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

No. Use the Arapahoe 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 Arapahoe 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 Arapahoe County?

Start with the 163 listed public schools and 6 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

How does Arapahoe County compare with nearby school counties?

Arapahoe County appears in the Denver Front Range comparison with Denver County, CO and Jefferson County, CO. Use that regional guide to compare county school score, graduation rate, and spending before narrowing to individual districts and schools.

Arapahoe County Schools & Education

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

Arapahoe County, Colorado

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

School Score

41/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

83.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

83.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,976

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,447

School Score

41/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 36/100

State Score Position

#21

of 63 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Arapahoe County

Measured School Summary

Arapahoe County has midrange measured school signals (score: 41/100) with a graduation rate of 83.7%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

At $7,976 per pupil, Arapahoe County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 14% above the Colorado average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 7% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Arapahoe 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

163 public schools and 6 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

41/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #21 of 63 Colorado counties with school score data.

Completion

83.7%

0.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,976

$529 above the state average

School coverage

163

6 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Arapahoe County has 163 public schools across 6 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 Arapahoe 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.

Mixed school landscape

Arapahoe County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#21

of 63 Colorado counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points above 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.

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

Elementary to high school visible

52,392 students

Elementary 46Middle 12High 9Other 3

70 listed schools in this county slice.

Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe

Elementary to high school visible

13,450 students

Elementary 13Middle 4High 3Other 2

22 listed schools in this county slice.

Englewood School District No. 1 in the county of Arapahoe

Elementary to high school visible

2,441 students

Elementary 4Middle 2High 2Other 1

9 listed schools in this county slice.

Sheridan School District No. 2

Elementary to high school visible

1,125 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 2Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah is the largest listed district slice, with 70 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 Arapahoe County?

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

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

Denver Front Range

Denver County vs Arapahoe County vs Jefferson County Schools

This guide is useful when a family is choosing between Denver proper and nearby suburban counties along the Front Range.

Compared with

Denver County, CO and Jefferson County, CO

Current leader

Arapahoe County, CO at 41/100

Graduation-rate leader: Jefferson County, CO at 85.0%

Open regional guide Open interactive comparison

Education Overview

About Schools in Arapahoe County, Colorado

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.

A Premier Hub for Public Education

Arapahoe County hosts a vast network of 163 public schools, including 97 elementary and 27 high schools. Over 105,000 students fill these classrooms, managed by 6 specialized school districts.

The Power of Cherry Creek Schools

Cherry Creek School District is the largest entity, serving 52,392 students across 70 campuses. Charter options are also prevalent, with 16 charter schools making up nearly 10% of the county's educational options.

Urban Scale with Large-Enrollment High Schools

Education here is heavily urbanized with 102 city-based schools and an average size of 646 students. Cherry Creek High School is the county's flagship institution, supporting a massive population of 3,797 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

163

in Arapahoe County

Reported Enrollment

105,348

163 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

10% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary97

Middle24

High27

Other15

6 School Districts in Arapahoe County

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe

Byers School District No. 32J

Englewood School District No. 1 in the county of Arapahoe

9 schools

2,441 students

Sheridan School District No. 2

5 schools

1,125 students

Deer Trail School District No. 26J

2 schools

325 students

163 Public Schools in Arapahoe County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 23 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 163 matching schools

Public schools in Arapahoe County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Cherry Creek High School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	GREENWOOD VILLAGE, 80111Suburb: Large	9–12	High	3,797
Eaglecrest High School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	CENTENNIAL, 80015Suburb: Large	9–12	High	3,093
Cherokee Trail High School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80016City: Large	9–12	High	2,924
Grandview High School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80016City: Large	9–12	High	2,774
Smoky Hill High School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80015City: Large	9–12	High	2,252
Overland High School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80012City: Large	9–12	High	2,109
Aurora Central Campus	Profile	Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A	AURORA, 80010City: Large	PK–12	Other	2,084
Rangeview High School	Profile	Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A	AURORA, 80013City: Large	9–12	High	2,051
Arapahoe High School	Profile	Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe	CENTENNIAL, 80122City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,820
Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory	Profile	Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A	AURORA, 80018City: Large	9–12	High	1,795
Heritage High School	Profile	Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe	LITTLETON, 80120Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,754
Hinkley High School	Profile	Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A	AURORA, 80011City: Large	9–12	High	1,687
Gateway High School	Profile	Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A	AURORA, 80012City: Large	9–12	High	1,564
Prairie Middle School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80012City: Large	6–8	Middle	1,383
Campus Middle School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	GREENWOOD VILLAGE, 80111Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,331
Littleton High School	Profile	Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe	LITTLETON, 80121Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,224
Thunder Ridge Middle School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80015Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,152
Fox Ridge Middle School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	AURORA, 80016City: Large	6–8	Middle	1,077
West Middle School	Profile	Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah	GREENWOOD VILLAGE, 80121Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,062
Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory	Profile	Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A	AURORA, 80018City: Large	PK–8	Primary	1,037

Cherry Creek High School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, 80111 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High3,797 students

Eaglecrest High School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

CENTENNIAL, 80015 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High3,093 students

Cherokee Trail High School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80016 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,924 students

Grandview High School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80016 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,774 students

Smoky Hill High School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80015 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,252 students

Overland High School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80012 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,109 students

Aurora Central Campus

Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A

AURORA, 80010 / City: Large

ProfilePK–12Other2,084 students

Rangeview High School

Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A

AURORA, 80013 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,051 students

Arapahoe High School

Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe

CENTENNIAL, 80122 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,820 students

Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory

Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A

AURORA, 80018 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,795 students

Heritage High School

Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe

LITTLETON, 80120 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,754 students

Hinkley High School

Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A

AURORA, 80011 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,687 students

Gateway High School

Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A

AURORA, 80012 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,564 students

Prairie Middle School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80012 / City: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,383 students

Campus Middle School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, 80111 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,331 students

Littleton High School

Littleton School District No. 6 in the county of Arapahoe

LITTLETON, 80121 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,224 students

Thunder Ridge Middle School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80015 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,152 students

Fox Ridge Middle School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

AURORA, 80016 / City: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,077 students

West Middle School

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the county of Arapah

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, 80121 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,062 students

Vista Peak P-8 Exploratory

Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the counties of Adams and A

AURORA, 80018 / City: Large

ProfilePK–8Primary1,037 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.

3 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,976

State avg $7,447

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Arapahoe 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 Colorado counties have the highest graduation rates?

Pitkin County (97.0%), Rio Blanco County (93.2%), and Routt County (93.2%) currently lead Colorado 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 Colorado?

Across Colorado counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,447. The highest current county values are Mineral County ($13,728), San Juan County ($13,639), and Hinsdale County ($13,446). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Arapahoe County?

Arapahoe County has a school score of 41/100, which is a midrange 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 Arapahoe County?

The high school graduation rate in Arapahoe County is 83.7%, 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 Arapahoe County spend per student?

Arapahoe County spends $7,976 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 Arapahoe County, Colorado — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Arapahoe County, Colorado?

Arapahoe County hosts a vast network of 163 public schools, including 97 elementary and 27 high schools. Over 105,000 students fill these classrooms, managed by 6 specialized school districts.

What are the major school districts in Arapahoe County, Colorado?

What is the school experience like in Arapahoe County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Grand County

Colorado

+1 pts

42/100

School score

Jackson County

Colorado

+2 pts

43/100

School score

Douglas County

Colorado

-3 pts

38/100

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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