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

No. Use the Allegan 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 Allegan 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 Allegan County?

Start with the 55 listed public schools and 13 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Allegan County Schools & Education

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

Allegan County, Michigan

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

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

85.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

85.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.5%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,077

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,394

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 35/100

State Score Position

#40

of 83 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Allegan County

Measured School Summary

Allegan County faces educational challenges with a school score of 33/100 and a graduation rate of 85.4%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,077 per pupil, Allegan County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 5% below the Michigan average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Allegan 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

55 public schools and 13 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

33/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #40 of 83 Michigan counties with school score data.

Completion

85.4%

2.9 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,077

$317 below the state average

School coverage

13 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

Allegan County has 55 public schools across 13 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 Allegan 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.

Large multi-district county

Allegan County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#40

of 83 Michigan counties with school score data. The county score is 2 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.

Hamilton Community Schools

Elementary to high school visible

2,898 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Wayland Union Schools

Elementary to high school visible

2,830 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 2Other 0

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Plainwell Community Schools

Elementary to high school visible

2,348 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Allegan Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

2,185 students

Elementary 5Middle 1High 2Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Allegan Public Schools 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 Allegan County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Allegan 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 Allegan County, Michigan

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.

A Robust and Growing School Network

Allegan County maintains an extensive education infrastructure with 55 public schools serving 17,940 students across 13 districts. This large-scale network includes 27 elementary schools and 16 high schools.

Strong Graduation Success with Lean Spending

The county’s graduation rate of 85.4% sits comfortably above the state average of 82.5%. Educators achieve these results with a per-pupil expenditure of $7,077, which is lower than both the Michigan and national averages.

Major Districts and Charter Presence

Hamilton Community Schools and Wayland Union Schools are the largest providers, each serving over 2,800 students. The county also offers school choice through three charter schools, which represent 5.5% of the total school inventory.

A Balanced Mix of Town and Country

Students are nearly equally split between town and rural school settings, with 28 schools in towns and 27 in rural areas. Wayland High School is the largest facility with 828 students, reflecting the county's significant suburban-rural growth.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Allegan County

Reported Enrollment

17,940

55 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

5% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary27

Middle9

High16

Other3

13 School Districts in Allegan County

Hamilton Community Schools

7 schools

2,898 students

Wayland Union Schools

7 schools

2,830 students

Plainwell Community Schools

6 schools

2,607 students

Allegan Public Schools

8 schools

2,185 students

South Haven Public Schools

6 schools

1,798 students

Hopkins Public Schools

4 schools

1,476 students

Fennville Public Schools

4 schools

1,243 students

Saugatuck Public Schools

3 schools

802 students

Martin Public Schools

2 schools

610 students

Allegan Area Educational Service Agency

2 schools

99 students

55 Public Schools in Allegan 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 data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 55 matching schools

Public schools in Allegan County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Wayland High School	Record	Wayland Union Schools	WAYLAND, 49348Town: Fringe	9–12	High	828
Plainwell High School	Record	Plainwell Community Schools	PLAINWELL, 49080Town: Fringe	9–12	High	815
Hamilton High School	Record	Hamilton Community Schools	HAMILTON, 49419Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	781
Otsego High School	Record	Otsego Public Schools	OTSEGO, 49078Town: Fringe	9–12	High	751
Hamilton Middle School	Record	Hamilton Community Schools	HAMILTON, 49419Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	719
Wayland Union Middle School	Record	Wayland Union Schools	WAYLAND, 49348Town: Fringe	5–8	Middle	649
Allegan High School	Record	Allegan Public Schools	ALLEGAN, 49010Town: Distant	9–12	High	648
Plainwell Middle School	Record	Plainwell Community Schools	PLAINWELL, 49080Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	596
Hamilton Virtual School	Record	Hamilton Community Schools	HAMILTON, 49419Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Virtual	547
Otsego Middle School	Record	Otsego Public Schools	OTSEGO, 49078Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	527
Fennville Elementary School	Record	Fennville Public Schools	FENNVILLE, 49408Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	523
Hopkins High School	Record	Hopkins Public Schools	HOPKINS, 49328Rural: Distant	9–12	High	498
Starr Elementary School	Record	Plainwell Community Schools	PLAINWELL, 49080Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	460
Washington Street Elementary School	Record	Otsego Public Schools	OTSEGO, 49078Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	450
LE White Middle School	Record	Allegan Public Schools	ALLEGAN, 49010Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	447
Baseline Middle School	Record	South Haven Public Schools	SOUTH HAVEN, 49090Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	412
Pine Street Elementary	Record	Wayland Union Schools	WAYLAND, 49348Town: Fringe	4–5	Primary	401
Gilkey Elementary School	Record	Plainwell Community Schools	PLAINWELL, 49080Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	393
Hopkins Elementary School	Record	Hopkins Public Schools	HOPKINS, 49328Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	386
Fennville Public High School	Record	Fennville Public Schools	Fennville, 49408Rural: Distant	9–12	High	378

