US School Insights
National analysis of public school metrics, graduation rates, and education spending across all 3,144 US counties. Data from NCES public school and school-finance records.
Avg Score
50
n=3,120 counties
Avg Grad Rate
88.2%
n=3,102 counties
Avg Per Pupil Spend
$7,956
n=3,118 counties
Paired Data
3,100
grad+spending counties
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data. Averages use only counties with each reported field, so score, graduation-rate, spending, and paired-data counts differ.
Key Findings
County education indicators vary significantly across the United States. New Jersey leads with an average school score of 80 across its counties, while Arizona averages 14. Among counties with reported values, the average graduation rate is 88.2% and the average per-pupil expenditure is $7,956.
Among counties with both spending and graduation data, the descriptive correlation between per pupil spending and graduation rate is r = -0.15. That relationship is not uniform and should not be read as causal. Some counties post strong outcomes with modest spending, while others spend more with middling graduation results.
State score snapshot
The state table averages county school scores within each state. It is useful for national screening, but individual county profiles show the underlying local records.
Highest average scores
Lowest average scores
Top county score snapshot
These are the highest school-score counties in the current dataset. Open a county page before using the score for any district-level interpretation.
- 100
- 100
- 99
- 98
- 97
Data Behind the Insights
These tables mirror the chart data in crawlable, keyboard-readable form. Use them to open state and county pages, compare denominators, and spot counties that need closer local review.
All State Score Averages
Ranked by average county school score among counties with score data.
| Rank | State | Avg Score | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | 79.9 | 21 |
| 2 | Maryland | 72.1 | 24 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 72.0 | 67 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 71.5 | 14 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 66.0 | 10 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 65.3 | 5 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 65.0 | 72 |
| 8 | Nebraska | 63.6 | 93 |
| 9 | New York | 63.4 | 62 |
| 10 | Illinois | 63.0 | 102 |
| 11 | West Virginia | 62.3 | 55 |
| 12 | Delaware | 62.2 | 3 |
| 13 | Iowa | 61.3 | 99 |
| 14 | Kansas | 61.0 | 105 |
| 15 | Hawaii | 57.4 | 1 |
| 16 | Wyoming | 57.1 | 23 |
| 17 | Kentucky | 56.7 | 120 |
| 18 | Maine | 56.6 | 16 |
| 19 | Texas | 56.3 | 253 |
| 20 | Alaska | 55.9 | 29 |
| 21 | California | 55.4 | 58 |
| 22 | Montana | 55.0 | 56 |
| 23 | Vermont | 54.9 | 14 |
| 24 | Minnesota | 54.9 | 87 |
| 25 | Ohio | 54.5 | 88 |
| 26 | Virginia | 54.1 | 127 |
| 27 | North Dakota | 53.6 | 53 |
| 28 | Louisiana | 52.9 | 64 |
| 29 | Washington | 50.8 | 39 |
| 30 | Georgia | 49.6 | 159 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | 48.3 | 1 |
| 32 | Tennessee | 47.5 | 95 |
| 33 | Missouri | 43.1 | 115 |
| 34 | Nevada | 42.7 | 17 |
| 35 | Utah | 42.4 | 29 |
| 36 | Oregon | 41.0 | 36 |
| 37 | North Carolina | 40.3 | 100 |
| 38 | Alabama | 40.0 | 67 |
| 39 | Indiana | 39.2 | 92 |
| 40 | South Dakota | 38.3 | 65 |
| 41 | Arkansas | 38.1 | 75 |
| 42 | Florida | 36.2 | 67 |
| 43 | Colorado | 35.6 | 63 |
| 44 | Michigan | 35.1 | 83 |
| 45 | South Carolina | 33.4 | 46 |
| 46 | New Mexico | 33.4 | 33 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 27.7 | 77 |
| 48 | Idaho | 27.6 | 44 |
| 49 | Mississippi | 26.9 | 81 |
| 50 | Arizona | 14.0 | 15 |
Graduation Rate Distribution
County counts by reported graduation-rate range.
| Range | Counties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| < 70% | 48 | 1.5% |
| 70–75% | 67 | 2.2% |
| 75–80% | 217 | 7.0% |
| 80–85% | 419 | 13.5% |
| 85–90% | 773 | 24.9% |
| 90–95% | 1,128 | 36.4% |
| > 95% | 450 | 14.5% |
Higher Spending, Lower Graduation
Counties above the spending average and below the graduation average.
| County | Spend | Grad Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, NY | $26,327 | 85.2% |
| Bristol Bay Borough, AK | $22,316 | 70.9% |
| New York County, NY | $21,940 | 78.5% |
| Nome Census Area, AK | $20,058 | 78.7% |
| Wheeler County, NE | $19,491 | 75.0% |
| Sioux County, NE | $18,861 | 75.0% |
| Rockland County, NY | $18,848 | 86.1% |
| Sullivan County, NY | $18,781 | 79.3% |
Lower Spending, Higher Graduation
Counties below the spending average and above the graduation average.
| County | Spend | Grad Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan County, TN | $6,304 | 99.0% |
| Vermilion Parish, LA | $6,737 | 99.0% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish, LA | $6,931 | 99.0% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | $7,470 | 99.0% |
| Rockwall County, TX | $5,529 | 98.5% |
| Moore County, TX | $6,854 | 98.5% |
| Taylor County, KY | $7,103 | 98.5% |
| Henry County, TN | $6,238 | 98.0% |
How to use these tables
Start with the state ranking, then open county pages from either outlier table. Counties in the outlier lists are not endorsements or warnings; they are starting points for checking district structure, official state report cards, and local finance context.
Loading interactive charts
Rankings and chart data are prepared. The interactive views load in the browser.
Insights FAQ
What is the source for these school insights?
SchoolsByCounty uses NCES public school and school-finance records, normalized to county-level comparisons where federal data is available.
Are the spending and graduation charts causal analysis?
No. The spending chart is descriptive. It shows county-level relationships in the available data and should not be read as proof that spending causes a specific graduation outcome.
Why do some counties have missing values?
Some counties or county-equivalent areas have incomplete reporting for graduation, finance, or school coverage fields in the national data source.