New Hampshire Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 10 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
87.2%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$12,649
Avg School Score
66/100
Total Schools
502
197 districts
State Overview
About Schools in New Hampshire
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.
New Hampshire matches national benchmarks with superior scores
New Hampshire's 87.2% graduation rate slightly exceeds the national average of 87.0% despite spending $351 less per pupil than the $13,000 national benchmark. The state achieves an impressive average school score of 64.2, which significantly outperforms the national median score of 50.0.
Significant performance gaps exist across ten counties
Education quality varies across New Hampshire's ten counties, with school scores ranging from a high of 71.3 in Grafton to a low of 59.0 in Hillsborough. While Rockingham County leads the state with a 91.6% graduation rate, Belknap County trails at 82.9%, revealing an 8.7 percentage point gap in student outcomes.
Higher investment drives stronger academic outcomes
New Hampshire demonstrates a clear link between funding and success, as top-performing Grafton County spends $14,898 per pupil to achieve a 71.3 school score. Conversely, Hillsborough County records the state's lowest spending at $10,827, which correlates with its position as the lowest-ranked county for overall school performance.
Grafton, Carroll, and Rockingham lead the state
Grafton County secures the top spot with a 71.3 score, followed closely by Carroll County at 70.6, both leveraging high per-pupil spending above $14,600. Rockingham County rounds out the top three, boasting the state's highest graduation rate of 91.6% while maintaining a more efficient $13,005 spending level.
State Score Context
How New Hampshire Counties Are Distributed
10 of 10 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
4
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
6
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
0
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
Highest Measured School Signals
All New Hampshire Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
Grafton County
| 80/100 |
Rockingham County
| 79/100 |
Carroll County
| 78/100 |
Cheshire County
| 71/100 |
Sullivan County
| 63/100 |
Merrimack County
| 62/100 |
Hillsborough County
| 57/100 |
Coos County
| 57/100 |
Strafford County
| 57/100 |
Belknap County
| 56/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in New Hampshire
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About New Hampshire Schools
Which New Hampshire counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in New Hampshire?
Which New Hampshire county has the strongest measured school score?
What is the average graduation rate in New Hampshire?
Which county in New Hampshire has the lowest school score?
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.