Can I use King County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the King County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in King County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in King County?

Start with the 537 listed public schools and 28 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

How does King County compare with nearby school counties?

King County appears in the Seattle area comparison with Snohomish County, WA and Pierce County, WA. Use that regional guide to compare county school score, graduation rate, and spending before narrowing to individual districts and schools.

King County Schools & Education

Name: King County, Washington Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

King County, Washington

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

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

84.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

84.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,759

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 51/100

State Score Position

#12

of 39 counties by score

Education Data Brief: King County

Measured School Summary

King County has midrange measured school signals (score: 54/100) with a graduation rate of 84.6%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

King County spends $9,759 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 5% above the Washington average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read King County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

537 public schools and 28 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

54/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #12 of 39 Washington counties with school score data.

Completion

84.6%

3.2 pts above the state average

Funding context

$9,759

$509 above the state average

School coverage

537

28 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

King County has 537 public schools across 28 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What King County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Large multi-district county

King County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#12

of 39 Washington counties with school score data. The county score is 3 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Seattle School District No. 1

Elementary to high school visible

51,238 students

Elementary 74Middle 12High 20Other 3

109 listed schools in this county slice.

Lake Washington School District

Elementary to high school visible

30,991 students

Elementary 32Middle 12High 10Other 4

58 listed schools in this county slice.

Kent School District

Elementary to high school visible

25,586 students

Elementary 29Middle 6High 8Other 2

45 listed schools in this county slice.

Federal Way School District

Elementary to high school visible

21,606 students

Elementary 23Middle 7High 10Other 6

46 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Seattle School District No. 1 is the largest listed district slice, with 109 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in King County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different King County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Comparison context

Compare King County With Nearby School Markets

King County appears in curated regional school comparisons where parents commonly weigh county lines, housing tradeoffs, commute, and district boundaries before narrowing to individual schools.

Seattle area

King County vs Snohomish County vs Pierce County Schools

This guide helps families compare the Seattle core, northern suburbs, and South Sound alternatives before focusing on districts.

Compared with

Snohomish County, WA and Pierce County, WA

Current leader

Snohomish County, WA at 54/100

Graduation-rate leader: King County, WA at 84.6%

Open regional guide Open interactive comparison

Education Overview

About Schools in King County, Washington

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Massive Network of Public Schools

King County manages an expansive infrastructure of 537 public schools serving over 277,000 students. The system includes 298 elementary schools and 117 high schools spread across 28 distinct districts. This robust network forms the backbone of the state's largest educational community.

Diverse Districts and Charter Options

Seattle School District leads the region with 51,238 students across 109 schools, followed closely by Lake Washington's 30,991 students. While traditional districts dominate, seven charter schools operate here, representing roughly 1.3% of the total school landscape. These options provide families with varied pathways within the public system.

Suburban and Urban Learning Hubs

Schools here offer a mix of 266 suburban and 241 urban settings with an average size of 538 students. Large campuses like Tahoma Senior High, serving 2,790 students, contrast with smaller rural and town schools. The environment ranges from high-density city classrooms to sprawling suburban campuses.

School Overview

Total Schools

537

in King County

Reported Enrollment

277,044

537 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

1% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary298

Middle79

High117

Other43

28 School Districts in King County

Seattle School District No. 1

Lake Washington School District

Kent School District

Federal Way School District

Issaquah School District

Bellevue School District

Highline School District

Auburn School District

Renton School District

Shoreline School District

537 Public Schools in King County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 57 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 537 matching schools

