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

No. Use the Maricopa 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 Maricopa 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 Maricopa County?

Start with the 1,268 listed public schools and 342 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

How does Maricopa County compare with nearby school counties?

Maricopa County appears in the Phoenix area comparison with Pinal County, AZ and Yavapai County, AZ. Use that regional guide to compare county school score, graduation rate, and spending before narrowing to individual districts and schools.

Maricopa County Schools & Education

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

Maricopa County, Arizona

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

School Score

5/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

77.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

77.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,251

National avg $13,239

State avg $5,607

School Score

5/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 14/100

State Score Position

#13

of 15 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Maricopa County

Measured School Summary

Maricopa County faces educational challenges with a school score of 5/100 and a graduation rate of 77.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,251 per pupil, Maricopa County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 65% below the Arizona average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 3.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Maricopa 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

1,268 public schools and 342 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

5/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #13 of 15 Arizona counties with school score data.

Completion

77.1%

3.9 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,251

$356 below the state average

School coverage

1,268

342 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Maricopa County has 1,268 public schools across 342 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 Maricopa 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.

Choice-program county

Maricopa County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.

State position

#13

of 15 Arizona counties with school score data. The county score is 9 points below 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.

Mesa Unified District (4235)

Elementary to high school visible

58,343 students

Elementary 56Middle 10High 7Other 5

78 listed schools in this county slice.

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

Elementary to high school visible

43,716 students

Elementary 31Middle 6High 6Other 1

44 listed schools in this county slice.

Peoria Unified School District (4237)

Elementary and high visible

36,527 students

Elementary 33Middle 0High 8Other 3

44 listed schools in this county slice.

Gilbert Unified District (4239)

Elementary to high school visible

33,281 students

Elementary 26Middle 5High 6Other 1

38 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Mesa Unified District (4235) is the largest listed district slice, with 78 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 Maricopa County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Maricopa 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 Maricopa County With Nearby School Markets

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

Phoenix area

Maricopa County vs Pinal County vs Yavapai County Schools

This guide helps parents compare the Phoenix core county with surrounding county alternatives when housing budget or commute changes the search radius.

Compared with

Pinal County, AZ and Yavapai County, AZ

Current leader

Yavapai County, AZ at 7/100

Graduation-rate leader: Yavapai County, AZ at 79.6%

Open regional guide Open interactive comparison

Education Overview

About Schools in Maricopa County, Arizona

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.

Arizona’s Massive Metropolitan School System

Maricopa County features a staggering 1,268 public schools and 342 districts serving 746,037 students. The system is incredibly dense, with 717 elementary schools and 346 high schools forming the backbone of the state's education. It is one of the largest and most complex school landscapes in the United States.

Mesa Unified and a Charter Powerhouse

Mesa Unified is the largest district with 58,343 students across 78 schools. The county is a leader in school choice, with 369 charter schools representing nearly 30% of all institutions. Massive online charters like Primavera serve over 6,000 students each across the region.

Diverse Urban and Suburban Campus Life

The average school size is 623 students, but mega-campuses like Hamilton High serve 3,850 learners. Most schools are in city (808) or suburban (354) locales, offering a traditional metropolitan experience. This variety allows families to choose between small specialty charters and massive, amenity-rich high schools.

School Overview

Total Schools

1,268

in Maricopa County

Reported Enrollment

746,037

1268 schools reporting

School Districts

342

districts

Charter Schools

369

29% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary717

Middle110

High346

Other95

342 School Districts in Maricopa County

Mesa Unified District (4235)

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

Peoria Unified School District (4237)

Gilbert Unified District (4239)

Deer Valley Unified District (4246)

Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)

Phoenix Union High School District (4286)

Dysart Unified District (4243)

Scottsdale Unified District (4240)

Washington Elementary School District (4260)

1,268 Public Schools in Maricopa County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 174 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

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Showing 20 of 1,268 matching schools

