Delaware Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 3 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
88.3%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$9,480
Avg School Score
62/100
Total Schools
229
42 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Delaware
This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.
Delaware Exceeds National Graduation and Performance Benchmarks
Delaware outperforms the national graduation average of 87.0% with a steady 88.3% success rate. Despite spending just $9,480 per pupil—well below the national $13,000 average—the state maintains a school score of 58.0, surpassing the national median of 50.0.
Consistency Across Delaware's Three Main School Districts
Delaware displays remarkable stability across its three counties, with school scores ranging only from 56.6 to 60.3. While New Castle County maintains the highest performance, the narrow gap between the top and bottom districts suggests equitable standards statewide.
High Efficiency in Educational Spending and Results
The state demonstrates a high return on investment by achieving an 88.3% graduation rate while spending roughly $3,500 less per student than the national average. This efficiency allows Delaware to outperform many higher-spending states in core academic outcomes.
New Castle Leads as the Top Performing County
New Castle County takes the lead with a 60.3 score and the state's highest graduation rate of 90.2% supported by $10,092 in per-pupil funding. Kent and Sussex follow closely with scores of 57.0 and 56.6, proving that even the lower-funded districts maintain scores above the national median.
State Score Context
How Delaware Counties Are Distributed
3 of 3 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.
Scored county coverage
Counties with complete enough data for the composite score
100%
Higher measured signal
Score range 70-100
1
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
2
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
0
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
All Delaware Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
New Castle County
| 71/100 |
Kent County
| 58/100 |
Sussex County
| 58/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in Delaware
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Delaware Schools
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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.