schoolsbycounty

District of Columbia Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 1 counties.

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

Avg Graduation Rate

73.3%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$11,959

Avg School Score

48/100

Total Schools

244

63 districts

State Overview

About Schools in District of Columbia

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.

DC Trails National Graduation and Spending Averages

The District of Columbia reports a 73.3% graduation rate, which sits significantly below the national average of 87.0%. At $11,959 per student, spending also lags behind the national benchmark of $13,000.

Strong School Scores Face Graduation Challenges

DC presents a unique profile where school quality scores beat the national median despite a graduation rate that is over 13 points below the US average. Families find a centralized system that maintains stable performance metrics but requires significant progress to reach national completion standards.

State Score Context

How District of Columbia Counties Are Distributed

1 of 1 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

0

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

1

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

0

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

District research

Compare District of Columbia public school districts before narrowing by address

District of Columbia has 63 public school district records and 244 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.

View District Rankings

All District of Columbia Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for District of Columbia.
CountySchool Score
District of Columbia
Graduation
73.3%
Per pupil
$11,959
48/100

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in District of Columbia

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About District of Columbia Schools

What is the graduation rate in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia reports a 73.3% graduation rate in the available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used on the page and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia reports $11,959 in per-pupil spending in the available NCES district-finance data. Use this as a broad jurisdiction-level signal, then review local school records for campus-level decisions.
How is District of Columbia's school score read?
District of Columbia has a school score of 48/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. Because District of Columbia has one county-equivalent record, use this as a broad public education profile rather than a county comparison.
Can District of Columbia be compared with counties in other states?
Yes. The same NCES data model is used across SchoolsByCounty, but District of Columbia's single-jurisdiction structure means comparisons are best treated as broad context. Pair this profile with school-level records and official local education dashboards for local interpretation.

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.