Public schools in Maricopa County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Primavera - Online	Profile	American Virtual Academy (79461)	Chandler, 85225City: Large	KG–12	CharterVirtual	6,392
Arizona Virtual Academy	Profile	Portable Practical Educational Preparation Inc. ( (87405)	PHOENIX, 85004City: Large	KG–12	CharterVirtual	5,122
Hamilton High School	Profile	Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)	CHANDLER, 85248City: Large	8–12	High	3,850
Chandler High School	Profile	Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)	CHANDLER, 85225City: Large	8–12	High	3,597
Westwood High School	Profile	Mesa Unified District (4235)	MESA, 85201City: Large	9–12	High	3,570
Mesa High School	Profile	Mesa Unified District (4235)	MESA, 85204City: Large	9–12	High	3,475
ASU Preparatory Academy Digital	Profile	ASU Preparatory Academy Digital (522074)	TEMPE, 85287City: Midsize	KG–12	CharterVirtual	3,455
Red Mountain High School	Profile	Mesa Unified District (4235)	MESA, 85207City: Large	9–12	High	3,448
Mountain View High School	Profile	Mesa Unified District (4235)	MESA, 85213City: Large	9–12	High	3,372
Highland High School	Profile	Gilbert Unified District (4239)	GILBERT, 85296Suburb: Large	8–12	High	3,174
Dr. Camille Casteel High School	Profile	Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)	QUEEN CREEK, 85142Suburb: Large	7–12	High	3,140
Sequoia Choice School Arizona Distance Learning School	Profile	Edkey Inc. - Sequoia Choice Schools (4329)	Mesa, 85204City: Large	KG–12	CharterVirtual	3,083
West Point High School	Profile	Tolleson Union High School District (4288)	TOLLESON, 85353Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	3,033
Desert Vista High School	Profile	Tempe Union High School District (4287)	PHOENIX, 85048City: Large	9–12	High	2,964
Trevor Browne High School	Profile	Phoenix Union High School District (4286)	PHOENIX, 85033City: Large	9–12	High	2,921
Perry High School	Profile	Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)	GILBERT, 85297Suburb: Large	8–12	High	2,822
Basha High School	Profile	Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)	CHANDLER, 85249City: Large	6–12	High	2,814
Maryvale High School	Profile	Phoenix Union High School District (4286)	PHOENIX, 85033City: Large	9–12	High	2,795
Mountain Ridge High School	Profile	Deer Valley Unified District (4246)	GLENDALE, 85310Suburb: Large	7–12	High	2,771
Corona Del Sol High School	Profile	Tempe Union High School District (4287)	TEMPE, 85284City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,733

Primavera - Online

American Virtual Academy (79461)

Chandler, 85225 / City: Large

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual6,392 students

Arizona Virtual Academy

Portable Practical Educational Preparation Inc. ( (87405)

PHOENIX, 85004 / City: Large

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual5,122 students

Hamilton High School

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

CHANDLER, 85248 / City: Large

Profile8–12High3,850 students

Chandler High School

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

CHANDLER, 85225 / City: Large

Profile8–12High3,597 students

Westwood High School

Mesa Unified District (4235)

MESA, 85201 / City: Large

Profile9–12High3,570 students

Mesa High School

Mesa Unified District (4235)

MESA, 85204 / City: Large

Profile9–12High3,475 students

ASU Preparatory Academy Digital

ASU Preparatory Academy Digital (522074)

TEMPE, 85287 / City: Midsize

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual3,455 students

Red Mountain High School

Mesa Unified District (4235)

MESA, 85207 / City: Large

Profile9–12High3,448 students

Mountain View High School

Mesa Unified District (4235)

MESA, 85213 / City: Large

Profile9–12High3,372 students

Highland High School

Gilbert Unified District (4239)

GILBERT, 85296 / Suburb: Large

Profile8–12High3,174 students

Dr. Camille Casteel High School

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

QUEEN CREEK, 85142 / Suburb: Large

Profile7–12High3,140 students

Sequoia Choice School Arizona Distance Learning School

Edkey Inc. - Sequoia Choice Schools (4329)

Mesa, 85204 / City: Large

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual3,083 students

West Point High School

Tolleson Union High School District (4288)

TOLLESON, 85353 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High3,033 students

Desert Vista High School

Tempe Union High School District (4287)

PHOENIX, 85048 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,964 students

Trevor Browne High School

Phoenix Union High School District (4286)

PHOENIX, 85033 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,921 students

Perry High School

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

GILBERT, 85297 / Suburb: Large

Profile8–12High2,822 students

Basha High School

Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)

CHANDLER, 85249 / City: Large

Profile6–12High2,814 students

Maryvale High School

Phoenix Union High School District (4286)

PHOENIX, 85033 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,795 students

Mountain Ridge High School

Deer Valley Unified District (4246)

GLENDALE, 85310 / Suburb: Large

Profile7–12High2,771 students

Corona Del Sol High School

Tempe Union High School District (4287)

TEMPE, 85284 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,733 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.

154 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,251

State avg $5,607

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Maricopa 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 Arizona counties have the highest graduation rates?

Santa Cruz County (90.2%), Yuma County (88.7%), and Cochise County (85.8%) currently lead Arizona 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 Arizona?

Across Arizona counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $5,607. The highest current county values are Apache County ($7,209), Gila County ($6,379), and La Paz County ($6,344). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Maricopa County?

Maricopa County has a school score of 5/100, which is a lower 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 Maricopa County?

The high school graduation rate in Maricopa County is 77.1%, 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 Maricopa County spend per student?

Maricopa County spends $5,251 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 Maricopa County, Arizona — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Maricopa County, Arizona?

What are the major school districts in Maricopa County, Arizona?

What is the school experience like in Maricopa County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Pinal County

Arizona

-1 pts

4/100

School score

Mohave County

Arizona

+2 pts

7/100

School score

Yavapai County

Arizona

+2 pts

7/100

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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