schoolsbycounty

North Dakota Schools & Education

School quality and education data for all 53 counties.

Avg Graduation Rate

84.8%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$9,385

Avg School Score

54/100

Total Schools

511

172 districts

State Overview

About Schools in North Dakota

North Dakota Trails National Education Benchmarks

North Dakota's 84.8% graduation rate lags behind the national average of 87.0%. The state also spends significantly less on students, investing $9,385 per pupil compared to the national average of $13,000.

Vast Disparities Across the Peace Garden State

Across 51 reporting counties, school scores fluctuate wildly from a low of 15.5 in Slope County to a high of 66.8 in Steele County. While the average school score of 54.8 exceeds the national median, the performance gap between regions remains substantial.

Lean Spending Maintains Above-Average Quality

North Dakota achieves a 54.8 average school score, outperforming the national median of 50.0 despite spending nearly $3,600 less per pupil than the national average. This suggests a relatively high return on investment for the state's $9,385 average expenditure.

Steele and Cavalier Lead the State

Steele County takes the top spot with a score of 66.8, supported by the state's highest spending at $16,783 per pupil. Cavalier County follows with a high 63.1 score and an impressive 91.3% graduation rate, while Sioux County rounds out the top three.

Location is Key for Educational Success

North Dakota offers strong educational pockets, but families should look toward high-investment areas like Steele or high-graduation counties like Mercer. With graduation rates ranging from 75.0% to 95.0%, district choice significantly impacts student outcomes.

All North Dakota Counties

CountySchool Score
Billings County94/100
Cavalier County76/100
Pierce County74/100
Ransom County71/100
McHenry County71/100
Divide County70/100
Golden Valley County70/100
Pembina County67/100
Renville County66/100
Barnes County65/100
Burleigh County64/100
Cass County61/100
Ramsey County60/100
Mercer County60/100
Kidder County59/100
Grand Forks County58/100
Traill County57/100
Nelson County57/100
Logan County57/100
Bowman County56/100
Dunn County56/100
Stark County54/100
Mountrail County53/100
Wells County53/100
Dickey County52/100
Steele County52/100
Foster County52/100
Ward County52/100
Benson County52/100
Sioux County52/100
Rolette County51/100
Towner County51/100
Burke County50/100
Bottineau County50/100
McKenzie County50/100
Sargent County50/100
Sheridan County49/100
Emmons County48/100
Stutsman County48/100
LaMoure County47/100
McIntosh County45/100
Grant County44/100
Hettinger County44/100
Richland County43/100
Oliver County42/100
Griggs County42/100
Morton County39/100
McLean County37/100
Walsh County37/100
Eddy County36/100
Williams County36/100
Adams County34/100
Slope County31/100

— = data pending from NCES pipeline.

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Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.

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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