Lancaster County Schools & Education
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
68/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
89.4%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
89.4%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 90.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$10,278
National avg $13,239
State avg $10,336
School Score
68/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 72/100
State Score Position
#44
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Lancaster County
Measured School Summary
Lancaster County performs at an average level with a school score of 68/100 and a solid graduation rate of 89.4%.
Funding Context
Lancaster County spends $10,278 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 6% below the Pennsylvania average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Lancaster 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
113 public schools and 18 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
68/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #44 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with school score data.
Completion
89.4%
0.9 pts below the state average
Funding context
$10,278
$58 below the state average
School coverage
113
18 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
Lancaster County has 113 public schools across 18 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.
What Lancaster 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
Lancaster 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
#44
of 67 Pennsylvania counties with school score data. The county score is 4 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.
Lancaster SD
Elementary to high school visible
10,032 students
19 listed schools in this county slice.
Hempfield SD
Elementary to high school visible
7,032 students
10 listed schools in this county slice.
Manheim Township SD
Elementary to high school visible
5,926 students
9 listed schools in this county slice.
Penn Manor SD
Elementary to high school visible
5,532 students
10 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Lancaster SD is the largest listed district slice, with 19 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 Lancaster County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Lancaster 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
Large Campus Enrollments Define Lancaster County's 113-School System
Education data brief for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Lancaster County stands out for its high-enrollment individual schools and large total student population of 63,856 across 113 public schools. McCaskey Campus in the Lancaster School District is the largest facility with 2,620 students, followed by Hempfield Senior High at 2,268 students. The Lancaster School District is the largest of 18 districts, serving 10,032 students. The county's graduation rate is 89.4%, which is lower than the Pennsylvania average of 90.3% but higher than the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil spending is $10,278, nearly matching the state average of $10,336 but lower than the national $13,000 benchmark. The composite school score is 67.5, compared to the state average of 72.0 and the national median of 50.0. The county contains only one charter school and features a predominantly suburban school mix. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
113
in Lancaster County
Reported Enrollment
63,856
113 schools reporting
School Districts
18
districts
Charter Schools
1
1% of total
School Level Breakdown
18 School Districts in Lancaster County
Lancaster SD
GuideHempfield SD
GuideManheim Township SD
GuidePenn Manor SD
GuideConestoga Valley SD
GuideEphrata Area SD
GuideWarwick SD
GuideElizabethtown Area SD
GuideSolanco SD
Cocalico SD
113 Public Schools in Lancaster County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 14 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 113 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCaskey Campus | Profile | Lancaster SD | Lancaster, 17602City: Small | 9–12 | High | 2,620 |
| Hempfield SHS | Profile | Hempfield SD | Landisville, 17538Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,268 |
| Manheim Twp HS | Profile | Manheim Township SD | Lancaster, 17606Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,899 |
| Penn Manor HS | Profile | Penn Manor SD | Millersville, 17551Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,783 |
| Ephrata SHS | Profile | Ephrata Area SD | Ephrata, 17522Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,317 |
| Conestoga Valley SHS | Profile | Conestoga Valley SD | Lancaster, 17601Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,282 |
| Elizabethtown Area SHS | Profile | Elizabethtown Area SD | Elizabethtown, 17022Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,249 |
| Warwick SHS | Profile | Warwick SD | Lititz, 17543Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,230 |
| Solanco HS | Profile | Solanco SD | Quarryville, 17566Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,081 |
| Cocalico SHS | Profile | Cocalico SD | Denver, 17517Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,008 |
| Gerald G Huesken MS | Profile | Conestoga Valley SD | Lancaster, 17601Suburb: Large | 6–8 | Middle | 965 |
| Manheim Twp MS | Profile | Manheim Township SD | Lancaster, 17606Suburb: Large | 7–8 | Middle | 955 |
| Lampeter-Strasburg SHS | Profile | Lampeter-Strasburg SD | Lampeter, 17537Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 940 |
| Manheim Central SHS | Profile | Manheim Central SD | Manheim, 17545Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 935 |
| Donegal HS | Record | Donegal SD | Mount Joy, 17552Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 930 |
| Garden Spot SHS | Record | Eastern Lancaster County SD | New Holland, 17557Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 926 |
| Landis Run Intermediate School | Record | Manheim Township SD | Lancaster, 17606Suburb: Large | 5–6 | Middle | 901 |
| Elizabethtown Area MS | Record | Elizabethtown Area SD | Elizabethtown, 17022Suburb: Large | 6–8 | Middle | 875 |
| Manheim Central MS | Record | Manheim Central SD | Manheim, 17545Suburb: Large | 5–8 | Middle | 848 |
| Donegal Intermediate School | Record | Donegal SD | Marietta, 17547Suburb: Large | 3–6 | Primary | 833 |
McCaskey Campus
Lancaster SD
Lancaster, 17602 / City: Small
Hempfield SHS
Hempfield SD
Landisville, 17538 / Suburb: Large
Manheim Twp HS
Manheim Township SD
Lancaster, 17606 / Suburb: Large
Penn Manor HS
Penn Manor SD
Millersville, 17551 / Suburb: Large
Ephrata SHS
Ephrata Area SD
Ephrata, 17522 / Suburb: Large
Conestoga Valley SHS
Conestoga Valley SD
Lancaster, 17601 / Suburb: Large
Elizabethtown Area SHS
Elizabethtown Area SD
Elizabethtown, 17022 / Suburb: Large
Warwick SHS
Warwick SD
Lititz, 17543 / Suburb: Large
Solanco HS
Solanco SD
Quarryville, 17566 / Rural: Fringe
Cocalico SHS
Cocalico SD
Denver, 17517 / Suburb: Large
Gerald G Huesken MS
Conestoga Valley SD
Lancaster, 17601 / Suburb: Large
Manheim Twp MS
Manheim Township SD
Lancaster, 17606 / Suburb: Large
Lampeter-Strasburg SHS
Lampeter-Strasburg SD
Lampeter, 17537 / Suburb: Large
Manheim Central SHS
Manheim Central SD
Manheim, 17545 / Suburb: Large
Garden Spot SHS
Eastern Lancaster County SD
New Holland, 17557 / Suburb: Large
Landis Run Intermediate School
Manheim Township SD
Lancaster, 17606 / Suburb: Large
Elizabethtown Area MS
Elizabethtown Area SD
Elizabethtown, 17022 / Suburb: Large
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$10,278
State avg $10,336
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Lancaster County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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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.