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

No. Use the Licking 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 Licking 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 Licking County?

Start with the 63 listed public schools and 12 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Licking County Schools & Education

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

Licking County, Ohio

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

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

88.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

88.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,960

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,994

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#78

of 88 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Licking County

Measured School Summary

Licking County faces educational challenges with a school score of 40/100 and a graduation rate of 88.4%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,960 per pupil, Licking County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 27% below the Ohio average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Licking 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

63 public schools and 12 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

40/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #78 of 88 Ohio counties with school score data.

Completion

88.4%

0.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,960

$1,034 below the state average

School coverage

12 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Licking County has 63 public schools across 12 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 Licking 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.

Large multi-district county

Licking County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#78

of 88 Ohio counties with school score data. The county score is 14 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.

Newark City

Elementary to high school visible

5,907 students

Elementary 7Middle 3High 1Other 3

14 listed schools in this county slice.

Southwest Licking Local

Elementary to high school visible

4,794 students

Elementary 3Middle 2High 2Other 1

8 listed schools in this county slice.

Granville Exempted Village

Elementary to high school visible

2,593 students

Elementary 1Middle 2High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Licking Valley Local

Elementary to high school visible

2,062 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 2Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Reynoldsburg City is the largest listed district slice, with 16 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 Licking County?

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

Education Overview

About Schools in Licking County, Ohio

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Broad Reach Across 63 Schools

Licking County supports nearly 30,000 students through a network of 63 schools and 12 districts. The system includes 27 elementary schools and 16 high schools, providing a deep pipeline for regional growth.

Massive Enrollment in Leading Districts

Reynoldsburg City and Newark City are the largest districts, together serving over 13,000 students across 30 schools. Southwest Licking Local also stands out with 4,794 students across 8 campuses.

A Balance of Country and Suburb

Licking County is split between 33 rural and 29 suburban schools, reflecting its geography. Newark High School is the largest campus with 1,424 students, and the county average of 486 students per school ensures a variety of campus sizes.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Licking County

Reported Enrollment

29,616

63 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

2% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary27

Middle15

High16

Other5

12 School Districts in Licking County

Reynoldsburg City

Newark City

Southwest Licking Local

Granville Exempted Village

4 schools

2,593 students

Licking Valley Local

4 schools

2,062 students

Lakewood Local

4 schools

1,661 students

Heath City

4 schools

1,658 students

Johnstown-Monroe Local

4 schools

1,650 students

North Fork Local

5 schools

1,515 students

Northridge Local

3 schools

1,171 students

63 Public Schools in Licking County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 5 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

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Showing 20 of 63 matching schools

Public schools in Licking County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Newark High School	Profile	Newark City	Newark, 43055Suburb: Small	9–12	High	1,424
Licking Heights High School	Profile	Licking Heights Local	Pataskala, 43062Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,389
Watkins Memorial High School	Profile	Southwest Licking Local	Pataskala, 43062Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,373
Watkins Middle School	Profile	Southwest Licking Local	Etna, 43062Rural: Fringe	6–9	Middle	1,065
Licking Valley Elementary School	Profile	Licking Valley Local	Newark, 43055Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	969
Granville High School	Record	Granville Exempted Village	Granville, 43023Suburb: Small	9–12	High	816
LICKING HEIGHTS CENTRAL INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL	Record	Licking Heights Local	Pataskala, 43062Rural: Fringe	5–6	Middle	812
South Elementary	Record	Licking Heights Local	Pataskala, 43062Rural: Fringe	1–4	Primary	777
Granville Elementary School	Record	Granville Exempted Village	Granville, 43023Suburb: Small	KG–3	Primary	746
Licking Heights Middle School	Record	Licking Heights Local	Pataskala, 43062Rural: Fringe	7–8	Middle	729
Watkins Intermediate School	Record	Southwest Licking Local	Pataskala, 43062Rural: Fringe	4–6	Middle	703
Career and Technology Educational Centers	Record	Career and Technology Educational Centers	Newark, 43055Suburb: Small	6–12	Vocational	660
Slate Ridge Elementary School	Record	Reynoldsburg City	Reynoldsburg, 43068Suburb: Large	PK–4	Primary	654
Granville Intermediate School	Record	Granville Exempted Village	Granville, 43023Rural: Fringe	4–6	Middle	589
Northridge Elementary	Record	Northridge Local	Johnstown, 43031Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	549
Licking Valley High School	Record	Licking Valley Local	Newark, 43055Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	540
Licking Valley Middle School	Record	Licking Valley Local	Newark, 43055Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	523
Johnstown Elementary School	Record	Johnstown-Monroe Local	Johnstown, 43031Town: Fringe	KG–3	Primary	511
Legend Elementary	Record	Newark City	Newark, 43055Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	497
Summit Road Elementary	Record	Reynoldsburg City	Reynoldsburg, 43068Rural: Fringe	KG–4	Primary	497

