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
62/100
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 |
|---|---|
| Aleutians East Borough | 82/100 |
| Wrangell City and Borough | 80/100 |
| Bristol Bay Borough | 77/100 |
| Nome Census Area | 76/100 |
| Chugach Census Area | 71/100 |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 71/100 |
| Sitka City and Borough | 71/100 |
| Petersburg Borough | 70/100 |
| Aleutians West Census Area | 68/100 |
| Skagway Municipality | 67/100 |
| Haines Borough | 66/100 |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 64/100 |
| Yakutat City and Borough | 64/100 |
| Juneau City and Borough | 63/100 |
| Dillingham Census Area | 63/100 |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | 62/100 |
| Northwest Arctic Borough | 62/100 |
| Kodiak Island Borough | 60/100 |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 60/100 |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 57/100 |
| Kusilvak Census Area | 57/100 |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 57/100 |
| North Slope Borough | 56/100 |
| Anchorage Municipality | 55/100 |
| Copper River Census Area | 55/100 |
| Bethel Census Area | 50/100 |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough | 49/100 |
| Denali Borough | 41/100 |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 33/100 |
| 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.