schoolsbycounty

North Dakota Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 53 counties.

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

Avg Graduation Rate

84.8%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$9,385

Avg School Score

54/100

Total Schools

511

172 districts

State Overview

About Schools in North Dakota

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.

North Dakota Trails National Education Benchmarks

North Dakota's 84.8% graduation rate lags behind the national average of 87.0%. The state also spends significantly less on students, investing $9,385 per pupil compared to the national average of $13,000.

State Score Context

How North Dakota Counties Are Distributed

53 of 53 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

7

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

39

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

7

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

Best school counties

Best Counties for Public School Research in North Dakota

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

Billings County is the strongest county-level starting point in North Dakota by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 94/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

53 of 53 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: $9,385.

Top measured county school signals

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

1Billings CountyGraduation not reported · Spending $12,10994/1002Cavalier CountyGraduation 91.3% · Spending $11,11076/1003Pierce CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $7,87674/1004Ransom CountyGraduation 93.4% · Spending $8,03371/1005McHenry CountyGraduation 90.5% · Spending $9,94371/1006Divide CountyGraduation 90.0% · Spending $10,46370/1007Golden Valley CountyGraduation 90.0% · Spending $10,42570/100
Graduation-focused starting point

Pierce County

95.0%

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

Funding context to inspect

Steele County

$16,783

Steele 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

Slope County

31/100

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

District research

Compare North Dakota public school districts before narrowing by address

North Dakota has 172 public school district records and 511 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

All North Dakota Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for North Dakota.
CountySchool Score
Billings County
Graduation
—
Per pupil
$12,109
94/100
Cavalier County
Graduation
91.3%
Per pupil
$11,110
76/100
Pierce County
Graduation
95.0%
Per pupil
$7,876
74/100
Ransom County
Graduation
93.4%
Per pupil
$8,033
71/100
McHenry County
Graduation
90.5%
Per pupil
$9,943
71/100
Divide County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$10,463
70/100
Golden Valley County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$10,425
70/100
Pembina County
Graduation
88.9%
Per pupil
$10,552
67/100
Renville County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$9,198
66/100
Barnes County
Graduation
91.7%
Per pupil
$8,185
65/100
Burleigh County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$8,868
64/100
Cass County
Graduation
89.3%
Per pupil
$8,858
61/100
Ramsey County
Graduation
87.0%
Per pupil
$9,914
60/100
Mercer County
Graduation
95.0%
Per pupil
$6,770
60/100
Kidder County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$8,197
59/100
Grand Forks County
Graduation
87.5%
Per pupil
$9,101
58/100
Traill County
Graduation
91.7%
Per pupil
$7,509
57/100
Nelson County
Graduation
85.1%
Per pupil
$10,395
57/100
Logan County
Graduation
85.2%
Per pupil
$10,318
57/100
Bowman County
Graduation
85.7%
Per pupil
$9,873
56/100
Dunn County
Graduation
84.0%
Per pupil
$10,955
56/100
Stark County
Graduation
86.1%
Per pupil
$9,035
54/100
Mountrail County
Graduation
83.1%
Per pupil
$10,066
53/100
Wells County
Graduation
86.8%
Per pupil
$8,651
53/100
Dickey County
Graduation
93.4%
Per pupil
$6,522
52/100
Steele County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$16,783
52/100
Foster County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$7,533
52/100
Ward County
Graduation
85.1%
Per pupil
$9,065
52/100
Benson County
Graduation
78.5%
Per pupil
$12,204
52/100
Sioux County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$14,627
52/100
Rolette County
Graduation
80.2%
Per pupil
$11,077
51/100
Towner County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$7,424
51/100
Burke County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$12,732
50/100
Bottineau County
Graduation
82.6%
Per pupil
$9,624
50/100
McKenzie County
Graduation
84.4%
Per pupil
$9,017
50/100
Sargent County
Graduation
81.2%
Per pupil
$10,046
50/100
Sheridan County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$11,374
49/100
Emmons County
Graduation
82.1%
Per pupil
$9,334
48/100
Stutsman County
Graduation
85.4%
Per pupil
$8,395
48/100
LaMoure County
Graduation
83.5%
Per pupil
$8,782
47/100
McIntosh County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$9,756
45/100
Grant County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$9,684
44/100
Hettinger County
Graduation
84.1%
Per pupil
$8,115
44/100
Richland County
Graduation
82.7%
Per pupil
$8,388
43/100
Oliver County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$9,255
42/100
Griggs County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$9,094
42/100
Morton County
Graduation
82.0%
Per pupil
$8,040
39/100
McLean County
Graduation
81.7%
Per pupil
$7,923
37/100
Walsh County
Graduation
86.8%
Per pupil
$7,142
37/100
Eddy County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$6,280
36/100
Williams County
Graduation
78.7%
Per pupil
$7,962
36/100
Adams County
Graduation
75.0%
Per pupil
$8,050
34/100
Slope County
Graduation
—
Per pupil
$6,760
31/100

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in North Dakota

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

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About North Dakota Schools

Which North Dakota counties have the highest graduation rates?
Mercer County (95.0%), Pierce County (95.0%), and Dickey County (93.4%) currently lead North Dakota 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 North Dakota?
Across North Dakota counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,385. The highest current county values are Steele County ($16,783), Sioux County ($14,627), and Burke County ($12,732). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
What are the best school counties in North Dakota?
Billings County, Cavalier County, Pierce County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in North Dakota, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.
Which North Dakota county has the strongest measured school score?
Billings County has the highest school score in North Dakota with a score of 94/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.
What is the average graduation rate in North Dakota?
The average high school graduation rate across North Dakota counties is 84.8%, based on NCES data.
Which county in North Dakota has the lowest school score?
Slope County has the lowest school score in North Dakota with a score of 31/100. School scores reflect available graduation-rate and per-pupil spending signals.

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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