Newark High School

Newark City

Newark, 43055 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,424 students

Licking Heights High School

Licking Heights Local

Pataskala, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,389 students

Watkins Memorial High School

Southwest Licking Local

Pataskala, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,373 students

Watkins Middle School

Southwest Licking Local

Etna, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–9Middle1,065 students

Licking Valley Elementary School

Licking Valley Local

Newark, 43055 / Rural: Fringe

ProfileKG–5Primary969 students

Granville High School

Granville Exempted Village

Granville, 43023 / Suburb: Small

Record9–12High816 students

LICKING HEIGHTS CENTRAL INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Licking Heights Local

Pataskala, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–6Middle812 students

South Elementary

Licking Heights Local

Pataskala, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Record1–4Primary777 students

Granville Elementary School

Granville Exempted Village

Granville, 43023 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–3Primary746 students

Licking Heights Middle School

Licking Heights Local

Pataskala, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Record7–8Middle729 students

Watkins Intermediate School

Southwest Licking Local

Pataskala, 43062 / Rural: Fringe

Record4–6Middle703 students

Career and Technology Educational Centers

Newark, 43055 / Suburb: Small

Record6–12Vocational660 students

Slate Ridge Elementary School

Reynoldsburg City

Reynoldsburg, 43068 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–4Primary654 students

Granville Intermediate School

Granville Exempted Village

Granville, 43023 / Rural: Fringe

Record4–6Middle589 students

Northridge Elementary

Northridge Local

Johnstown, 43031 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary549 students

Licking Valley High School

Licking Valley Local

Newark, 43055 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High540 students

Licking Valley Middle School

Licking Valley Local

Newark, 43055 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle523 students

Johnstown Elementary School

Johnstown-Monroe Local

Johnstown, 43031 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–3Primary511 students

Legend Elementary

Newark City

Newark, 43055 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary497 students

Summit Road Elementary

Reynoldsburg City

Reynoldsburg, 43068 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–4Primary497 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,960

State avg $7,994

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Licking 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 Ohio counties have the highest graduation rates?

Henry County (95.8%), Sandusky County (95.8%), and Seneca County (95.1%) currently lead Ohio 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 Ohio?

Across Ohio counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,994. The highest current county values are Monroe County ($11,634), Athens County ($9,684), and Cuyahoga County ($9,586). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Licking County?

Licking County has a school score of 40/100, which is a lower 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 Licking County?

The high school graduation rate in Licking County is 88.4%, 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 Licking County spend per student?

Licking County spends $6,960 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Licking County, Ohio — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Licking County, Ohio?

What are the major school districts in Licking County, Ohio?

Reynoldsburg City and Newark City are the largest districts, together serving over 13,000 students across 30 schools. Southwest Licking Local also stands out with 4,794 students across 8 campuses.

What is the school experience like in Licking County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Ashtabula County

Ohio

-0 pts

39/100

School score

Harrison County

Ohio

+0 pts

40/100

School score

Madison County

Ohio

+1 pts

41/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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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