Wayland High School

Wayland Union Schools

WAYLAND, 49348 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12High828 students

Plainwell High School

Plainwell Community Schools

PLAINWELL, 49080 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12High815 students

Hamilton High School

Hamilton Community Schools

HAMILTON, 49419 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High781 students

Otsego High School

Otsego Public Schools

OTSEGO, 49078 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12High751 students

Hamilton Middle School

Hamilton Community Schools

HAMILTON, 49419 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle719 students

Wayland Union Middle School

Wayland Union Schools

WAYLAND, 49348 / Town: Fringe

Record5–8Middle649 students

Allegan High School

Allegan Public Schools

ALLEGAN, 49010 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High648 students

Plainwell Middle School

Plainwell Community Schools

PLAINWELL, 49080 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle596 students

Hamilton Virtual School

Hamilton Community Schools

HAMILTON, 49419 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–12Virtual547 students

Otsego Middle School

Otsego Public Schools

OTSEGO, 49078 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle527 students

Fennville Elementary School

Fennville Public Schools

FENNVILLE, 49408 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary523 students

Hopkins High School

Hopkins Public Schools

HOPKINS, 49328 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High498 students

Starr Elementary School

Plainwell Community Schools

PLAINWELL, 49080 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary460 students

Washington Street Elementary School

Otsego Public Schools

OTSEGO, 49078 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary450 students

LE White Middle School

Allegan Public Schools

ALLEGAN, 49010 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle447 students

Baseline Middle School

South Haven Public Schools

SOUTH HAVEN, 49090 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle412 students

Pine Street Elementary

Wayland Union Schools

WAYLAND, 49348 / Town: Fringe

Record4–5Primary401 students

Gilkey Elementary School

Plainwell Community Schools

PLAINWELL, 49080 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary393 students

Hopkins Elementary School

Hopkins Public Schools

HOPKINS, 49328 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary386 students

Fennville Public High School

Fennville Public Schools

Fennville, 49408 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High378 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,077

State avg $7,394

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Allegan 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 Michigan counties have the highest graduation rates?

Alcona County (95.0%), Alger County (95.0%), and Schoolcraft County (95.0%) currently lead Michigan 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 Michigan?

Across Michigan counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,394. The highest current county values are Keweenaw County ($18,000), Lake County ($10,369), and Leelanau County ($9,877). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Allegan County?

Allegan County has a school score of 33/100, 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 Allegan County?

The high school graduation rate in Allegan County is 85.4%, 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 Allegan County spend per student?

Allegan County spends $7,077 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 Allegan County, Michigan — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Allegan County, Michigan?

How do schools in Allegan County perform academically?

What are the major school districts in Allegan County, Michigan?

What is the school experience like in Allegan County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Missaukee County

Michigan

-0 pts

33/100

School score

Gogebic County

Michigan

+1 pts

34/100

School score

Lapeer County

Michigan

-1 pts

32/100

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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