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

No. Use the Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo County?

Start with the 340 listed public schools and 22 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Hidalgo County Schools & Education

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

Hidalgo County, Texas

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

School Score

47/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

91.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,722

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,498

School Score

47/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 56/100

State Score Position

#194

of 253 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Hidalgo County

Measured School Summary

Hidalgo County performs at an average level with a school score of 47/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.6%.

Funding Context

At $6,722 per pupil, Hidalgo County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 17% below the Texas average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Hidalgo 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

340 public schools and 22 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

47/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #194 of 253 Texas counties with school score data.

Completion

91.6%

matches the state average

Funding context

$6,722

$776 below the state average

School coverage

340

22 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

Hidalgo County has 340 public schools across 22 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 Hidalgo 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

Hidalgo 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

#194

of 253 Texas counties with school score data. The county score is 9 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.

EDINBURG CISD

Elementary to high school visible

33,911 students

Elementary 31Middle 6High 6Other 3

46 listed schools in this county slice.

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD

Elementary to high school visible

30,003 students

Elementary 25Middle 8High 8Other 2

43 listed schools in this county slice.

LA JOYA ISD

Elementary to high school visible

24,804 students

Elementary 23Middle 8High 6Other 0

37 listed schools in this county slice.

IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

24,073 students

Elementary 17Middle 5High 12Other 1

35 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 123 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 Hidalgo County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo County, Texas

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.

Texas Education at a Massive Scale

Hidalgo County is an educational powerhouse with 340 schools serving 216,543 students. The system includes 187 elementary schools and 74 high schools spread across 22 districts.

Charter Giants and Massive Districts

IDEA Public Schools is a massive presence with 123 schools and 74,217 students, making up 15% of the county's campuses. Edinburg CISD and PSJA ISD also serve large populations exceeding 30,000 students each.

Bustling Suburban and City Schools

The average school size is 648 students, with most campuses located in suburban or city settings. La Joya High School leads the county as the largest campus, enrolling 2,775 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

340

in Hidalgo County

Reported Enrollment

216,543

340 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

15% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary187

Middle58

High74

Other21

22 School Districts in Hidalgo County

IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

EDINBURG CISD

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD

LA JOYA ISD

MCALLEN ISD

WESLACO ISD

MISSION CISD

DONNA ISD

SHARYLAND ISD

VANGUARD ACADEMY

340 Public Schools in Hidalgo County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 42 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 340 matching schools

Public schools in Hidalgo County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
LA JOYA H S	Profile	LA JOYA ISD	LA JOYA, 78560Rural: Fringe	8–12	High	2,775
ECONOMEDES H S	Profile	EDINBURG CISD	EDINBURG, 78540Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,762
EDINBURG NORTH H S	Profile	EDINBURG CISD	EDINBURG, 78540City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,672
WESLACO H S	Profile	WESLACO ISD	WESLACO, 78596Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,553
PSJA EARLY COLLEGE H S	Profile	PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD	SAN JUAN, 78589Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,459
EDINBURG H S	Profile	EDINBURG CISD	EDINBURG, 78540City: Midsize	8–12	High	2,433
MISSION H S	Profile	MISSION CISD	MISSION, 78572City: Small	9–12	High	2,218
ROBERT R VELA H S	Profile	EDINBURG CISD	EDINBURG, 78540City: Midsize	8–12	High	2,189
PSJA NORTH EARLY COLLEGE H S	Profile	PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD	PHARR, 78577Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,176
LA JOYA PALMVIEW H S	Profile	LA JOYA ISD	MISSION, 78572Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,155
MCALLEN H S	Profile	MCALLEN ISD	MCALLEN, 78501City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,133
DONNA H S	Profile	DONNA ISD	DONNA, 78537Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,095
DONNA NORTH H S	Profile	DONNA ISD	DONNA, 78537Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,091
MEMORIAL H S	Profile	MCALLEN ISD	MCALLEN, 78501City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,080
JUAREZ-LINCOLN H S	Profile	LA JOYA ISD	MISSION, 78574Suburb: Large	8–12	High	2,062
WESLACO EAST H S	Profile	WESLACO ISD	WESLACO, 78596Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,004
ROWE H S	Profile	MCALLEN ISD	MC ALLEN, 78501City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,944
VETERANS MEMORIAL H S	Profile	MISSION CISD	MISSION, 78572City: Small	9–12	High	1,932
VANGUARD REMBRANDT	Profile	VANGUARD ACADEMY	PHARR, 78577Suburb: Large	PK–12	Charter	1,873
PSJA MEMORIAL EARLY COLLEGE H S	Profile	PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD	ALAMO, 78516Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,860

