Nebraska Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 93 counties.

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

Avg Graduation Rate

86.9%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$10,521

Avg School Score

64/100

Total Schools

1,092

271 districts

State Overview

About Schools in Nebraska

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.

Diverse Performance Across 91 Reporting Counties

The state features a vast educational landscape where graduation rates swing from 96.3% in Washington County to 58.4% in Dawes County. Funding levels vary just as widely, with per-pupil spending ranging from a low of $7,010 to nearly $19,500. This data covers 91 of the state's 93 counties, revealing a system with high regional variation in both resources and results.

High Efficiency Defines Nebraska’s Educational ROI

Nebraska secures a competitive 86.9% graduation rate while spending nearly $2,500 less per student than the national average. While the state average spending is lean, the data suggests a correlation between heavy investment and peak performance in specific districts. This fiscal strategy provides strong outcomes for taxpayers, though localized spending spikes are often required to hit the highest quality scores.

State Score Context

How Nebraska Counties Are Distributed

93 of 93 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

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

Best school counties

Best Counties for Public School Research in Nebraska

For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Nebraska, 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 Nebraska

Loup County is the strongest county-level starting point in Nebraska by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 100/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

93 of 93 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: $10,521.

Top measured county school signals

Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.

1Loup CountyGraduation not reported · Spending $18,703100/100 2Thomas CountyGraduation not reported · Spending $12,38695/100 3Nuckolls CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $10,90189/100 4Keith CountyGraduation 95.4% · Spending $9,60787/100 5Stanton CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $9,97487/100 6Merrick CountyGraduation 95.1% · Spending $9,42686/100 7Butler CountyGraduation 93.3% · Spending $11,71486/100

Graduation-focused starting point

Washington County

96.3%

Washington County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Nebraska. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.

Funding context to inspect

Wheeler County

$19,491

Wheeler County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.

Counties to research carefully

Lancaster County

37/100

Lancaster County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Nebraska. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.

District research

Compare Nebraska public school districts before narrowing by address

Nebraska has 271 public school district records and 1,092 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.

