Wisconsin Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 72 counties.

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

Avg Graduation Rate

91.8%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$8,113

Avg School Score

65/100

Total Schools

2,232

454 districts

State Overview

About Schools in Wisconsin

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.

Wisconsin Graduation Rates Outpace the National Average

Wisconsin achieves an impressive 91.8% average graduation rate, significantly higher than the national average of 87.0%. Despite this success, the state spends just $8,113 per pupil, which sits nearly $5,000 below the national benchmark of $13,000.

Wide Performance Gaps Across 72 Diverse Counties

Educational quality varies across the state's 72 counties, with school scores ranging from a high of 64.2 down to 48.7. Ozaukee County leads the state with a 97.6% graduation rate, while Ashland County reports the lowest rate at 78.0%.

State Score Context

How Wisconsin Counties Are Distributed

72 of 72 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 Wisconsin

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

Vilas County is the strongest county-level starting point in Wisconsin by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 91/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

72 of 72 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: $8,113.

Top measured county school signals

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

1Vilas CountyGraduation 96.1% · Spending $10,43591/100 2Oneida CountyGraduation 96.8% · Spending $9,14387/100 3Crawford CountyGraduation 94.8% · Spending $9,40283/100 4Bayfield CountyGraduation 93.0% · Spending $10,66583/100 5Iowa CountyGraduation 95.5% · Spending $8,64182/100 6Price CountyGraduation 95.9% · Spending $8,52982/100 7Door CountyGraduation 93.0% · Spending $10,07782/100