Public schools in King County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Tahoma Senior High School	Profile	Tahoma School District	Maple Valley, 98038Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,790
Issaquah High School	Profile	Issaquah School District	ISSAQUAH, 98027Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,412
Eastlake High School	Profile	Lake Washington School District	Sammamish, 98074Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,349
Redmond High School	Profile	Lake Washington School District	Redmond, 98052City: Small	9–12	High	2,218
Skyline High School	Profile	Issaquah School District	SAMMAMISH, 98075Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,170
Kent-Meridian High School	Profile	Kent School District	Kent, 98030City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,128
Mount Si High School	Profile	Snoqualmie Valley School District	SNOQUALMIE, 98065Town: Fringe	9–12	High	2,081
Kentridge High School	Profile	Kent School District	Kent, 98031City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,034
Lake Washington High School	Profile	Lake Washington School District	Kirkland, 98033Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,015
Auburn Riverside High School	Profile	Auburn School District	AUBURN, 98092Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,909
Mount Rainier High School	Profile	Highline School District	Des Moines, 98198Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,873
Hazen Senior High School	Profile	Renton School District	Renton, 98059City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,871
Auburn Senior High School	Profile	Auburn School District	AUBURN, 98002City: Small	9–12	High	1,844
Thomas Jefferson High School	Profile	Federal Way School District	AUBURN, 98001Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,797
Bothell High School	Profile	Northshore School District	Bothell, 98011Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,764
Kentwood High School	Profile	Kent School District	Covington, 98042Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,733
Newport Senior High School	Profile	Bellevue School District	Bellevue, 98006City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,726
Juanita High School	Profile	Lake Washington School District	Kirkland, 98034Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,695
Lincoln High School	Profile	Seattle School District No. 1	Seattle, 98103City: Large	9–12	High	1,653
Garfield High School	Profile	Seattle School District No. 1	SEATTLE, 98122City: Large	9–12	High	1,642

Tahoma Senior High School

Tahoma School District

Maple Valley, 98038 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,790 students

Issaquah High School

Issaquah School District

ISSAQUAH, 98027 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,412 students

Eastlake High School

Lake Washington School District

Sammamish, 98074 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,349 students

Redmond High School

Lake Washington School District

Redmond, 98052 / City: Small

Profile9–12High2,218 students

Skyline High School

Issaquah School District

SAMMAMISH, 98075 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,170 students

Kent-Meridian High School

Kent School District

Kent, 98030 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,128 students

Mount Si High School

Snoqualmie Valley School District

SNOQUALMIE, 98065 / Town: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,081 students

Kentridge High School

Kent School District

Kent, 98031 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,034 students

Lake Washington High School

Lake Washington School District

Kirkland, 98033 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,015 students

Auburn Riverside High School

Auburn School District

AUBURN, 98092 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,909 students

Mount Rainier High School

Highline School District

Des Moines, 98198 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,873 students

Hazen Senior High School

Renton School District

Renton, 98059 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,871 students

Auburn Senior High School

Auburn School District

AUBURN, 98002 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,844 students

Thomas Jefferson High School

Federal Way School District

AUBURN, 98001 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,797 students

Bothell High School

Northshore School District

Bothell, 98011 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,764 students

Kentwood High School

Kent School District

Covington, 98042 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,733 students

Newport Senior High School

Bellevue School District

Bellevue, 98006 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,726 students

Juanita High School

Lake Washington School District

Kirkland, 98034 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,695 students

Lincoln High School

Seattle School District No. 1

Seattle, 98103 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,653 students

Garfield High School

Seattle School District No. 1

SEATTLE, 98122 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,642 students

Additional School Profiles

Dedicated profile pages are generated for a subset of public schools with broad enrollment coverage. All other schools remain listed in the county table.

37 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,759

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review King County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Washington counties have the highest graduation rates?

Wahkiakum County (95.0%), Lincoln County (91.7%), and Garfield County (90.0%) currently lead Washington 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 Washington?

Across Washington counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,250. The highest current county values are Skamania County ($10,545), Ferry County ($10,380), and Pend Oreille County ($10,253). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in King County?

King County has a school score of 54/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in King County?

The high school graduation rate in King County is 84.6%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does King County spend per student?

King County spends $9,759 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in King County, Washington — FAQ

What does the school system look like in King County, Washington?

What are the major school districts in King County, Washington?

What is the school experience like in King County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Snohomish County

Washington

+0 pts

54/100

School score

Okanogan County

Washington

-1 pts

53/100

School score

Skamania County

Washington

+1 pts

55/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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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