schoolsbycounty

Douglas County Schools & Education

Douglas County, Colorado

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

School Score

38/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

91.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,205

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,447

School Score

38/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 36/100

State Score Position

#22

of 63 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Douglas County

Measured School Summary

Despite a lower school score of 38/100, Douglas County maintains a strong graduation rate of 91.0%, suggesting effective student support systems.

Funding Context

At $6,205 per pupil, Douglas County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 6% above the Colorado average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 7.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 17% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Douglas 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

91 public schools and 1 district 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

38/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #22 of 63 Colorado counties with school score data.

Completion

91.0%

7.9 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,205

$1,242 below the state average

School coverage

91

1 district 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

Douglas County has 91 public schools across 1 district, 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 SchoolsCompare Counties
Parent decision brief

What Douglas 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.

Dominant-district county

Douglas County School District No. Re 1 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 88 of 91 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#22

of 63 Colorado counties with school score data. The county score is 2 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.

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

Elementary to high school visible

62,341 students

Elementary 61Middle 10High 14Other 3

88 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Douglas County School District No. Re 1 is the largest listed district slice, with 88 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 Douglas County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

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?

Data Story

Charter Enrollment and District Scale Distinguish Douglas County Schools

Education data brief for Douglas County, Colorado.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:District structure

Douglas County is characterized by a notable charter school presence, with 21 of its 91 public schools (23.1%) operating under charter status. This district structure manages a total enrollment of 64,462 students, primarily within Douglas County School District No. Re 1. The county reports a graduation rate of 91.0%, outperforming both the state average of 83.1% and the national average of 87.0%. Despite this, per-pupil expenditure is just $6,205, which is lower than the Colorado average of $7,447 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. American Academy, a charter serving PK-8, is the largest individual school site with 2,559 students. The composite school score of 38.3 is higher than the state average of 35.6 but falls below the national median of 50.0. Most schools are located in suburban locales, serving a large student population within a single massive district. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

91

in Douglas County

Reported Enrollment

64,462

91 schools reporting

School Districts

1

district

Charter Schools

21

23% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary61
Middle10
High16
Other4

1 School District in Douglas County

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

Guide
88 schools
62,341 students enrolled
Open district guide

91 Public Schools in Douglas County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 19 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Level

Showing 20 of 91 matching schools

American Academy

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

CASTLE PINES, 80108 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–8Charter2,559 students

Rock Canyon High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80124 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,377 students

Mountain Vista High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80126 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,259 students

Legend High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

PARKER, 80138 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,228 students

Chaparral High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

PARKER, 80138 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,009 students

Castle View High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

CASTLE ROCK, 80109 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,990 students

Thunderridge High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80129 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,881 students

Douglas County High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

CASTLE ROCK, 80104 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,758 students

Highlands Ranch High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80130 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,538 students

STEM School Highlands Ranch

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80129 / Suburb: Large

ProfileKG–12Charter1,498 students

Ponderosa High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

PARKER, 80134 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,402 students

HOPE Online Learning Academy High School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

ENGLEWOOD, 80112 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12Charter1,361 students

Skyview Academy

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80124 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–12Charter1,273 students

Rocky Heights Middle School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

LITTLETON, 80124 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,162 students

Cimarron Middle

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

PARKER, 80138 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,116 students

Leman Classical Academy

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

PARKER, 80134 / Rural: Fringe

ProfileKG–8Charter1,043 students

Colorado Early Colleges Douglas County

State Charter School Institute

PARKER, 80138 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12Charter1,004 students

Aspen View Academy

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

CASTLE ROCK, 80109 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–8Charter961 students

Mesa Middle School

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

CASTLE ROCK, 80104 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle957 students

Ben Franklin Academy

Douglas County School District No. Re 1

HIGHLANDS RANCH, 80129 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–8Charter893 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,205

State avg $7,447

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Douglas 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.

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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 Douglas County?
Douglas County has a school score of 38/100, 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 Douglas County?
The high school graduation rate in Douglas County is 91.0%, which is above 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 Douglas County spend per student?
Douglas County spends $6,205 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Eagle County

Colorado

-0 pts

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Washington County

Colorado

-0 pts

38/100

School score

Garfield County

Colorado

-0 pts

38/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed 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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