Cowley County Schools & Education
Cowley County, Kansas
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
61/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
87.5%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
87.5%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,772
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,009
School Score
61/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 61/100
State Score Position
#60
of 105 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Cowley County
Measured School Summary
Cowley County performs at an average level with a school score of 61/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.5%.
Funding Context
Cowley County spends $9,772 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 0% above the Kansas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Cowley 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
22 public schools and 5 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
61/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #60 of 105 Kansas counties with school score data.
Completion
87.5%
1.2 pts below the state average
Funding context
$9,772
$763 above the state average
School coverage
22
5 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Cowley County has 22 public schools across 5 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.
What Cowley 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.
Mixed school landscape
Cowley County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#60
of 105 Kansas counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with 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.
Arkansas City
Elementary to high school visible
2,887 students
8 listed schools in this county slice.
Winfield
Elementary to high school visible
2,094 students
6 listed schools in this county slice.
Udall
Elementary to high school visible
327 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
Central
Elementary and high visible
293 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Arkansas City is the largest listed district slice, with 8 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 Cowley County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Cowley 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?
Data Story
Cowley County manages five districts across town and rural locales
Education data brief for Cowley County, Kansas.
Cowley County maintains a diverse educational landscape featuring five school districts and 22 public schools, split between 12 rural and 10 town locales. The largest district, Arkansas City, serves 2,887 students, followed by Winfield with 2,094, contributing to a total county enrollment of 5,883 students. The county's composite school score of 61.0 matches the Kansas state average exactly and remains 11 points higher than the national median of 50.0. Per-pupil expenditure is recorded at $9,772, exceeding the state average of $9,009 but trailing the national average of $13,000. Graduation rates sit at 87.5%, which is slightly lower than the state average of 88.7% though comparable to the national average of 87.0%. No charter schools operate within the county's boundaries. See the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed district finance reports.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
22
in Cowley County
Reported Enrollment
5,883
22 schools reporting
School Districts
5
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
5 School Districts in Cowley County
Arkansas City
Winfield
Udall
Central
Dexter
22 Public Schools in Cowley County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 22 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas City High | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 845 |
| Winfield High | Record | Winfield | Winfield, 67156Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 688 |
| Arkansas City Middle Sch | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 685 |
| Winfield Middle School | Record | Winfield | Winfield, 67156Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 499 |
| Adams Elem | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 297 |
| Frances Willard Elem | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 276 |
| Jefferson Elem | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 269 |
| Irving Elem | Record | Winfield | Winfield, 67156Town: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 262 |
| Whittier Elem | Record | Winfield | Winfield, 67156Town: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 254 |
| Lowell Elem | Record | Winfield | Winfield, 67156Town: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 248 |
| Roosevelt Elem | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 208 |
| I X L Elem | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 197 |
| Central Elem | Record | Central | Burden, 67019Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 157 |
| Dexter High | Record | Dexter | Dexter, 67038Rural: Remote | 6–12 | High | 153 |
| Country View Elem | Record | Winfield | Winfield, 67156Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 143 |
| Udall Elem | Record | Udall | Udall, 67146Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 141 |
| Central Jr-Sr High | Record | Central | Burden, 67019Rural: Remote | 7–12 | High | 136 |
| Dexter Elem | Record | Dexter | Dexter, 67038Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 129 |
| C 4 Elem | Record | Arkansas City | Arkansas City, 67005Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 110 |
| Udall High | Record | Udall | Udall, 67146Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 96 |
Arkansas City Middle Sch
Arkansas City
Arkansas City, 67005 / Town: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$9,772
State avg $9,009
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Cowley County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Kansas counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Kansas?
How should I read the school score in Cowley County?
What is the graduation rate in Cowley County?
How much does Cowley County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.