schoolsbycounty

State district guide

Nebraska public school districts

Compare district systems across Nebraska by enrollment scale, school count, county context, generated guide coverage, and the parent checks that matter before choosing where to live.

View county rankingsFind a school

Direct answer for parents

What this district ranking can and cannot tell you

If you are searching for the best school districts in Nebraska, start with the largest and most data-rich district systems below, then verify the specific school assigned to each address. SchoolsByCounty orders districts by reported enrollment and school count because those fields are consistent in NCES. It does not convert district size into a quality rating.

Start with scale

OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

51,754 reported students

Check county context

Loup County

100/100 county score

Verify locally

Address fit

Attendance boundaries and transfers are not in NCES

District table

Largest public school districts in Nebraska

The first 60 rows show the largest district systems by reported enrollment. Open district guides where available, or use the county profile when a detailed district page is not generated yet.

271 districts in state file

Nebraska public school districts ranked by reported enrollment.
RankDistrictStudents
1
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3174820

Douglas County111 schools
51,754
2
LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3172840

Lancaster County76 schools
41,850
3
MILLARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3173740

Douglas County36 schools
23,637
4
PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3175270

Sarpy County22 schools
12,031
5
ELKHORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3170110

Douglas County20 schools
11,319
6
GRAND ISLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100016

Hall County23 schools
9,990
7
BELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3103810

Sarpy County21 schools
9,498
8
GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3171220

Sarpy County10 schools
6,529
9
WESTSIDE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3178660

Douglas County14 schools
6,271
10
KEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3172390

Buffalo County15 schools
6,152
11
FREMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3170710

Dodge County14 schools
5,217
12
NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3174430

Madison County12 schools
4,518
13
BENNINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3103990

Douglas County8 schools
4,154
14
COLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3105340

Platte County9 schools
4,111
15
SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

LEA ID 3176860

Dakota County8 schools
3,783
16
NORTH PLATTE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100022

Lincoln County12 schools
3,782
17
HASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3171580

Adams County8 schools
3,644
18
SCOTTSBLUFF PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3176470

Scotts Bluff County8 schools
3,519
19
RALSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3175900

Douglas County8 schools
3,352
20
LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3172810

Dawson County8 schools
3,221
21
NORRIS SCHOOL DIST 160

LEA ID 3100088

Lancaster County4 schools
2,483
22
BLAIR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3104100

Washington County6 schools
2,274
23
CRETE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100095

Saline County6 schools
2,230
24
WAVERLY SCHOOL DISTRICT 145

LEA ID 3100021

Cass County5 schools
2,165
25
BEATRICE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3103600

Gage County6 schools
2,090
26
GERING PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100098

Scotts Bluff County6 schools
2,023
27
SCHUYLER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3176450

Colfax County8 schools
1,984
28
YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3179050

York County4 schools
1,620
29
PLATTSMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3175660

Cass County4 schools
1,504
30
SEWARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3176560

Seward County3 schools
1,496
31
NORTHWEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3174580

Hall County5 schools
1,465
32
NEBRASKA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3174160

Otoe County4 schools
1,428
33
MC COOK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3173470

Red Willow County5 schools
1,376
34
ALLIANCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3102910

Box Butte County5 schools
1,345
35
SIDNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3176710

Cheyenne County6 schools
1,276
36
AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3103360

Hamilton County4 schools
1,226
37
SPRINGFIELD PLATTEVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3175630

Sarpy County4 schools
1,203
38
ASHLAND-GREENWOOD PUBLIC SCHS

LEA ID 3100034

Saunders County4 schools
1,099
39
WAHOO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3178210

Saunders County4 schools
1,085
40
DOUGLAS CO WEST COMMUNITY SCHS

LEA ID 3100165

Douglas County4 schools
1,053
41
AUBURN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3103330

Nemaha County4 schools
1,051
42
HOLDREGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3171940

Phelps County4 schools
1,014
43
ADAMS CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3102770

Adams County3 schools
1,004
44
WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3178520

Wayne County4 schools
997
45
LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100112

Platte County4 schools
952
46
COZAD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3105460

Dawson County4 schools
949
47
CHADRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3104980

