While much attention goes to top-performing school systems, understanding where schools struggle is equally important — for policymakers, advocates, and families making relocation decisions. The SchoolsByCounty School Score identifies counties where educational infrastructure faces the greatest challenges.
A low School Score does not mean the schools are "bad" in every dimension. It means that, on the composite of available metrics, these counties rank in the bottom tier nationally. Some may have adequate funding but poor graduation rates. Others may graduate students successfully but spend so little that resources are stretched thin.
The 25 Counties with the Lowest School Scores
Ranked by School Score from lowest to highest.
| Rank | County | State | School Score | Graduation Rate | Per-Pupil Spending | Attainment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheeler County | Oregon | 0.4 | 33.6% | $4,865 | N/A |
| 2 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Alaska | 0.5 | 66.3% | $3,314 | N/A |
| 3 | Candler County | Georgia | 0.8 | 21.5% | $5,074 | N/A |
| 4 | Elmore County | Idaho | 0.9 | 65.3% | $4,883 | N/A |
| 5 | Bent County | Colorado | 1.2 | 57.9% | $5,152 | N/A |
| 6 | Pima County | Arizona | 1.7 | 71.8% | $5,007 | N/A |
| 7 | Coos County | Oregon | 1.8 | 66.8% | $5,291 | N/A |
| 8 | Washington County | Oklahoma | 2.5 | 73.7% | $5,214 | N/A |
| 9 | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma | 3 | 71.0% | $5,428 | N/A |
| 10 | Manistee County | Michigan | 3.8 | 58.9% | $5,655 | N/A |
| 11 | Canyon County | Idaho | 3.9 | 76.2% | $5,060 | N/A |
| 12 | Latimer County | Oklahoma | 3.9 | 74.4% | $5,455 | N/A |
| 13 | Randolph County | Indiana | 4 | 77.2% | $4,410 | N/A |
| 14 | Leflore County | Mississippi | 4.1 | 75.0% | $5,375 | N/A |
| 15 | Denali Borough | Alaska | 4.2 | 72.0% | $5,596 | N/A |
| 16 | Pinal County | Arizona | 4.3 | 78.0% | $4,792 | N/A |
| 17 | Jerome County | Idaho | 4.5 | 76.1% | $5,265 | N/A |
| 18 | Taliaferro County | Georgia | 4.8 | 75.0% | N/A | N/A |
| 19 | Maricopa County | Arizona | 4.9 | 77.1% | $5,251 | N/A |
| 20 | Comanche County | Oklahoma | 5 | 69.2% | $5,730 | N/A |
| 21 | Texas County | Oklahoma | 5.1 | 76.2% | $5,390 | N/A |
| 22 | Grenada County | Mississippi | 5.5 | 76.0% | $5,481 | N/A |
| 23 | Minidoka County | Idaho | 5.8 | 80.0% | $4,848 | N/A |
| 24 | Gadsden County | Florida | 6 | 77.0% | $5,496 | N/A |
| 25 | La Plata County | Colorado | 6.2 | 80.5% | $4,966 | N/A |
Common Challenges in Low-Scoring Counties
These counties typically face overlapping structural challenges:
- Chronic underfunding: Per-pupil spending well below the national average, often driven by weak property tax bases and limited state equalization.
- Teacher shortages: Low salaries and remote locations make it difficult to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
- Poverty concentration: High rates of childhood poverty correlate strongly with lower graduation rates and weaker academic outcomes.
- Geographic isolation: Rural counties far from metros lack access to the economic and cultural resources that support student success.
- Historical underinvestment: Some counties, particularly in the Deep South and tribal lands, have experienced generations of inadequate school funding.
Methodology
The School Score is a percentile-rank composite of graduation rate, per-pupil expenditure, student-teacher ratio, and educational attainment. A score of 25 means the county performs better than only 25% of all US counties. Data comes from NCES and the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023).
Data sources: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.