Graduation-focused starting point

Ozaukee County

97.6%

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

Funding context to inspect

Bayfield County

$10,665

Bayfield 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

Ashland County

32/100

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

District research

Compare Wisconsin public school districts before narrowing by address

Wisconsin has 454 public school district records and 2,232 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 Wisconsin Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for Wisconsin.
County	School Score	Graduation Rate	Per-Pupil Spending
Vilas County Graduation 96.1% Per pupil $10,435	91/100	96.1%	$10,435
Oneida County Graduation 96.8% Per pupil $9,143	87/100	96.8%	$9,143
Crawford County Graduation 94.8% Per pupil $9,402	83/100	94.8%	$9,402
Bayfield County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $10,665	83/100	93.0%	$10,665
Iowa County Graduation 95.5% Per pupil $8,641	82/100	95.5%	$8,641
Price County Graduation 95.9% Per pupil $8,529	82/100	95.9%	$8,529
Door County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $10,077	82/100	93.0%	$10,077
Green County Graduation 95.7% Per pupil $8,482	81/100	95.7%	$8,482
Ozaukee County Graduation 97.6% Per pupil $7,736	78/100	97.6%	$7,736
Vernon County Graduation 94.6% Per pupil $8,535	78/100	94.6%	$8,535
La Crosse County Graduation 94.2% Per pupil $8,505	77/100	94.2%	$8,505
Polk County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $8,193	77/100	95.0%	$8,193
Grant County Graduation 94.2% Per pupil $8,315	76/100	94.2%	$8,315
Sauk County Graduation 95.1% Per pupil $7,825	75/100	95.1%	$7,825
Walworth County Graduation 94.8% Per pupil $7,961	74/100	94.8%	$7,961
Marathon County Graduation 94.6% Per pupil $7,894	73/100	94.6%	$7,894
Jefferson County Graduation 93.3% Per pupil $8,134	72/100	93.3%	$8,134
Trempealeau County Graduation 93.7% Per pupil $8,029	72/100	93.7%	$8,029
Waukesha County Graduation 95.4% Per pupil $7,548	72/100	95.4%	$7,548
Washington County Graduation 95.4% Per pupil $7,528	71/100	95.4%	$7,528
Waushara County Graduation 93.4% Per pupil $8,029	71/100	93.4%	$8,029
Buffalo County Graduation 93.6% Per pupil $7,929	71/100	93.6%	$7,929
Marquette County Graduation 92.3% Per pupil $8,358	71/100	92.3%	$8,358
Florence County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,426	70/100	90.0%	$10,426
Winnebago County Graduation 93.1% Per pupil $8,010	70/100	93.1%	$8,010
Chippewa County Graduation 93.5% Per pupil $7,898	70/100	93.5%	$7,898
Wood County Graduation 93.7% Per pupil $7,826	70/100	93.7%	$7,826
Langlade County Graduation 93.7% Per pupil $7,756	69/100	93.7%	$7,756
Washburn County Graduation 91.9% Per pupil $8,676	69/100	91.9%	$8,676
Portage County Graduation 92.8% Per pupil $8,001	69/100	92.8%	$8,001
Clark County Graduation 94.1% Per pupil $7,613	69/100	94.1%	$7,613
Oconto County Graduation 93.0% Per pupil $7,892	69/100	93.0%	$7,892
Adams County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $8,327	68/100	92.0%	$8,327
Juneau County Graduation 92.3% Per pupil $8,031	68/100	92.3%	$8,031
Sheboygan County Graduation 92.9% Per pupil $7,864	68/100	92.9%	$7,864
Fond du Lac County Graduation 93.6% Per pupil $7,619	67/100	93.6%	$7,619
Lafayette County Graduation 91.3% Per pupil $8,490	66/100	91.3%	$8,490
Dunn County Graduation 93.5% Per pupil $7,536	66/100	93.5%	$7,536
Kenosha County Graduation 91.5% Per pupil $8,387	66/100	91.5%	$8,387
St. Croix County Graduation 93.6% Per pupil $7,513	66/100	93.6%	$7,513
Iron County Graduation 90.3% Per pupil $8,792	65/100	90.3%	$8,792
Green Lake County Graduation 92.2% Per pupil $7,787	65/100	92.2%	$7,787
Brown County Graduation 92.6% Per pupil $7,662	64/100	92.6%	$7,662
Pierce County Graduation 94.7% Per pupil $7,205	64/100	94.7%	$7,205
Taylor County Graduation 95.7% Per pupil $6,895	63/100	95.7%	$6,895
Shawano County Graduation 92.3% Per pupil $7,641	63/100	92.3%	$7,641
Dodge County Graduation 92.7% Per pupil $7,538	63/100	92.7%	$7,538
Waupaca County Graduation 93.1% Per pupil $7,378	63/100	93.1%	$7,378
Rusk County Graduation 91.1% Per pupil $8,118	62/100	91.1%	$8,118
Barron County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $8,148	62/100	91.0%	$8,148
Rock County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $7,932	60/100	91.0%	$7,932
Menominee County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $9,827	60/100	87.0%	$9,827
Kewaunee County Graduation 92.0% Per pupil $7,417	58/100	92.0%	$7,417
Manitowoc County Graduation 91.2% Per pupil $7,654	58/100	91.2%	$7,654
Outagamie County Graduation 91.7% Per pupil $7,428	56/100	91.7%	$7,428
Dane County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $8,161	56/100	89.0%	$8,161
Lincoln County Graduation 91.3% Per pupil $7,432	55/100	91.3%	$7,432
Richland County Graduation 88.8% Per pupil $8,110	54/100	88.8%	$8,110
Jackson County Graduation 88.3% Per pupil $8,123	53/100	88.3%	$8,123
Pepin County Graduation 90.9% Per pupil $7,361	53/100	90.9%	$7,361
Marinette County Graduation 91.1% Per pupil $7,188	51/100	91.1%	$7,188
Monroe County Graduation 88.9% Per pupil $7,796	51/100	88.9%	$7,796
Sawyer County Graduation 87.4% Per pupil $8,001	50/100	87.4%	$8,001
Racine County Graduation 84.6% Per pupil $8,752	49/100	84.6%	$8,752
Calumet County Graduation 91.7% Per pupil $6,775	47/100	91.7%	$6,775
Columbia County Graduation 88.4% Per pupil $7,541	47/100	88.4%	$7,541
Eau Claire County Graduation 85.9% Per pupil $8,163	47/100	85.9%	$8,163
Forest County Graduation 78.7% Per pupil $9,046	44/100	78.7%	$9,046
Douglas County Graduation 87.7% Per pupil $7,330	43/100	87.7%	$7,330
Milwaukee County Graduation 78.5% Per pupil $8,594	41/100	78.5%	$8,594
Burnett County Graduation 88.9% Per pupil $6,902	40/100	88.9%	$6,902
Ashland County Graduation 78.0% Per pupil $7,709	32/100	78.0%	$7,709

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in Wisconsin

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

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About Wisconsin Schools

Which Wisconsin counties have the highest graduation rates?

Ozaukee County (97.6%), Oneida County (96.8%), and Vilas County (96.1%) currently lead Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

Across Wisconsin counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $8,113. The highest current county values are Bayfield County ($10,665), Vilas County ($10,435), and Florence County ($10,426). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

What are the best school counties in Wisconsin?

Vilas County, Oneida County, Crawford County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in Wisconsin, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.

Which Wisconsin county has the strongest measured school score?

Vilas County has the highest school score in Wisconsin with a score of 91/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.

What is the average graduation rate in Wisconsin?

The average high school graduation rate across Wisconsin counties is 91.8%, based on NCES data.

Which county in Wisconsin has the lowest school score?

Ashland County has the lowest school score in Wisconsin with a score of 32/100. 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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