Arizona Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 15 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
81.0%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$5,607
Avg School Score
14/100
Total Schools
2,426
657 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Arizona
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.
A Wide Performance Gap Across Fifteen Counties
Education quality varies significantly across Arizona's 15 counties, with graduation rates swinging by 19 percentage points. Santa Cruz County leads the state with a 90.2% graduation rate, while Navajo County struggles at just 71.2%. This geographic disparity creates a fragmented landscape for student achievement and resource access.
Graham and Santa Cruz Counties Lead the State
Graham and Santa Cruz counties share the top spot with identical school scores of 49.0, significantly outperforming the state average. Santa Cruz stands out for its 90.2% graduation rate achieved on a modest $4,869 per student, while Apache County uses the state's highest spending of $7,209 to reach a 48.7 score. These regions provide the most reliable educational outcomes in the state.
State Score Context
How Arizona Counties Are Distributed
15 of 15 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
0
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
0
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
15
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
Best school counties
Best Counties for Public School Research in Arizona
For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Arizona, 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 Arizona
Santa Cruz County is the strongest county-level starting point in Arizona by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 28/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.
Ranking methodology
15 of 15 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: $5,607.
Top measured county school signals
Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.
Santa Cruz County
90.2%
Santa Cruz County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Arizona. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.
Apache County
$7,209
Apache County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.
Pima County
2/100
Pima County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Arizona. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.
District research
Compare Arizona public school districts before narrowing by address
Arizona has 657 public school district records and 2,426 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.
Regional comparison guides
Compare Arizona Counties in Real Relocation Shortlists
These static guides connect Arizona county profiles to common metro-area school decisions. Each guide gives a direct answer, side-by-side NCES metrics, and links back into county profiles for deeper school and district research.
Should families compare Maricopa County with nearby Arizona county alternatives?
Compare Phoenix-area and nearby Arizona county public school signals for families expanding a home search beyond Maricopa County.
Open guideBuild a three-county school comparison
Compare any Arizona county with other county profiles using the same school score, graduation-rate, and spending fields.
Open compare toolAll Arizona Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
Santa Cruz County
| 28/100 |
Apache County
| 27/100 |
Yuma County
| 22/100 |
La Paz County
| 20/100 |
Graham County
| 20/100 |
Coconino County
| 17/100 |
Cochise County
| 15/100 |
Greenlee County
| 15/100 |
Gila County
| 15/100 |
Navajo County
| 8/100 |
Yavapai County
| 7/100 |
Mohave County
| 7/100 |
Maricopa County
| 5/100 |
Pinal County
| 4/100 |
Pima County
| 2/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in Arizona
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arizona Schools
Which Arizona counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Arizona?
Which regional school comparisons include Arizona counties?
What are the best school counties in Arizona?
Which Arizona county has the strongest measured school score?
What is the average graduation rate in Arizona?
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.