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

No. Use the Muscatine 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 Muscatine 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 Muscatine County?

Start with the 15 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Muscatine County Schools & Education

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

Muscatine County, Iowa

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

School Score

32/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

83.9%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

83.9%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 92.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,199

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,591

School Score

32/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 61/100

State Score Position

#98

of 99 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Muscatine County

Measured School Summary

Muscatine County faces educational challenges with a school score of 32/100 and a graduation rate of 83.9%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,199 per pupil, Muscatine County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 48% below the Iowa average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 8.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Muscatine 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

15 public schools and 3 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

32/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #98 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.

Completion

83.9%

8.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,199

$392 below the state average

School coverage

3 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

Muscatine County has 15 public schools across 3 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 Muscatine 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

Muscatine Comm School District carries most of the listed public-school system, with 9 of 15 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#98

of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 29 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.

Muscatine Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

4,580 students

Elementary 6Middle 1High 1Other 1

9 listed schools in this county slice.

West Liberty Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,284 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Wilton Comm School District

Elementary and high visible

983 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Muscatine Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 9 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 Muscatine County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Muscatine County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Muscatine County School Score Significantly Trails Iowa State Average

Education data brief for Muscatine County, Iowa.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Muscatine County's composite school score is 31.7, a figure that is approximately 48% lower than the state average of 61.3 and well below the national median of 50.0. The county's graduation rate is 83.9%, which falls below both the Iowa average of 92.3% and the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil spending is reported at $7,199, which is lower than the state average of $7,591 and significantly under the national average of $13,000. Educational services are provided through 15 schools, all of which are classified under the 'Town' locale designation. The Muscatine Community School District is the largest of three districts, enrolling 4,580 of the county's 6,847 total students. Muscatine High School is the county's largest facility, serving 1,539 students, which is more than double the size of the next largest school. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Muscatine County

Reported Enrollment

6,847

15 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary9

Middle2

High3

Other1

3 School Districts in Muscatine County

Muscatine Comm School District

West Liberty Comm School District

4 schools

1,284 students

Wilton Comm School District

2 schools

983 students

15 Public Schools in Muscatine County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; 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 15 of 15 matching schools

Public schools in Muscatine County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Muscatine High School	Profile	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	9–12	High	1,539
Susan Clark Junior High	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	7–8	Middle	662
Wilton Elementary School	Record	Wilton Comm School District	Wilton, 52778Town: Distant	PK–6	Primary	556
McKinley Elementary School	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	448
Jefferson Elementary School	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	434
Wilton Jr-Sr High School	Record	Wilton Comm School District	Wilton, 52778Town: Distant	7–12	High	427
Madison Elementary School	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	425
West Liberty Middle School	Record	West Liberty Comm School District	West Liberty, 52776Town: Distant	5–8	Middle	399
West Liberty High School	Record	West Liberty Comm School District	West Liberty, 52776Town: Distant	9–12	High	364
West Liberty Elementary School	Record	West Liberty Comm School District	West Liberty, 52776Town: Distant	1–4	Primary	361
Grant Elementary School	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	299
Franklin Elementary School	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	265
Mulberry Elementary School	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	KG–6	Primary	259
Muskie Early Learning Center	Record	Muscatine Comm School District	Muscatine, 52761Town: Distant	PK	Other	249
Early Childhood Center	Record	West Liberty Comm School District	West Liberty, 52776Town: Distant	PK–KG	Primary	160

Muscatine High School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

Profile9–12High1,539 students

Susan Clark Junior High

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

Record7–8Middle662 students

Wilton Elementary School

Wilton Comm School District

Wilton, 52778 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary556 students

McKinley Elementary School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary448 students

Jefferson Elementary School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary434 students

Wilton Jr-Sr High School

Wilton Comm School District

Wilton, 52778 / Town: Distant

Record7–12High427 students

Madison Elementary School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary425 students

West Liberty Middle School

West Liberty Comm School District

West Liberty, 52776 / Town: Distant

Record5–8Middle399 students

West Liberty High School

West Liberty Comm School District

West Liberty, 52776 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High364 students

West Liberty Elementary School

West Liberty Comm School District

West Liberty, 52776 / Town: Distant

Record1–4Primary361 students

Grant Elementary School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary299 students

Franklin Elementary School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary265 students

Mulberry Elementary School

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary259 students

Muskie Early Learning Center

Muscatine Comm School District

Muscatine, 52761 / Town: Distant

RecordPKOther249 students

Early Childhood Center

West Liberty Comm School District

West Liberty, 52776 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–KGPrimary160 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,199

State avg $7,591

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Muscatine 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 Iowa counties have the highest graduation rates?

Dallas County (97.3%), Clay County (97.0%), and Davis County (97.0%) currently lead Iowa 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 Iowa?

Across Iowa counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,591. The highest current county values are Kossuth County ($8,712), Cerro Gordo County ($8,682), and Franklin County ($8,627). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Muscatine County?

Muscatine County has a school score of 32/100, 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 Muscatine County?

The high school graduation rate in Muscatine County is 83.9%, 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 Muscatine County spend per student?

Muscatine County spends $7,199 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

Buena Vista County

Iowa

-5 pts

27/100

School score

Des Moines County

Iowa

+7 pts

38/100

School score

Van Buren County

Iowa

+10 pts

42/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 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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