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

No. Use the Bristol 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 Bristol 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 Bristol County?

Start with the 13 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Bristol County Schools & Education

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

Bristol County, Rhode Island

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

School Score

85/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

93.5%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.5%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$10,588

National avg $13,239

State avg $11,264

School Score

85/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 65/100

State Score Position

of 5 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Bristol County

Measured School Summary

Bristol County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 85/100 and a graduation rate of 93.5%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Bristol County spends $10,588 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 30% above the Rhode Island average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 6.5 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Bristol 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

13 public schools and 3 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

85/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #1 of 5 Rhode Island counties with school score data.

Completion

93.5%

6.5 pts above the state average

Funding context

$10,588

$676 below the state average

School coverage

3 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

Bristol County has 13 public schools across 3 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 Bristol 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.

Higher-signal county

Bristol County screens well on the measured county-level school signal. The next check is whether that strength is broad across districts or concentrated in a few school pathways.

State position

of 5 Rhode Island counties with school score data. The county score is 20 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.

Barrington

Elementary to high school visible

3,382 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

Bristol Warren

Elementary to high school visible

2,837 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

Highlander

High school only in this slice

344 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Barrington is the largest listed district slice, with 6 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 Bristol County?

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

Bristol County Reports Composite School Score of 84.5

Education data brief for Bristol County, Rhode Island.

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

Lead metric:School score

Public education in Bristol County is characterized by a composite school score of 84.5, which is significantly higher than the Rhode Island state average of 65.3 and the national median of 50.0. The county operates three school districts serving 6,563 students across 13 schools. The largest of these is the Barrington district, which enrolls 3,382 students. The county’s graduation rate stands at 93.5%, exceeding both the state and national benchmarks of 87.0%. Regarding financial allocation, per-pupil expenditure in the county is $10,588, which is lower than the state average of $11,264 and the national average of $13,000. Most schools are located in suburban areas, with Barrington High School being the largest individual campus with 1,139 students. Charter schools represent 7.7% of the county's total school directory. Refer to the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed school-level records.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Bristol County

Reported Enrollment

6,563

13 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

8% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary8

Middle2

High3

Other0

3 School Districts in Bristol County

Barrington

Bristol Warren

6 schools

2,837 students

Highlander

2 schools

613 students

13 Public Schools in Bristol County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 13 of 13 matching schools

Public schools in Bristol County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Barrington High School	Profile	Barrington	Barrington, 02806Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,139
Mt. Hope High School	Record	Bristol Warren	Bristol, 02809Suburb: Large	9–12	High	879
Barrington Middle School	Record	Barrington	Barrington, 02806Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	789
Kickemuit Middle School	Record	Bristol Warren	Warren, 02885Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	650
Hugh Cole School	Record	Bristol Warren	Warren, 02885Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	510
Hampden Meadows School	Record	Barrington	Barrington, 02806Suburb: Large	4–5	Primary	484
Primrose Hill School	Record	Barrington	Barrington, 02806Suburb: Large	PK–3	Primary	375
Highlander Secondary Charter S	Record	Highlander	Warren, 02885Rural: Fringe	7–12	Charter	344
Nayatt School	Record	Barrington	Barrington, 02806Suburb: Large	KG–3	Primary	338
Colt Andrews School	Record	Bristol Warren	Bristol, 02809Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	300
Rockwell School	Record	Bristol Warren	Bristol, 02809Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	264
Sowams Elementary School	Record	Barrington	Barrington, 02806Suburb: Large	KG–3	Primary	257
Guiteras School	Record	Bristol Warren	Bristol, 02809Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	234

Barrington High School

Barrington

Barrington, 02806 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,139 students

Mt. Hope High School

Bristol Warren

Bristol, 02809 / Suburb: Large

Record9–12High879 students

Barrington Middle School

Barrington

Barrington, 02806 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle789 students

Kickemuit Middle School

Bristol Warren

Warren, 02885 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle650 students

Hugh Cole School

Bristol Warren

Warren, 02885 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary510 students

Hampden Meadows School

Barrington

Barrington, 02806 / Suburb: Large

Record4–5Primary484 students

Primrose Hill School

Barrington

Barrington, 02806 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–3Primary375 students

Highlander Secondary Charter S

Highlander

Warren, 02885 / Rural: Fringe

Record7–12Charter344 students

Nayatt School

Barrington

Barrington, 02806 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–3Primary338 students

Colt Andrews School

Bristol Warren

Bristol, 02809 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary300 students

Rockwell School

Bristol Warren

Bristol, 02809 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary264 students

Sowams Elementary School

Barrington

Barrington, 02806 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–3Primary257 students

Guiteras School

Bristol Warren

Bristol, 02809 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary234 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$10,588

State avg $11,264

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Bristol 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 Rhode Island counties have the highest graduation rates?

Bristol County (93.5%), Washington County (89.8%), and Kent County (88.1%) currently lead Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?

Across Rhode Island counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $11,264. The highest current county values are Kent County ($12,039), Washington County ($12,004), and Newport County ($11,793). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Bristol County?

Bristol County has a school score of 85/100, 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 Bristol County?

The high school graduation rate in Bristol County is 93.5%, 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 Bristol County spend per student?

Bristol County spends $10,588 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

Washington County

Rhode Island

-13 pts

71/100

School score

Kent County

Rhode Island

-17 pts

67/100

School score

Newport County

Rhode Island

-29 pts

55/100

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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