to a low of 13.3 in Candler County. While Oconee County sees nearly every student graduate at 98.0%, Candler County struggles with a graduation rate of just 21.5%.

A Strong Value Proposition With Significant Regional Gaps

Georgia offers a competitive education system that delivers solid graduation rates for much less than the national average cost. Families seeking the best outcomes find the strongest performance in districts like Oconee and Towns where investment and graduation rates peak.

State Score Context

How Georgia Counties Are Distributed

159 of 159 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

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

Best school counties

Best Counties for Public School Research in Georgia

For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Georgia, 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 Georgia

Towns County is the strongest county-level starting point in Georgia by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 87/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

159 of 159 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: $7,405.

Top measured county school signals

Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.

1Towns CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $10,10787/100 2Clay CountyGraduation not reported · Spending $9,40782/100 3Fannin CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $8,55680/100 4Dawson CountyGraduation 96.0% · Spending $7,88377/100 5Oglethorpe CountyGraduation 97.0% · Spending $7,68977/100 6Burke CountyGraduation 92.0% · Spending $9,82976/100 7Glascock CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $8,06576/100

Graduation-focused starting point

Oconee County

98.0%

Oconee County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Georgia. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.

Funding context to inspect

Towns County

$10,107

Towns County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.

Counties to research carefully

Candler County

1/100

Candler County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Georgia. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.

District research

Compare Georgia public school districts before narrowing by address

Georgia has 228 public school district records and 2,316 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.

View District Rankings

Regional comparison guides

Compare Georgia Counties in Real Relocation Shortlists

These static guides connect Georgia 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.

Atlanta metro

Which Atlanta metro county has the strongest measured school signal?

Compare public school metrics for Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties, three common Atlanta-area relocation shortlists.

Open guide

Custom comparison

Build a three-county school comparison

Compare any Georgia county with other county profiles using the same school score, graduation-rate, and spending fields.

