Alaska Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 30 counties.
Avg Graduation Rate
79.0%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$13,745
Avg School Score
56/100
Total Schools
496
54 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Alaska
High Spending and Graduation Gaps in Alaska
Alaska spends an average of $13,745 per pupil, which is higher than the national average of $13,000. Despite this investment, the state's 79% graduation rate falls significantly below the national benchmark of 87%.
A Vast Range of District Performance
Across 29 reporting districts, graduation rates fluctuate from a high of 95% in Aleutians West to a low of 57.7% in the Bethel Census Area. The state's average school score of 62.3 suggests that while many districts perform above the national median of 50.0, the geographic divide remains wide.
Mixed Returns on Education Investment
High spending does not always translate to top graduation rates, as Bristol Bay Borough spends a state-high $22,316 yet maintains a 70.9% graduation rate. Conversely, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area struggles with a 33.1 school score while operating on the state's lowest per-pupil budget of $3,314.
Alaska’s Leading Local School Districts
Aleutians East Borough leads the state with a school score of 82.2 and a strong 90% graduation rate. Wrangell City and Borough and Bristol Bay Borough also rank in the top three, though their high performance requires some of the highest per-pupil spending in the state.
Finding the Best Schools in the Last Frontier
Alaska offers exceptional school performance in regions like Aleutians East, but the state average graduation rate of 79% trails national figures. Families looking for the strongest academic outcomes should target districts in the Aleutians or Southeast, where scores consistently outperform national medians.
Top Performing School Counties
All Alaska Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
| Chugach Census Area | 93/100 |
| Petersburg Borough | 92/100 |
| Aleutians West Census Area | 91/100 |
| Aleutians East Borough | 76/100 |
| Wrangell City and Borough | 76/100 |
| Sitka City and Borough | 74/100 |
| Haines Borough | 73/100 |
| Juneau City and Borough | 62/100 |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | 60/100 |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 56/100 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 56/100 |
| Kodiak Island Borough | 54/100 |
| Nome Census Area | 54/100 |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 54/100 |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 52/100 |
| Skagway Municipality | 52/100 |
| Yakutat City and Borough | 52/100 |
| Bristol Bay Borough | 51/100 |
| Dillingham Census Area | 51/100 |
| Northwest Arctic Borough | 51/100 |
| Kusilvak Census Area | 50/100 |
| Anchorage Municipality | 50/100 |
| North Slope Borough | 49/100 |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 49/100 |
| Bethel Census Area | 48/100 |
| Copper River Census Area | 48/100 |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough | 43/100 |
| Denali Borough | 4/100 |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 1/100 |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough | — |
— = data pending from NCES pipeline.
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.