North Dakota Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 53 counties.

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

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

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.

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.

State Score Context

How North Dakota Counties Are Distributed

53 of 53 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

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

Highest Measured School Signals

Billings County

94/100

School score

Cavalier County

76/100

School score

Pierce County

74/100

School score

Ransom County

71/100

School score

McHenry County

71/100

School score

Lowest Measured School Signals

#1 lowest

Slope County

31/100

School score

#2 lowest

Adams County

34/100

School score

#3 lowest

Williams County

36/100

School score

#4 lowest

Eddy County

36/100

School score

#5 lowest

Walsh County

37/100

School score

All North Dakota Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for North Dakota.
County	School Score	Graduation Rate	Per-Pupil Spending
Billings County Graduation — Per pupil $12,109	94/100	—	$12,109
Cavalier County Graduation 91.3% Per pupil $11,110	76/100	91.3%	$11,110
Pierce County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $7,876	74/100	95.0%	$7,876
Ransom County Graduation 93.4% Per pupil $8,033	71/100	93.4%	$8,033
McHenry County Graduation 90.5% Per pupil $9,943	71/100	90.5%	$9,943
Divide County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,463	70/100	90.0%	$10,463
Golden Valley County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $10,425	70/100	90.0%	$10,425
Pembina County Graduation 88.9% Per pupil $10,552	67/100	88.9%	$10,552
Renville County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $9,198	66/100	90.0%	$9,198
Barnes County Graduation 91.7% Per pupil $8,185	65/100	91.7%	$8,185
Burleigh County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $8,868	64/100	90.0%	$8,868
Cass County Graduation 89.3% Per pupil $8,858	61/100	89.3%	$8,858
Ramsey County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $9,914	60/100	87.0%	$9,914
Mercer County Graduation 95.0% Per pupil $6,770	60/100	95.0%	$6,770
Kidder County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $8,197	59/100	90.0%	$8,197
Grand Forks County Graduation 87.5% Per pupil $9,101	58/100	87.5%	$9,101
Traill County Graduation 91.7% Per pupil $7,509	57/100	91.7%	$7,509
Nelson County Graduation 85.1% Per pupil $10,395	57/100	85.1%	$10,395
Logan County Graduation 85.2% Per pupil $10,318	57/100	85.2%	$10,318
Bowman County Graduation 85.7% Per pupil $9,873	56/100	85.7%	$9,873
Dunn County Graduation 84.0% Per pupil $10,955	56/100	84.0%	$10,955
Stark County Graduation 86.1% Per pupil $9,035	54/100	86.1%	$9,035
Mountrail County Graduation 83.1% Per pupil $10,066	53/100	83.1%	$10,066
Wells County Graduation 86.8% Per pupil $8,651	53/100	86.8%	$8,651
Dickey County Graduation 93.4% Per pupil $6,522	52/100	93.4%	$6,522
Steele County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $16,783	52/100	75.0%	$16,783
Foster County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,533	52/100	90.0%	$7,533
Ward County Graduation 85.1% Per pupil $9,065	52/100	85.1%	$9,065
Benson County Graduation 78.5% Per pupil $12,204	52/100	78.5%	$12,204
Sioux County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $14,627	52/100	75.0%	$14,627
Rolette County Graduation 80.2% Per pupil $11,077	51/100	80.2%	$11,077
Towner County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $7,424	51/100	90.0%	$7,424
Burke County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $12,732	50/100	75.0%	$12,732
Bottineau County Graduation 82.6% Per pupil $9,624	50/100	82.6%	$9,624
McKenzie County Graduation 84.4% Per pupil $9,017	50/100	84.4%	$9,017
Sargent County Graduation 81.2% Per pupil $10,046	50/100	81.2%	$10,046
Sheridan County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $11,374	49/100	75.0%	$11,374
Emmons County Graduation 82.1% Per pupil $9,334	48/100	82.1%	$9,334
Stutsman County Graduation 85.4% Per pupil $8,395	48/100	85.4%	$8,395
LaMoure County Graduation 83.5% Per pupil $8,782	47/100	83.5%	$8,782
McIntosh County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $9,756	45/100	75.0%	$9,756
Grant County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $9,684	44/100	75.0%	$9,684
Hettinger County Graduation 84.1% Per pupil $8,115	44/100	84.1%	$8,115
Richland County Graduation 82.7% Per pupil $8,388	43/100	82.7%	$8,388
Oliver County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $9,255	42/100	75.0%	$9,255
Griggs County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $9,094	42/100	75.0%	$9,094
Morton County Graduation 82.0% Per pupil $8,040	39/100	82.0%	$8,040
McLean County Graduation 81.7% Per pupil $7,923	37/100	81.7%	$7,923
Walsh County Graduation 86.8% Per pupil $7,142	37/100	86.8%	$7,142
Eddy County Graduation 90.0% Per pupil $6,280	36/100	90.0%	$6,280
Williams County Graduation 78.7% Per pupil $7,962	36/100	78.7%	$7,962
Adams County Graduation 75.0% Per pupil $8,050	34/100	75.0%	$8,050
Slope County Graduation — Per pupil $6,760	31/100	—	$6,760

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in North Dakota

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About North Dakota Schools

Which North Dakota counties have the highest graduation rates?

Mercer County (95.0%), Pierce County (95.0%), and Dickey County (93.4%) currently lead North Dakota 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 North Dakota?

Across North Dakota counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,385. The highest current county values are Steele County ($16,783), Sioux County ($14,627), and Burke County ($12,732). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

Which North Dakota county has the strongest measured school score?

Billings County has the highest school score in North Dakota with a score of 94/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.

What is the average graduation rate in North Dakota?

The average high school graduation rate across North Dakota counties is 84.8%, based on NCES data.

Which county in North Dakota has the lowest school score?

Slope County has the lowest school score in North Dakota with a score of 31/100. School scores reflect available graduation-rate and per-pupil spending signals.

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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