Dawes County4 schools
941
48
FAIRBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3170440

Jefferson County3 schools
909
49
BROKEN BOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100011

Custer County5 schools
890
50
FALLS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3170530

Richardson County4 schools
880
51
GOTHENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3171100

Dawson County3 schools
847
52
OGALLALA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3174760

Keith County2 schools
845
53
O'NEILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3174850

Holt County2 schools
829
54
FORT CALHOUN COMMUNITY SCHS

LEA ID 3170650

Washington County2 schools
825
55
MINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3173830

Kearney County3 schools
820
56
MILFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3173710

Seward County2 schools
819
57
SYRACUSE-DUNBAR-AVOCA SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3177550

Otoe County3 schools
793
58
CENTRAL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3104920

Merrick County3 schools
767
59
RAYMOND CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3104950

Saunders County5 schools
742
60
WEST POINT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEA ID 3100006

Cuming County3 schools
728

— = enrollment not reported in the district record. District rows are informational and must be paired with local assignment tools before a housing decision.

Methodology

How to use district rankings without overreading them

District-level data is useful because it shows the operating system around a public school search: how many schools exist, which county record anchors the district, how much enrollment is reported, and whether a detailed district guide is available. It is not enough to decide where a student should enroll.

Ranking basis

Rows are ordered by reported enrollment, then school count. The method favors broad, data-rich systems because those are the districts parents most often need to research before relocation.

County context

Each district is attached to a primary county record when available. County school scores are context signals, not district ratings, and nearby counties can still matter for commute and housing decisions.

Grade pathway

Elementary, middle, and high school counts help parents spot whether a district looks like a full K-12 pathway or a narrower operating unit. Feeder patterns still require local verification.

Address verification

The final decision happens at the address level. Confirm attendance zones, open-enrollment rules, magnet admissions, charter lotteries, and transfer windows with official district sources.

County context

Districts anchored in higher-scoring county contexts

These rows pair district records with the county-level SchoolsByCounty score. Treat this as a shortlist for deeper research, not a district quality ranking.

LOUP COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Loup County

100

Students
83
Schools
2

THEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Thomas County

95

Students
137
Schools
2

SANDHILLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Thomas County

95

Students
82
Schools
2

SUPERIOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Nuckolls County

89

Students
410
Schools
3

OGALLALA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Keith County

87

Students
845
Schools
2

PAXTON CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS

Keith County

87

Students
207
Schools
2

Parent checklist before relying on a district ranking

Use this page to narrow the field, then answer these local questions before treating any district as a fit for a specific home.

Which school does this address actually feed into?

Use the district address lookup and confirm edge cases near attendance-zone borders.

What happens at transition grades?

A strong elementary fit can split into several middle or high school paths.

Are choice programs realistic for this student?

Magnet, charter, virtual, and transfer options can involve lotteries, applications, or deadlines.

Is the county context aligned with housing tradeoffs?

Pair school research with taxes, commute, home prices, and safety before choosing where to live.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nebraska School Districts

What are the best school districts in Nebraska?
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MILLARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS are the largest Nebraska district systems by reported enrollment in the NCES file. SchoolsByCounty does not call them the best districts; use this page to find data-rich district systems, then verify assigned schools, program rules, and local fit.
How are Nebraska districts ranked here?
Districts are ordered by reported student enrollment, then school count, using NCES public school district records. This is a research-priority ranking, not a quality rating.
Why do only 19 Nebraska districts have district guide links?
SchoolsByCounty statically generates detailed district guides for the largest district systems nationally so the pages stay fast and substantive. Districts without guide links remain represented through county and state context pages.
Do these district pages show attendance boundaries?
No. Attendance zones, transfer rules, magnet eligibility, charter admission, transportation, and program availability must be verified with official district or local assignment tools before choosing a home.
Does a large district mean better schools?
No. Larger districts usually have more school options and more public data, but enrollment size is not a school-quality measure. Compare school-level records and official local sources before treating a district as a fit.
How many districts are included for Nebraska?
This page includes 271 Nebraska public school districts from the current NCES district file, alongside county context and generated district-guide availability where available.
By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished

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.

Back to Nebraska county rankingsBack to all states