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

No. Use the Ada 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 Ada 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 Ada County?

Start with the 151 listed public schools and 25 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Ada County Schools & Education

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

Ada County, Idaho

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

School Score

7/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

79.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

79.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,490

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,288

School Score

7/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 28/100

State Score Position

#40

of 44 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Ada County

Measured School Summary

Ada County faces educational challenges with a school score of 7/100 and a graduation rate of 79.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,490 per pupil, Ada County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 74% below the Idaho average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.5 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Ada 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

151 public schools and 25 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

7/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #40 of 44 Idaho counties with school score data.

Completion

79.1%

4.5 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,490

$798 below the state average

School coverage

151

25 districts 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

Ada County has 151 public schools across 25 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 Ada 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.

Choice-program county

Ada County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.

State position

#40

of 44 Idaho counties with school score data. The county score is 21 points below 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.

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

Elementary to high school visible

39,496 students

Elementary 34Middle 11High 15Other 1

61 listed schools in this county slice.

BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

22,809 students

Elementary 33Middle 8High 8Other 2

51 listed schools in this county slice.

KUNA JOINT DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

5,825 students

Elementary 6Middle 2High 3Other 0

11 listed schools in this county slice.

IDAHO VIRTUAL ACADEMY INC.

High school only in this slice

1,713 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 1

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2 is the largest listed district slice, with 61 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 Ada County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Ada 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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Ada County, Idaho

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.

Idaho’s Educational Hub in Ada County

Ada County supports a massive educational network with 151 public schools serving 79,677 students. This infrastructure includes 82 elementary schools and 35 high schools distributed across 25 different districts. It is the most robust school system in the state, catering to nearly 80,000 learners.

Major Districts and Charter Options

Joint School District No. 2 is the regional powerhouse, managing 61 schools and 39,496 students. The Boise Independent District follows with 22,809 students across 51 schools. Families also have access to 27 charter schools, which make up nearly 18% of the county's total educational offerings.

A Mix of Urban and Suburban Campuses

Education here feels distinctly metropolitan, with 127 of the 151 schools located in city or suburban settings. Large campuses define the experience, as Mountain View High School leads the way with 2,462 students. The average school size of 535 students is the highest in the region, reflecting the county's dense population.

School Overview

Total Schools

151

in Ada County

Reported Enrollment

79,677

151 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

18% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary82

Middle23

High35

Other11

25 School Districts in Ada County

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT

KUNA JOINT DISTRICT

IDAHO VIRTUAL ACADEMY INC.

2 schools

1,713 students

INSPIRE ACADEMICS INC.

2 schools

1,310 students

COMPASS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL INC.

1 school

1,250 students

ISUCCEED VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL INC.

2 schools

1,023 students

THE SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOISE A PUBLIC CHARTER SCH

1 school

1,008 students

NORTH STAR CHARTER SCHOOL INC.

1 school

958 students

ANSER OF IDAHO INC.

1 school

502 students

151 Public Schools in Ada County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 20 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 151 matching schools

Public schools in Ada County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83642Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,462
CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	BOISE, 83713City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,931
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83642Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,917
EAGLE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	EAGLE, 83616Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,802
MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83642Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,783
OWYHEE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83646Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,773
KUNA HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	KUNA JOINT DISTRICT	KUNA, 83634Town: Fringe	9–12	High	1,736
BOISE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT	BOISE, 83702City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,588
IDAHO VIRTUAL ACADEMY	Profile	IDAHO VIRTUAL ACADEMY INC.	MERIDIAN, 83642Suburb: Large	KG–12	CharterVirtual	1,493
TIMBERLINE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT	BOISE, 83706City: Midsize	10–12	High	1,398
BORAH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT	BOISE, 83709City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,289
COMPASS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL	Profile	COMPASS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL INC.	MERIDIAN, 83642Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Charter	1,250
CAPITAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT	BOISE, 83704City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,220
INSPIRE VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL	Profile	INSPIRE ACADEMICS INC.	BOISE, 83704City: Midsize	KG–12	CharterVirtual	1,173
MERIDIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83642Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,078
LAKE HAZEL MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	BOISE, 83709Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,065
HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83646Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,062
VICTORY MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2	MERIDIAN, 83642Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,048
SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOISE	Profile	THE SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOISE A PUBLIC CHARTER SCH	BOISE, 83706City: Midsize	KG–12	Charter	1,008
NORTH STAR CHARTER SCHOOL	Profile	NORTH STAR CHARTER SCHOOL INC.	EAGLE, 83616Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Charter	958

MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,462 students

CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

BOISE, 83713 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,931 students

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,917 students

EAGLE HIGH SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

EAGLE, 83616 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,802 students

MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,783 students

OWYHEE HIGH SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83646 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,773 students

KUNA HIGH SCHOOL

KUNA JOINT DISTRICT

KUNA, 83634 / Town: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,736 students

BOISE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT

BOISE, 83702 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,588 students

IDAHO VIRTUAL ACADEMY

IDAHO VIRTUAL ACADEMY INC.

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Suburb: Large

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual1,493 students

TIMBERLINE HIGH SCHOOL

BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT

BOISE, 83706 / City: Midsize

Profile10–12High1,398 students

BORAH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT

BOISE, 83709 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,289 students

COMPASS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

COMPASS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL INC.

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Rural: Fringe

ProfileKG–12Charter1,250 students

CAPITAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

BOISE INDEPENDENT DISTRICT

BOISE, 83704 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,220 students

INSPIRE VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL

INSPIRE ACADEMICS INC.

BOISE, 83704 / City: Midsize

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual1,173 students

MERIDIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,078 students

LAKE HAZEL MIDDLE SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

BOISE, 83709 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,065 students

HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83646 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,062 students

VICTORY MIDDLE SCHOOL

JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2

MERIDIAN, 83642 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,048 students

SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOISE

THE SAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOISE A PUBLIC CHARTER SCH

BOISE, 83706 / City: Midsize

ProfileKG–12Charter1,008 students

NORTH STAR CHARTER SCHOOL

NORTH STAR CHARTER SCHOOL INC.

EAGLE, 83616 / Rural: Fringe

ProfileKG–12Charter958 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,490

State avg $6,288

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Ada 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 Idaho counties have the highest graduation rates?

Fremont County (97.0%), Teton County (97.0%), and Caribou County (92.7%) currently lead Idaho 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 Idaho?

Across Idaho counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,288. The highest current county values are Blaine County ($11,244), Clark County ($10,402), and Lewis County ($8,754). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Ada County?

Ada County has a school score of 7/100, 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 Ada County?

The high school graduation rate in Ada County is 79.1%, 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 Ada County spend per student?

Ada County spends $5,490 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 Ada County, Idaho — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Ada County, Idaho?

What are the major school districts in Ada County, Idaho?

What is the school experience like in Ada County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Gooding County

Idaho

+1 pts

8/100

School score

Bear Lake County

Idaho

+1 pts

8/100

School score

Minidoka County

Idaho

-1 pts

6/100

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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