Colorado Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 64 counties.
Avg Graduation Rate
83.1%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$7,447
Avg School Score
36/100
Total Schools
1,928
186 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Colorado
Colorado Outperforms Median Scores Despite Low Funding
Colorado maintains an average school score of 50.2, edging out the national median of 50.0. However, the state’s 83.1% graduation rate lags behind the 87.0% national average while spending just $7,447 per pupil—nearly $5,600 less than the national benchmark.
A Divided Landscape Across 61 Reporting Counties
Education quality fluctuates wildly across the state, with graduation rates ranging from a high of 97.0% in Pitkin County to a low of 57.9% in Bent County. This 39-point gap in graduation rates reflects significant disparities across the 61 counties with available data. School scores also show a broad spread, peaking at 66.4 while the lowest-performing districts drop to 32.6.
Tight Budgets Force High Educational Efficiency
Colorado faces a stark investment gap, spending roughly 43% less per student than the national average of $13,000. Despite this, the state produces an average school score that rivals the rest of the country. Low-spending areas like La Plata County operate on just $4,966 per pupil, highlighting a system that stretches limited dollars to meet baseline standards.
Mountain Counties Lead the State in Performance
Pitkin County dominates with a 97.0% graduation rate and a top-tier school score of 66.4, supported by $11,236 in per-pupil spending. San Miguel and Mineral counties follow closely, both maintaining scores above 60.0 by investing significantly more in their students than the state average.
Look to Resource-Rich Districts for Top Results
Colorado is a strong state for education efficiency, but families see the best results in districts like Pitkin and San Miguel where funding is more robust. While the state average graduation rate is lower than the national figure, high-performing pockets offer some of the best school scores in the region. Success in Colorado correlates heavily with local investment levels.
Top Performing School Counties
All Colorado Counties
— = 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.