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

No. Use the Burleigh 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 Burleigh 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 Burleigh County?

Start with the 36 listed public schools and 7 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Burleigh County Schools & Education

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

Burleigh County, North Dakota

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

School Score

64/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 84.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,868

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,385

School Score

64/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#11

of 53 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Burleigh County

Measured School Summary

Burleigh County performs at an average level with a school score of 64/100 and a solid graduation rate of 90.0%.

Funding Context

Burleigh County spends $8,868 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 18% above the North Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 5.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Burleigh 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

36 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

64/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #11 of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

90.0%

5.2 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,868

$517 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

Burleigh County has 36 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 Burleigh 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

BISMARCK 1 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 29 of 36 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#11

of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 10 points above 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.

BISMARCK 1

Elementary to high school visible

13,964 students

Elementary 19Middle 4High 5Other 1

29 listed schools in this county slice.

WING 28

Elementary and high visible

76 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

APPLE CREEK 39

Elementary school only in this slice

68 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

MENOKEN 33

Elementary school only in this slice

58 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

BISMARCK 1 is the largest listed district slice, with 29 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 Burleigh County?

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

Bismarck District Enrolls Majority of Burleigh County Students

Education data brief for Burleigh County, North Dakota.

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

Lead metric:District structure

Burleigh County is defined by a highly concentrated district structure, where the Bismarck 1 district serves 13,964 of the county's 14,238 total students. This single district manages 29 of the 36 public schools in the county, including large facilities like Century High School and Legacy High School, each enrolling over 1,400 students. The county’s graduation rate is 90.0%, higher than both the state average of 84.8% and the national average of 87.0%. The composite school score is 63.8, exceeding the state average of 53.6 and the national median of 50.0. However, per-pupil spending of $8,868 is lower than the state average of $9,385 and the national average of $13,000. While most schools are in city locales, 12 schools remain rural. Review district boundaries to differentiate between Bismarck city and rural Burleigh schools.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Burleigh County

Reported Enrollment

14,238

36 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary25

Middle4

High6

Other1

7 School Districts in Burleigh County

BISMARCK 1

WING 28

2 schools

76 students

APPLE CREEK 39

1 school

68 students

MENOKEN 33

1 school

58 students

NAUGHTON 25

1 school

32 students

MANNING 45

1 school

21 students

STERLING 35

1 school

19 students

36 Public Schools in Burleigh County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 6 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

Sort

Showing 20 of 36 matching schools

Public schools in Burleigh County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503City: Small	9–12	High	1,427
LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503City: Small	9–12	High	1,418
BISMARCK HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	9–12	High	1,333
HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503City: Small	6–8	Middle	1,044
SIMLE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	6–8	Middle	1,040
WACHTER MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58504City: Small	6–8	Middle	1,000
LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Lincoln, 58504Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	650
VICTOR SOLHEIM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58504City: Small	KG–5	Primary	560
LIBERTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	496
SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503City: Small	KG–5	Primary	490
ELK RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	482
ROBERT PLACE MILLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	KG–5	Primary	479
NORTHRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	KG–5	Primary	425
RITA MURPHY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	KG–5	Primary	393
CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503City: Small	KG–5	Primary	382
DOROTHY MOSES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58504City: Small	KG–5	Primary	371
SILVER RANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58503Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	361
BECEP CENTER	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	PK	Other	332
JEANNETTE MYHRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58504City: Small	KG–5	Primary	254
PIONEER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BISMARCK 1	Bismarck, 58501City: Small	KG–5	Primary	213

CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,427 students

LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,418 students

BISMARCK HIGH SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,333 students

HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle1,044 students

SIMLE MIDDLE SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle1,040 students

WACHTER MIDDLE SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58504 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle1,000 students

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Lincoln, 58504 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary650 students

VICTOR SOLHEIM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58504 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary560 students

LIBERTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary496 students

SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary490 students

ELK RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary482 students

ROBERT PLACE MILLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary479 students

NORTHRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary425 students

RITA MURPHY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary393 students

CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary382 students

DOROTHY MOSES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58504 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary371 students

SILVER RANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58503 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary361 students

BECEP CENTER

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

RecordPKOther332 students

JEANNETTE MYHRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58504 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary254 students

PIONEER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BISMARCK 1

Bismarck, 58501 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary213 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,868

State avg $9,385

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Burleigh 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 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.

How should I read the school score in Burleigh County?

Burleigh County has a school score of 64/100, 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 Burleigh County?

The high school graduation rate in Burleigh County is 90.0%, 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 Burleigh County spend per student?

Burleigh County spends $8,868 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

Barnes County

North Dakota

+1 pts

65/100

School score

Renville County

North Dakota

+2 pts

66/100

School score

Cass County

North Dakota

-3 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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