US School Insights
National analysis of school quality, graduation rates, and education spending across all 3,144 US counties. Data from NCES and U.S. Census Bureau ACS.
National Avg Score
50
National Avg Grad Rate
88.2%
Avg Per Pupil Spend
$7,956
Counties Analyzed
3,120
Key Findings
School quality varies significantly across the United States. New Jersey leads with an average school score of 80 across its counties, while Arizona averages 14. Nationally, counties average a graduation rate of 88.2%and spend $7,956 per pupil annually.
Higher per pupil spending generally correlates with better graduation rates and school scores, but the relationship is not uniform. Some counties achieve strong outcomes with modest spending, while others spend significantly more with middling results — suggesting that how resources are deployed matters as much as the amount.
State School Score Rankings
Average school score by state, computed from all counties with data.
Highest Scoring States
Lowest Scoring States
National Graduation Rate Distribution
How the 3,102 analyzed counties are distributed across graduation rate ranges.
Per Pupil Expenditure vs. Graduation Rate
Each point is a US county. Bubble size represents school score. Higher spending generally correlates with better graduation rates, but with significant variation.
School Score by State
Average school score for every state with data, sorted from highest to lowest.
Highest School Score Counties
The 10 counties with the highest school quality scores. These counties typically combine strong graduation rates, high attainment, and well-funded school districts.