Open compare tool

All Georgia Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for Georgia.
County	School Score	Graduation Rate	Per-Pupil Spending
Towns County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $10,107	87/100	95.0%	$10,107
Clay County Graduation — Per pupil $9,407	82/100	—	$9,407
Fannin County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $8,556	80/100	95.0%	$8,556
Dawson County Graduation 96.0% Per pupil $7,883	77/100	96.0%	$7,883
Oglethorpe County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,689	77/100	97.0%	$7,689
Burke County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $9,829	76/100	92.0%	$9,829
Glascock County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $8,065	76/100	95.0%	$8,065
Calhoun County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $8,024	76/100	95.0%	$8,024
Haralson County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,572	75/100	97.0%	$7,572
Oconee County Graduation 98.0% Per pupil $7,479	75/100	98.0%	$7,479
Habersham County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $7,895	74/100	95.0%	$7,895
Rabun County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $9,349	74/100	92.0%	$9,349
Bleckley County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,411	73/100	97.0%	$7,411
Warren County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $7,783	73/100	95.0%	$7,783
Appling County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $8,367	73/100	93.0%	$8,367
Madison County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $7,709	72/100	95.0%	$7,709
Glynn County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $7,937	72/100	94.0%	$7,937
Union County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,297	72/100	97.0%	$7,297
Floyd County Graduation 94.2% Per pupil $7,824	71/100	94.2%	$7,824
Lumpkin County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,219	71/100	97.0%	$7,219
McIntosh County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,218	71/100	97.0%	$7,218
Pickens County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $7,772	70/100	94.0%	$7,772
Jasper County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,089	69/100	97.0%	$7,089
Forsyth County Graduation 96.0% Per pupil $7,228	69/100	96.0%	$7,228
Wilcox County Graduation 97.0% Per pupil $7,041	68/100	97.0%	$7,041
Toombs County Graduation 94.5% Per pupil $7,519	68/100	94.5%	$7,519
Jackson County Graduation 95.4% Per pupil $7,222	67/100	95.4%	$7,222
Stewart County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $9,370	66/100	90.0%	$9,370
Webster County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $9,270	66/100	90.0%	$9,270
Putnam County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $8,023	65/100	92.0%	$8,023
Hart County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $7,142	65/100	95.0%	$7,142
Morgan County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,906	64/100	92.0%	$7,906
Liberty County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $7,290	64/100	94.0%	$7,290
Camden County Graduation 96.0% Per pupil $6,841	63/100	96.0%	$6,841
Lincoln County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,792	63/100	92.0%	$7,792
Monroe County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,785	63/100	92.0%	$7,785
Echols County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $6,972	63/100	95.0%	$6,972
Fayette County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $8,141	62/100	91.0%	$8,141
Atkinson County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,706	62/100	92.0%	$7,706
Jefferson County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,682	62/100	92.0%	$7,682
Seminole County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,675	62/100	92.0%	$7,675
Irwin County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,642	61/100	92.0%	$7,642
Murray County Graduation 96.0% Per pupil $6,688	61/100	96.0%	$6,688
Ware County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,575	61/100	92.0%	$7,575
Stephens County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $7,002	60/100	94.0%	$7,002
Dodge County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $7,951	60/100	91.0%	$7,951
Turner County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,482	59/100	92.0%	$7,482
Johnson County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,458	59/100	92.0%	$7,458
Brantley County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $6,912	59/100	94.0%	$6,912
Gordon County Graduation 95.8% Per pupil $6,501	59/100	95.8%	$6,501
Wheeler County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,446	59/100	92.0%	$7,446
Greene County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $9,458	58/100	87.0%	$9,458
Cook County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $6,855	58/100	94.0%	$6,855
Bacon County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,340	57/100	92.0%	$7,340
Sumter County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $7,000	57/100	93.0%	$7,000
Franklin County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,328	57/100	92.0%	$7,328
Crisp County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $7,668	57/100	91.0%	$7,668
Carroll County Graduation 93.8% Per pupil $6,807	57/100	93.8%	$6,807
Walker County Graduation 91.9% Per pupil $7,399	57/100	91.9%	$7,399
Wayne County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,231	56/100	92.0%	$7,231
Clinch County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,214	56/100	92.0%	$7,214
Coweta County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,201	56/100	92.0%	$7,201
Houston County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,798	55/100	90.0%	$7,798
Hancock County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $8,823	55/100	87.0%	$8,823
Charlton County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,107	54/100	92.0%	$7,107
Early County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $8,681	54/100	87.0%	$8,681
Cobb County Graduation 88.7% Per pupil $8,050	54/100	88.7%	$8,050
Catoosa County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,653	53/100	90.0%	$7,653
Pike County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $6,232	53/100	95.0%	$6,232
Walton County Graduation 92.5% Per pupil $6,795	53/100	92.5%	$6,795
Chatham County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,563	52/100	90.0%	$7,563
Wilkinson County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,950	52/100	92.0%	$6,950
Pulaski County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,938	52/100	92.0%	$6,938
Bartow County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $7,196	51/100	91.0%	$7,196
Brooks County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,855	51/100	92.0%	$6,855
Telfair County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $8,230	51/100	87.0%	$8,230
Schley County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,843	51/100	92.0%	$6,843
Lowndes County Graduation 92.3% Per pupil $6,625	50/100	92.3%	$6,625
Cherokee County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,363	50/100	90.0%	$7,363
Newton County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,346	50/100	90.0%	$7,346
Ben Hill County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $8,396	49/100	86.0%	$8,396
Paulding County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $7,061	49/100	91.0%	$7,061
Effingham County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $7,038	49/100	91.0%	$7,038
Jeff Davis County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $6,304	49/100	93.0%	$6,304
Lanier County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,691	49/100	92.0%	$6,691
