Louisiana Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 64 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
85.4%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$7,881
Avg School Score
53/100
Total Schools
1,336
194 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Louisiana
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.
Louisiana Trails National Spending and Graduation Benchmarks
Louisiana's average graduation rate of 85.4% sits just below the national benchmark of 87.0%. The state's average per-pupil spending of $7,881 is significantly lower than the national average of $13,000, placing a heavy burden on local district efficiency.
Extreme Performance Gaps Across 64 Parishes
The state's 64 districts show a massive performance gap, with school scores ranging from a high of 69.5 down to a low of 10.6. Graduation rates illustrate this divide even more sharply, swinging from 99.0% in Jefferson Davis Parish to just 4.0% in Morehouse Parish.
Top Performers Lead with Higher Investment
Cameron Parish leads the state with a 69.5 score and a 97.0% graduation rate, fueled by the state's highest per-pupil spending of $12,683. Bienville and De Soto Parishes follow closely, both maintaining graduation rates of 96% or higher through above-average local investment.
A State Defined by Localized Success
While Louisiana stays competitive on average scores, families find the most success in parishes like Cameron or Bienville where spending exceeds the state mean. The sharp decline in performance in parishes like Morehouse suggests that location and local funding are the primary drivers of student achievement here.
State Score Context
How Louisiana Counties Are Distributed
64 of 64 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
11
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
35
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
18
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
Best school counties
Best Counties for Public School Research in Louisiana
For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Louisiana, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.
Short answer for Louisiana
Cameron Parish is the strongest county-level starting point in Louisiana by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 96/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.
Ranking methodology
64 of 64 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.
State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $7,881.
Top measured county school signals
Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.
Jefferson Davis Parish
99.0%
Jefferson Davis Parish has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Louisiana. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.
Cameron Parish
$12,683
Cameron Parish reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.
Richland Parish
16/100
Richland Parish has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Louisiana. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.
District research
Compare Louisiana public school districts before narrowing by address
Louisiana has 194 public school district records and 1,336 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.
All Louisiana Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
Cameron Parish
| 96/100 |
Bienville Parish
| 94/100 |
Caldwell Parish
| 89/100 |
De Soto Parish
| 88/100 |
East Carroll Parish
| 87/100 |
Claiborne Parish
| 79/100 |
Lincoln Parish
| 78/100 |
Calcasieu Parish
| 76/100 |
West Feliciana Parish
| 75/100 |
Allen Parish
| 73/100 |
LaSalle Parish
| 73/100 |
Vernon Parish
| 70/100 |
Iberville Parish
| 69/100 |
St. Mary Parish
| 69/100 |
Jefferson Davis Parish
| 68/100 |
Assumption Parish
| 68/100 |
West Baton Rouge Parish
| 66/100 |
Vermilion Parish
| 66/100 |
Plaquemines Parish
| 65/100 |
Franklin Parish
| 65/100 |
West Carroll Parish
| 63/100 |
Winn Parish
| 63/100 |
St. Charles Parish
| 63/100 |
Beauregard Parish
| 62/100 |
Terrebonne Parish
| 62/100 |
St. Bernard Parish
| 61/100 |
St. James Parish
| 61/100 |
Grant Parish
| 57/100 |
Union Parish
| 56/100 |
Bossier Parish
| 55/100 |
Lafourche Parish
| 54/100 |
Livingston Parish
| 52/100 |
Avoyelles Parish
| 52/100 |
Webster Parish
| 52/100 |
Natchitoches Parish
| 51/100 |
Tensas Parish
| 51/100 |
Acadia Parish
| 50/100 |
Catahoula Parish
| 49/100 |
Madison Parish
| 48/100 |
St. John the Baptist Parish
| 47/100 |
Ascension Parish
| 46/100 |
St. Tammany Parish
| 46/100 |
Jackson Parish
| 44/100 |
Iberia Parish
| 43/100 |
Red River Parish
| 42/100 |
Ouachita Parish
| 41/100 |
St. Landry Parish
| 39/100 |
Rapides Parish
| 38/100 |
Washington Parish
| 37/100 |
Concordia Parish
| 34/100 |
Caddo Parish
| 33/100 |
St. Helena Parish
| 33/100 |
Morehouse Parish
| 32/100 |
East Baton Rouge Parish
| 28/100 |
Sabine Parish
| 28/100 |
East Feliciana Parish
| 27/100 |
Pointe Coupee Parish
| 27/100 |
Jefferson Parish
| 26/100 |
St. Martin Parish
| 25/100 |
Evangeline Parish
| 25/100 |
Orleans Parish
| 21/100 |
Lafayette Parish
| 21/100 |
Tangipahoa Parish
| 17/100 |
Richland Parish
| 16/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in Louisiana
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Louisiana Schools
Which Louisiana counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Louisiana?
What are the best school counties in Louisiana?
Which Louisiana county has the strongest measured school score?
What is the average graduation rate in Louisiana?
Which county in Louisiana has the lowest school score?
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.