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

No. Use the Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County?

Start with the 23 listed public schools and 7 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Madison County Schools & Education

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

Madison County, Nebraska

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

School Score

61/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

91.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.9%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,082

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,521

School Score

61/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 64/100

State Score Position

#49

of 93 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Madison County

Measured School Summary

Madison County performs at an average level with a school score of 61/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.0%.

Funding Context

Madison County spends $8,082 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 4% below the Nebraska average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 4.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 23% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Madison 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

23 public schools and 7 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

61/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #49 of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data.

Completion

91.0%

4.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,082

$2,439 below the state average

School coverage

7 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Madison County has 23 public schools across 7 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 Madison 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.

Mixed school landscape

Madison County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#49

of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data. The county score is 3 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.

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

4,310 students

Elementary 6Middle 2High 2Other 1

11 listed schools in this county slice.

BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

566 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

543 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 1

4 listed schools in this county slice.

ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

446 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 12 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 Madison County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Madison County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Madison County Per-Pupil Spending Below State and National Averages

Education data brief for Madison County, Nebraska.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Madison County reports a per-pupil expenditure of $8,082, a figure that is roughly 23% lower than the Nebraska state average of $10,521 and significantly below the national average of $13,000. This spending level is the most distinctive metric for the county, which maintains a diverse district structure comprising seven school districts and 23 total public schools. The largest of these is Norfolk Public Schools, which enrolls 4,518 students across 12 schools, including Norfolk Senior High School with 1,346 students. Despite the lower per-pupil spending, the county's graduation rate of 91.0% exceeds both the state average of 86.9% and the national average of 87.0%. The composite school score of 61.4 is slightly below the Nebraska average of 63.6 but remains above the national median of 50.0. The county school mix includes 11 town-based schools and 12 rural schools. 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 Madison County

Reported Enrollment

6,084

23 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary10

Middle3

High7

Other3

7 School Districts in Madison County

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2 schools

566 students

MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

4 schools

543 students

ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS

2 schools

446 students

NEWMAN GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2 schools

219 students

NORTHEAST NE JUVENILE SERVICES

1 school

0 students

EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNIT 08

2 schools

0 students

23 Public Schools in Madison County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; 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 23 matching schools

Public schools in Madison County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
NORFOLK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	9–12	High	1,346
NORFOLK JR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	7–8	Middle	641
NORFOLK MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	5–6	Middle	600
BEL AIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	337
BATTLE CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	BATTLE CREEK, 68715Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	293
LITTLE PANTHERS PRESCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68701Town: Remote	PK	Other	290
BATTLE CREEK HIGH SCHOOL	Record	BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	BATTLE CREEK, 68715Rural: Distant	7–12	High	273
ELKHORN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCH	Record	ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS	TILDEN, 68781Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	258
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	234
WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	231
GRANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	228
MADISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MADISON, 68748Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	210
WESTSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	210
LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NORFOLK, 68702Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	193
ELKHORN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL	Record	ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS	TILDEN, 68781Rural: Remote	7–12	High	188
MADISON HIGH SCHOOL	Record	MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MADISON, 68748Rural: Remote	9–12	High	160
NEWMAN GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NEWMAN GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NEWMAN GROVE, 68758Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	149
MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MADISON, 68748Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	106
NEWMAN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL	Record	NEWMAN GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS	NEWMAN GROVE, 68758Rural: Remote	7–12	High	70
MADISON PRESCHOOL	Record	MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MADISON, 68748Rural: Remote	PK	Other	67

NORFOLK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,346 students

NORFOLK JR HIGH SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

Record7–8Middle641 students

NORFOLK MIDDLE SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

Record5–6Middle600 students

BEL AIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary337 students

BATTLE CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BATTLE CREEK, 68715 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary293 students

LITTLE PANTHERS PRESCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68701 / Town: Remote

RecordPKOther290 students

BATTLE CREEK HIGH SCHOOL

BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BATTLE CREEK, 68715 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High273 students

ELKHORN VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCH

ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS

TILDEN, 68781 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary258 students

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary234 students

WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary231 students

GRANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary228 students

MADISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MADISON, 68748 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary210 students

WESTSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary210 students

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NORFOLK, 68702 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary193 students

ELKHORN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS

TILDEN, 68781 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High188 students

MADISON HIGH SCHOOL

MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MADISON, 68748 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High160 students

NEWMAN GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NEWMAN GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NEWMAN GROVE, 68758 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary149 students

MADISON MIDDLE SCHOOL

MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MADISON, 68748 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle106 students

NEWMAN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL

NEWMAN GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

NEWMAN GROVE, 68758 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High70 students

MADISON PRESCHOOL

MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MADISON, 68748 / Rural: Remote

RecordPKOther67 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,082

State avg $10,521

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Madison 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 Madison County?

Madison County has a school score of 61/100, which is a midrange 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 Madison County?

The high school graduation rate in Madison County is 91.0%, which is above 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 Madison County spend per student?

Madison County spends $8,082 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

Dixon County

Nebraska

+0 pts

62/100

School score

Knox County

Nebraska

-0 pts

61/100

School score

Sherman County

Nebraska

-1 pts

61/100

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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