LA JOYA H S

LA JOYA ISD

LA JOYA, 78560 / Rural: Fringe

Profile8–12High2,775 students

ECONOMEDES H S

EDINBURG CISD

EDINBURG, 78540 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,762 students

EDINBURG NORTH H S

EDINBURG CISD

EDINBURG, 78540 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,672 students

WESLACO H S

WESLACO ISD

WESLACO, 78596 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,553 students

PSJA EARLY COLLEGE H S

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD

SAN JUAN, 78589 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,459 students

EDINBURG H S

EDINBURG CISD

EDINBURG, 78540 / City: Midsize

Profile8–12High2,433 students

MISSION H S

MISSION CISD

MISSION, 78572 / City: Small

Profile9–12High2,218 students

ROBERT R VELA H S

EDINBURG CISD

EDINBURG, 78540 / City: Midsize

Profile8–12High2,189 students

PSJA NORTH EARLY COLLEGE H S

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD

PHARR, 78577 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,176 students

LA JOYA PALMVIEW H S

LA JOYA ISD

MISSION, 78572 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,155 students

MCALLEN H S

MCALLEN ISD

MCALLEN, 78501 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,133 students

DONNA H S

DONNA ISD

DONNA, 78537 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,095 students

DONNA NORTH H S

DONNA ISD

DONNA, 78537 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,091 students

MEMORIAL H S

MCALLEN ISD

MCALLEN, 78501 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,080 students

JUAREZ-LINCOLN H S

LA JOYA ISD

MISSION, 78574 / Suburb: Large

Profile8–12High2,062 students

WESLACO EAST H S

WESLACO ISD

WESLACO, 78596 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,004 students

ROWE H S

MCALLEN ISD

MC ALLEN, 78501 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,944 students

VETERANS MEMORIAL H S

MISSION CISD

MISSION, 78572 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,932 students

VANGUARD REMBRANDT

VANGUARD ACADEMY

PHARR, 78577 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–12Charter1,873 students

PSJA MEMORIAL EARLY COLLEGE H S

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD

ALAMO, 78516 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,860 students

Additional School Profiles

Dedicated profile pages are generated for a subset of public schools with broad enrollment coverage. All other schools remain listed in the county table.

22 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,722

State avg $7,498

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Hidalgo 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 Texas counties have the highest graduation rates?

Moore County (98.5%), Rockwall County (98.5%), and Titus County (97.8%) currently lead Texas 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 Texas?

Across Texas counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,498. The highest current county values are Glasscock County ($12,819), Borden County ($12,654), and King County ($12,630). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Hidalgo County?

Hidalgo County has a school score of 47/100, 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 Hidalgo County?

The high school graduation rate in Hidalgo County is 91.6%, 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 Hidalgo County spend per student?

Hidalgo County spends $6,722 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 Hidalgo County, Texas — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Hidalgo County, Texas?

Hidalgo County is an educational powerhouse with 340 schools serving 216,543 students. The system includes 187 elementary schools and 74 high schools spread across 22 districts.

What are the major school districts in Hidalgo County, Texas?

What is the school experience like in Hidalgo County?

The average school size is 648 students, with most campuses located in suburban or city settings. La Joya High School leads the county as the largest campus, enrolling 2,775 students.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Washington County

Texas

0 pts

47/100

School score

Smith County

Texas

-0 pts

46/100

School score

Hudspeth County

Texas

-0 pts

46/100

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.

Explore more data for Hidalgo County

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Rate Income Health Disaster Risk Water Quality Weather County Score