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

No. Use the York 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 York 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 York County?

Start with the 106 listed public schools and 20 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

York County Schools & Education

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

York County, Pennsylvania

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

School Score

70/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

90.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$10,003

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,336

School Score

70/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 72/100

State Score Position

#35

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: York County

Measured School Summary

York County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 70/100 and a graduation rate of 90.1%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

York County spends $10,003 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 2% below the Pennsylvania average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read York 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

106 public schools and 20 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

70/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #35 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with school score data.

Completion

90.1%

0.2 pts below the state average

Funding context

$10,003

$333 below the state average

School coverage

106

20 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

York County has 106 public schools across 20 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 York 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

York 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

#35

of 67 Pennsylvania counties with school score data. The county score is 2 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.

Dallastown Area SD

Elementary to high school visible

6,337 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 1Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

York City SD

Elementary to high school visible

6,045 students

Elementary 7Middle 1High 1Other 0

9 listed schools in this county slice.

Central York SD

Elementary to high school visible

5,571 students

Elementary 3Middle 3High 1Other 0

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Red Lion Area SD

Elementary to high school visible

4,832 students

Elementary 6Middle 1High 1Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

West Shore SD is the largest listed district slice, with 13 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 York County?

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

York County Operates Diverse School System Serving 63,000 Students

Education data brief for York County, Pennsylvania.

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

Lead metric:District structure

York County manages one of the region's largest public education infrastructures, with 106 schools serving a total enrollment of 63,227 students. This massive student base is distributed across 20 school districts, featuring a mix of 62 suburban, 25 rural, and 16 city locales. West Shore School District is the largest by enrollment, with 7,513 students across 13 schools, while Dallastown Area School District serves 6,337 students. The county includes three charter schools, making up 2.8% of the total facilities. The graduation rate is 90.1%, aligning closely with the Pennsylvania average of 90.3% and remaining above the 87.0% national average. Per-pupil spending is $10,003, which is below the national average of $13,000 and the state average of $10,336. The county's composite school score is 70.2, compared to a national median of 50.0 and a state average of 72.0. Review the NCES directory for specific locale classifications.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

106

in York County

Reported Enrollment

63,227

106 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

3% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary64

Middle23

High18

Other1

20 School Districts in York County

West Shore SD

Dallastown Area SD

York City SD

Central York SD

Red Lion Area SD

South Western SD

Spring Grove Area SD

Northeastern York SD

Northern York County SD

Dover Area SD

6 schools

3,268 students

106 Public Schools in York County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 15 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 106 matching schools

Public schools in York County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Dallastown Area SHS	Profile	Dallastown Area SD	Dallastown, 17313Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	2,014
Central York HS	Profile	Central York SD	York, 17406Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,807
York Co School of Technology	Profile	York Co School of Technology	York, 17402Suburb: Midsize	9–12	Vocational	1,620
William Penn SHS	Profile	York City SD	York, 17403City: Small	9–12	High	1,534
Dallastown Area Intermediate Sch	Profile	Dallastown Area SD	York, 17403Suburb: Midsize	4–6	Middle	1,484
Red Lion Area SHS	Profile	Red Lion Area SD	Red Lion, 17356Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,432
South Western SHS	Profile	South Western SD	Hanover, 17331Suburb: Small	9–12	High	1,299
Northeastern SHS	Profile	Northeastern York SD	Manchester, 17345Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,175
Spring Grove Area HS	Profile	Spring Grove Area SD	Spring Grove, 17362Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,166
Red Land SHS	Profile	West Shore SD	Lewisberry, 17339Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,101
Northern HS	Profile	Northern York County SD	Dillsburg, 17019Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,051
Emory H Markle MS	Profile	South Western SD	Hanover, 17331Suburb: Small	6–8	Middle	1,028
Dallastown Area MS	Profile	Dallastown Area SD	Dallastown, 17313Suburb: Midsize	7–8	Middle	1,027
Dover Area HS	Profile	Dover Area SD	Dover, 17315Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,016
York Academy Regional CS	Profile	York Academy Regional CS	York, 17401City: Small	KG–12	Charter	963
Susquehannock HS	Record	Southern York County SD	Glen Rock, 17327Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	928
Central York MS	Record	Central York SD	York, 17406Suburb: Midsize	7–8	Middle	881
York Suburban SHS	Record	York Suburban SD	York, 17403Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	873
West York Area HS	Record	West York Area SD	York, 17404Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	869
Red Lion Area JHS	Record	Red Lion Area SD	Red Lion, 17356Suburb: Midsize	7–8	Middle	813

Dallastown Area SHS

Dallastown Area SD

Dallastown, 17313 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,014 students

Central York HS

Central York SD

York, 17406 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,807 students

York Co School of Technology

York, 17402 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12Vocational1,620 students

William Penn SHS

York City SD

York, 17403 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,534 students

Dallastown Area Intermediate Sch

Dallastown Area SD

York, 17403 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile4–6Middle1,484 students

Red Lion Area SHS

Red Lion Area SD

Red Lion, 17356 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,432 students

South Western SHS

South Western SD

Hanover, 17331 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,299 students

Northeastern SHS

Northeastern York SD

Manchester, 17345 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,175 students

Spring Grove Area HS

Spring Grove Area SD

Spring Grove, 17362 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,166 students

Red Land SHS

West Shore SD

Lewisberry, 17339 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,101 students

Northern HS

Northern York County SD

Dillsburg, 17019 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,051 students

Emory H Markle MS

South Western SD

Hanover, 17331 / Suburb: Small

Profile6–8Middle1,028 students

Dallastown Area MS

Dallastown Area SD

Dallastown, 17313 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile7–8Middle1,027 students

Dover Area HS

Dover Area SD

Dover, 17315 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,016 students

York Academy Regional CS

York, 17401 / City: Small

ProfileKG–12Charter963 students

Susquehannock HS

Southern York County SD

Glen Rock, 17327 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High928 students

Central York MS

Central York SD

York, 17406 / Suburb: Midsize

Record7–8Middle881 students

York Suburban SHS

York Suburban SD

York, 17403 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–12High873 students

West York Area HS

West York Area SD

York, 17404 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–12High869 students

Red Lion Area JHS

Red Lion Area SD

Red Lion, 17356 / Suburb: Midsize

Record7–8Middle813 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$10,003

State avg $10,336

Compare Nearby Counties

Review York 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 Pennsylvania counties have the highest graduation rates?

Montour County (97.0%), Wyoming County (97.0%), and Wayne County (95.8%) currently lead Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?

Across Pennsylvania counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $10,336. The highest current county values are Forest County ($14,731), Wayne County ($14,055), and Pike County ($13,711). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in York County?

York County has a school score of 70/100, which is a higher 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 York County?

The high school graduation rate in York County is 90.1%, 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 York County spend per student?

York County spends $10,003 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

Clearfield County

Pennsylvania

+0 pts

70/100

School score

Columbia County

Pennsylvania

-0 pts

70/100

School score

Allegheny County

Pennsylvania

-1 pts

70/100

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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