Elbert County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,994	48/100	87.0%	$7,994
Laurens County Graduation 90.5% Per pupil $7,076	48/100	90.5%	$7,076
Bryan County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $6,214	48/100	93.0%	$6,214
Columbia County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,528	47/100	92.0%	$6,528
Lee County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,522	47/100	92.0%	$6,522
Grady County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,136	47/100	90.0%	$7,136
Taylor County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,827	47/100	87.0%	$7,827
Gilmer County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,124	46/100	90.0%	$7,124
Screven County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,784	46/100	87.0%	$7,784
Upson County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $7,298	46/100	89.0%	$7,298
Coffee County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,048	46/100	90.0%	$7,048
Spalding County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,053	46/100	90.0%	$7,053
Marion County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $6,401	45/100	92.0%	$6,401
Fulton County Graduation 83.4% Per pupil $8,516	45/100	83.4%	$8,516
Colquitt County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,658	45/100	87.0%	$7,658
Talbot County Graduation 84.0% Per pupil $8,273	44/100	84.0%	$8,273
Terrell County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,616	44/100	87.0%	$7,616
Chattooga County Graduation 89.3% Per pupil $7,127	44/100	89.3%	$7,127
Jones County Graduation 88.0% Per pupil $7,361	44/100	88.0%	$7,361
Quitman County Graduation 69.0% Per pupil $9,756	43/100	69.0%	$9,756
Banks County Graduation 88.0% Per pupil $7,293	43/100	88.0%	$7,293
Heard County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,496	43/100	87.0%	$7,496
Hall County Graduation 88.4% Per pupil $7,177	42/100	88.4%	$7,177
Douglas County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $7,060	42/100	89.0%	$7,060
Tattnall County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $7,060	42/100	89.0%	$7,060
Rockdale County Graduation 85.0% Per pupil $7,841	42/100	85.0%	$7,841
Washington County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $6,774	42/100	90.0%	$6,774
Baker County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $9,066	42/100	75.0%	$9,066
Dade County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,404	42/100	87.0%	$7,404
Mitchell County Graduation 84.9% Per pupil $7,811	42/100	84.9%	$7,811
Polk County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,386	41/100	87.0%	$7,386
Decatur County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $6,982	41/100	89.0%	$6,982
Jenkins County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $8,691	41/100	77.0%	$8,691
Muscogee County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $6,924	41/100	89.0%	$6,924
Thomas County Graduation 87.8% Per pupil $7,130	40/100	87.8%	$7,130
Tift County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $7,478	40/100	86.0%	$7,478
Berrien County Graduation 88.0% Per pupil $7,038	39/100	88.0%	$7,038
Henry County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $6,840	39/100	89.0%	$6,840
DeKalb County Graduation 75.4% Per pupil $8,411	38/100	75.4%	$8,411
Clarke County Graduation 36.3% Per pupil $8,733	38/100	36.3%	$8,733
Harris County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $6,698	37/100	89.0%	$6,698
Pierce County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $7,287	37/100	86.0%	$7,287
Twiggs County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $7,087	37/100	87.0%	$7,087
Whitfield County Graduation 84.3% Per pupil $7,398	36/100	84.3%	$7,398
Treutlen County Graduation 82.0% Per pupil $7,569	34/100	82.0%	$7,569
Emanuel County Graduation 84.0% Per pupil $7,334	34/100	84.0%	$7,334
Baldwin County Graduation 85.0% Per pupil $7,169	34/100	85.0%	$7,169
Dougherty County Graduation 83.0% Per pupil $7,430	34/100	83.0%	$7,430
Butts County Graduation 88.0% Per pupil $6,604	34/100	88.0%	$6,604
Dooly County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $6,755	33/100	87.0%	$6,755
Wilkes County Graduation 82.0% Per pupil $7,426	32/100	82.0%	$7,426
Lamar County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $6,700	32/100	87.0%	$6,700
Peach County Graduation 88.0% Per pupil $6,381	31/100	88.0%	$6,381
Miller County Graduation 82.0% Per pupil $7,263	30/100	82.0%	$7,263
McDuffie County Graduation 82.0% Per pupil $7,139	28/100	82.0%	$7,139
Barrow County Graduation 85.0% Per pupil $6,739	28/100	85.0%	$6,739
Troup County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $6,575	28/100	86.0%	$6,575
Montgomery County Graduation 84.0% Per pupil $6,864	28/100	84.0%	$6,864
Meriwether County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $7,343	27/100	77.0%	$7,343
Bulloch County Graduation 83.2% Per pupil $6,890	27/100	83.2%	$6,890
Randolph County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $7,257	26/100	77.0%	$7,257
Gwinnett County Graduation 81.9% Per pupil $6,969	26/100	81.9%	$6,969
Chattahoochee County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $6,131	25/100	87.0%	$6,131
Crawford County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $7,102	24/100	77.0%	$7,102
Long County Graduation 88.0% Per pupil $5,660	23/100	88.0%	$5,660
Bibb County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $6,967	22/100	77.0%	$6,967
Evans County Graduation 82.0% Per pupil $6,609	21/100	82.0%	$6,609
Richmond County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $6,871	21/100	77.0%	$6,871
Clayton County Graduation 73.0% Per pupil $6,431	13/100	73.0%	$6,431
Macon County Graduation 77.0% Per pupil $6,210	13/100	77.0%	$6,210
Worth County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $6,124	11/100	75.0%	$6,124
White County Graduation 27.5% Per pupil $6,240	10/100	27.5%	$6,240
Taliaferro County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil —	5/100	75.0%	—
Candler County Graduation 21.5% Per pupil $5,074	1/100	21.5%	$5,074

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in Georgia

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About Georgia Schools

Which Georgia counties have the highest graduation rates?

Oconee County (98.0%), Bleckley County (97.0%), and Haralson County (97.0%) currently lead Georgia among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Georgia?

Across Georgia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,405. The highest current county values are Towns County ($10,107), Burke County ($9,829), and Quitman County ($9,756). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

Which regional school comparisons include Georgia counties?

Atlanta metro include Georgia counties in curated regional school comparisons. Use these guides for broad county shortlists, then verify school assignment and district rules locally.

What are the best school counties in Georgia?

Towns County, Clay County, Fannin County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in Georgia, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.

Which Georgia county has the strongest measured school score?

Towns County has the highest school score in Georgia with a score of 87/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.

What is the average graduation rate in Georgia?

The average high school graduation rate across Georgia counties is 88.1%, based on NCES data.

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.

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