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

No. Use the Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster County?

Start with the 95 listed public schools and 9 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Lancaster County Schools & Education

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

Lancaster County, Nebraska

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

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

81.5%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

81.5%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.9%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,884

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,521

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 64/100

State Score Position

#93

of 93 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Lancaster County

Measured School Summary

Lancaster County faces educational challenges with a school score of 37/100 and a graduation rate of 81.5%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,884 per pupil, Lancaster County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 42% below the Nebraska average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 5.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 25% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Lancaster 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

95 public schools and 9 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

37/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #93 of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data.

Completion

81.5%

5.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,884

$2,637 below the state average

School coverage

9 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

Lancaster County has 95 public schools across 9 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 Lancaster 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.

Dominant-district county

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS carries most of the listed public-school system, with 76 of 95 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#93

of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data. The county score is 27 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.

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

41,850 students

Elementary 41Middle 14High 15Other 6

76 listed schools in this county slice.

NORRIS SCHOOL DIST 160

Elementary to high school visible

2,483 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

MALCOLM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

644 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

PALMYRA DISTRICT O R 1

Elementary school only in this slice

400 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 76 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 Lancaster County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Lancaster 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

Lancaster County Per-Pupil Spending Trails State and National Averages

Education data brief for Lancaster County, Nebraska.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Per-pupil expenditure in Lancaster County is $7,884, a figure approximately 25% lower than the Nebraska state average of $10,521 and significantly below the national average of $13,000. This fiscal profile exists within a large, urbanized system; the county serves 47,895 students across 95 schools. Lincoln Public Schools is the dominant district, with 76 schools and 41,850 students. The county's graduation rate is 81.5%, which is lower than the Nebraska average of 86.9% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. Furthermore, the composite school score of 36.9 is below the state average of 63.6 and the national median of 50.0. The school mix includes 12 alternative schools and three special education facilities, with 75 schools located in city locales. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Lancaster County

Reported Enrollment

47,895

95 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary47

Middle17

High24

Other7

9 School Districts in Lancaster County

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORRIS SCHOOL DIST 160

4 schools

2,483 students

PALMYRA DISTRICT O R 1

3 schools

711 students

MALCOLM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2 schools

644 students

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL

1 school

197 students

MORTON SCHOOL

1 school

0 students

PATHFINDER ED PRG-LANCASTER CO

1 school

0 students

CHILD GUIDANCE SCHOOL

1 school

0 students

NEBRASKA YOUTH ACADEMY

1 school

0 students

95 Public Schools in Lancaster County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 7 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 95 matching schools

Public schools in Lancaster County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
LINCOLN EAST HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68510City: Large	9–12	High	2,268
LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68510City: Large	9–12	High	2,196
SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68512City: Large	9–12	High	2,171
NORTH STAR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68504City: Large	9–12	High	2,072
LINCOLN SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68506City: Large	9–12	High	1,929
LINCOLN NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68507City: Large	9–12	High	1,812
SCOTT MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68516City: Large	6–8	Middle	1,136
SCHOO MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68521Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	917
IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68502City: Large	6–8	Middle	890
KOOSER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68521Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	889
GOODRICH MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68521City: Large	6–8	Middle	877
ROPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68522City: Large	PK–5	Primary	863
PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68508City: Large	6–8	Middle	834
BELMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68521City: Large	PK–5	Primary	814
LUX MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68506City: Large	6–8	Middle	791
ADAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68512City: Large	PK–5	Primary	762
NORRIS HIGH SCHOOL	Record	NORRIS SCHOOL DIST 160	FIRTH, 68358Rural: Distant	9–12	High	757
ARNOLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68524City: Large	PK–5	Primary	739
MOORE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68526Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	738
POUND MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS	LINCOLN, 68516City: Large	6–8	Middle	727

LINCOLN EAST HIGH SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68510 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,268 students

LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68510 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,196 students

SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68512 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,171 students

NORTH STAR HIGH SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68504 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,072 students

LINCOLN SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68506 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,929 students

LINCOLN NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68507 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,812 students

SCOTT MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68516 / City: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,136 students

SCHOO MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68521 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle917 students

IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68502 / City: Large

Record6–8Middle890 students

KOOSER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68521 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary889 students

GOODRICH MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68521 / City: Large

Record6–8Middle877 students

ROPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68522 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary863 students

PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68508 / City: Large

Record6–8Middle834 students

BELMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68521 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary814 students

LUX MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68506 / City: Large

Record6–8Middle791 students

ADAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68512 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary762 students

NORRIS HIGH SCHOOL

NORRIS SCHOOL DIST 160

FIRTH, 68358 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High757 students

ARNOLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68524 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary739 students

MOORE MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68526 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle738 students

POUND MIDDLE SCHOOL

LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINCOLN, 68516 / City: Large

Record6–8Middle727 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,884

State avg $10,521

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Lancaster 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 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.

How should I read the school score in Lancaster County?

Lancaster County has a school score of 37/100, 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 Lancaster County?

The high school graduation rate in Lancaster County is 81.5%, 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 Lancaster County spend per student?

Lancaster County spends $7,884 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Buffalo County

Nebraska

+0 pts

37/100

School score

Douglas County

Nebraska

+2 pts

39/100

School score

Platte County

Nebraska

+3 pts

40/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 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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