View District Rankings

All Nebraska Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for Nebraska.
County	School Score	Graduation Rate	Per-Pupil Spending
Loup County Graduation — Per pupil $18,703	100/100	—	$18,703
Thomas County Graduation — Per pupil $12,386	95/100	—	$12,386
Nuckolls County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $10,901	89/100	95.0%	$10,901
Keith County Graduation 95.4% Per pupil $9,607	87/100	95.4%	$9,607
Stanton County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $9,974	87/100	95.0%	$9,974
Merrick County Graduation 95.1% Per pupil $9,426	86/100	95.1%	$9,426
Butler County Graduation 93.3% Per pupil $11,714	86/100	93.3%	$11,714
Clay County Graduation 93.7% Per pupil $10,952	86/100	93.7%	$10,952
Furnas County Graduation 94.0% Per pupil $9,926	84/100	94.0%	$9,926
Seward County Graduation 96.2% Per pupil $8,457	82/100	96.2%	$8,457
Morrill County Graduation 92.8% Per pupil $10,349	81/100	92.8%	$10,349
Phelps County Graduation 93.7% Per pupil $9,244	80/100	93.7%	$9,244
Burt County Graduation 92.1% Per pupil $10,407	80/100	92.1%	$10,407
Cuming County Graduation 92.6% Per pupil $9,814	79/100	92.6%	$9,814
Red Willow County Graduation 94.5% Per pupil $8,579	78/100	94.5%	$8,579
Cass County Graduation 92.6% Per pupil $9,164	76/100	92.6%	$9,164
Cherry County Graduation 91.2% Per pupil $11,352	76/100	91.2%	$11,352
Richardson County Graduation 91.5% Per pupil $10,679	76/100	91.5%	$10,679
Pierce County Graduation 92.6% Per pupil $9,047	76/100	92.6%	$9,047
Nemaha County Graduation 95.3% Per pupil $7,842	75/100	95.3%	$7,842
Dawson County Graduation 92.7% Per pupil $8,847	75/100	92.7%	$8,847
Garden County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $13,996	75/100	90.0%	$13,996
Sheridan County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $10,795	75/100	91.0%	$10,795
Dundy County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $13,000	74/100	90.0%	$13,000
Boone County Graduation 91.9% Per pupil $9,308	72/100	91.9%	$9,308
Valley County Graduation 91.4% Per pupil $9,388	71/100	91.4%	$9,388
Webster County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,993	71/100	90.0%	$10,993
Gosper County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,811	71/100	90.0%	$10,811
Rock County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,880	71/100	90.0%	$10,880
Nance County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,771	71/100	90.0%	$10,771
Perkins County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,677	71/100	90.0%	$10,677
Harlan County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,456	70/100	90.0%	$10,456
Franklin County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,370	70/100	90.0%	$10,370
Hamilton County Graduation 90.4% Per pupil $9,804	70/100	90.4%	$9,804
Kimball County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,322	70/100	90.0%	$10,322
Sarpy County Graduation 94.5% Per pupil $7,615	69/100	94.5%	$7,615
Washington County Graduation 96.3% Per pupil $7,225	69/100	96.3%	$7,225
Kearney County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $9,173	69/100	91.0%	$9,173
Johnson County Graduation 89.4% Per pupil $10,359	68/100	89.4%	$10,359
Garfield County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $9,528	67/100	90.0%	$9,528
Antelope County Graduation 87.9% Per pupil $12,143	66/100	87.9%	$12,143
Boyd County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $9,275	66/100	90.0%	$9,275
York County Graduation 91.5% Per pupil $8,329	65/100	91.5%	$8,329
Hitchcock County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $8,963	64/100	90.0%	$8,963
Cedar County Graduation 87.9% Per pupil $10,400	64/100	87.9%	$10,400
Saunders County Graduation 91.4% Per pupil $8,145	64/100	91.4%	$8,145
Howard County Graduation 89.6% Per pupil $9,050	63/100	89.6%	$9,050
Dixon County Graduation 86.7% Per pupil $11,161	62/100	86.7%	$11,161
Madison County Graduation 91.0% Per pupil $8,082	61/100	91.0%	$8,082
Knox County Graduation 85.7% Per pupil $12,679	61/100	85.7%	$12,679
Sherman County Graduation 86.3% Per pupil $11,030	61/100	86.3%	$11,030
Frontier County Graduation 85.6% Per pupil $11,722	60/100	85.6%	$11,722
Greeley County Graduation 84.2% Per pupil $13,317	59/100	84.2%	$13,317
Pawnee County Graduation 85.3% Per pupil $11,447	59/100	85.3%	$11,447
Lincoln County Graduation 90.8% Per pupil $7,938	59/100	90.8%	$7,938
Adams County Graduation 89.0% Per pupil $8,645	59/100	89.0%	$8,645
Polk County Graduation 85.8% Per pupil $10,716	59/100	85.8%	$10,716
Holt County Graduation 85.0% Per pupil $10,708	58/100	85.0%	$10,708
Jefferson County Graduation 86.7% Per pupil $9,651	57/100	86.7%	$9,651
Dakota County Graduation 86.3% Per pupil $9,507	56/100	86.3%	$9,507
Brown County Graduation 84.0% Per pupil $10,995	56/100	84.0%	$10,995
Custer County Graduation 86.9% Per pupil $9,216	56/100	86.9%	$9,216
Cheyenne County Graduation 88.1% Per pupil $8,416	55/100	88.1%	$8,416
Scotts Bluff County Graduation 88.1% Per pupil $8,275	54/100	88.1%	$8,275
Thayer County Graduation 82.2% Per pupil $11,203	54/100	82.2%	$11,203
Wayne County Graduation 87.9% Per pupil $8,239	53/100	87.9%	$8,239
Thurston County Graduation 75.9% Per pupil $16,208	53/100	75.9%	$16,208
Gage County Graduation 87.1% Per pupil $8,355	53/100	87.1%	$8,355
Hall County Graduation 86.7% Per pupil $8,664	53/100	86.7%	$8,664
Dodge County Graduation 88.1% Per pupil $8,062	52/100	88.1%	$8,062
Wheeler County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $19,491	52/100	75.0%	$19,491
Sioux County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $18,861	52/100	75.0%	$18,861
McPherson County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $18,492	52/100	75.0%	$18,492
Blaine County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $16,578	52/100	75.0%	$16,578
Otoe County Graduation 87.3% Per pupil $8,207	52/100	87.3%	$8,207
Banner County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $14,755	52/100	75.0%	$14,755
Keya Paha County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $14,165	51/100	75.0%	$14,165
Arthur County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $13,218	51/100	75.0%	$13,218
Fillmore County Graduation 80.5% Per pupil $10,392	50/100	80.5%	$10,392
Hayes County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $12,172	50/100	75.0%	$12,172
Grant County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $11,727	49/100	75.0%	$11,727
Deuel County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $11,711	49/100	75.0%	$11,711
Hooker County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $11,425	49/100	75.0%	$11,425
Logan County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $10,549	47/100	75.0%	$10,549
Saline County Graduation 84.6% Per pupil $8,269	46/100	84.6%	$8,269
Box Butte County Graduation 83.5% Per pupil $8,498	45/100	83.5%	$8,498
Chase County Graduation 81.9% Per pupil $8,618	43/100	81.9%	$8,618
Dawes County Graduation 58.4% Per pupil $9,444	41/100	58.4%	$9,444
Colfax County Graduation 78.3% Per pupil $8,461	40/100	78.3%	$8,461
Platte County Graduation 87.2% Per pupil $7,169	40/100	87.2%	$7,169
Douglas County Graduation 81.9% Per pupil $8,017	39/100	81.9%	$8,017
Buffalo County Graduation 87.2% Per pupil $7,010	37/100	87.2%	$7,010
Lancaster County Graduation 81.5% Per pupil $7,884	37/100	81.5%	$7,884

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in Nebraska

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About Nebraska Schools

Which Nebraska counties have the highest graduation rates?

Washington County (96.3%), Seward County (96.2%), and Keith County (95.4%) currently lead Nebraska 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 Nebraska?

Across Nebraska counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $10,521. The highest current county values are Wheeler County ($19,491), Sioux County ($18,861), and Loup County ($18,703). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

What are the best school counties in Nebraska?

Loup County, Thomas County, Nuckolls County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in Nebraska, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.

Which Nebraska county has the strongest measured school score?

Loup County has the highest school score in Nebraska with a score of 100/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.

What is the average graduation rate in Nebraska?

The average high school graduation rate across Nebraska counties is 86.9%, based on NCES data.

Which county in Nebraska has the lowest school score?

Lancaster County has the lowest school score in Nebraska with a score of 37/100. School scores reflect available graduation-rate and per-pupil spending signals.

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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