schoolsbycounty

Washington Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 39 counties.

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

Avg Graduation Rate

81.4%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$9,250

Avg School Score

51/100

Total Schools

2,549

329 districts

State Overview

About Schools in Washington

This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.

Lower Spending Meets Mixed Graduation Results

While Washington spends $3,750 less per student than the national average, some districts find ways to excel with limited funds. However, the correlation between investment and outcome remains inconsistent, as Ferry County spends a high of $10,380 yet reports the state's lowest graduation rate.

Rural Counties Lead the State in Performance

Wahkiakum County tops the state with a 61.3 score and a dominant 95.0% graduation rate while spending just $9,388 per student. Lincoln and Pend Oreille counties follow closely, both maintaining graduation rates above 86% with budgets around $10,000 per pupil.

State Score Context

How Washington Counties Are Distributed

39 of 39 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.

Scored county coverage

Counties with complete enough data for the composite score

100%

Higher measured signal

Score range 70-100

2

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

34

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

3

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

Best school counties

Best Counties for Public School Research in Washington

For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Washington, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.

Short answer for Washington

Wahkiakum County is the strongest county-level starting point in Washington by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 85/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

39 of 39 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.

State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $9,250.

Top measured county school signals

Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.

1Wahkiakum CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $9,38885/1002Lincoln CountyGraduation 91.7% · Spending $9,83474/1003Whitman CountyGraduation 88.1% · Spending $9,43861/1004Douglas CountyGraduation 89.9% · Spending $8,59161/1005Garfield CountyGraduation 90.0% · Spending $8,28560/1006Pend Oreille CountyGraduation 86.4% · Spending $10,25359/1007Island CountyGraduation 87.7% · Spending $9,04558/100
Graduation-focused starting point

Wahkiakum County

95.0%

Wahkiakum County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Washington. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.

Funding context to inspect

Skamania County

$10,545

Skamania County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.

Counties to research carefully

Stevens County

34/100

Stevens County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Washington. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.

District research

Compare Washington public school districts before narrowing by address

Washington has 329 public school district records and 2,549 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.

View District Rankings

Regional comparison guides

Compare Washington Counties in Real Relocation Shortlists

These static guides connect Washington county profiles to common metro-area school decisions. Each guide gives a direct answer, side-by-side NCES metrics, and links back into county profiles for deeper school and district research.

Seattle area

Which Seattle-area county has the strongest public school signal?

Compare Seattle-area school signals across King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties for regional relocation research.

Open guide
Custom comparison

Build a three-county school comparison

Compare any Washington county with other county profiles using the same school score, graduation-rate, and spending fields.

Open compare tool

All Washington Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for Washington.
CountySchool Score
Wahkiakum County
Graduation
95.0%
Per pupil
$9,388
85/100
Lincoln County
Graduation
91.7%
Per pupil
$9,834
74/100
Whitman County
Graduation
88.1%
Per pupil
$9,438
61/100
Douglas County
Graduation
89.9%
Per pupil
$8,591
61/100
Garfield County
Graduation
90.0%
Per pupil
$8,285
60/100
Pend Oreille County
Graduation
86.4%
Per pupil
$10,253
59/100
Island County
Graduation
87.7%
Per pupil
$9,045
58/100
Jefferson County
Graduation
87.3%
Per pupil
$9,034
57/100
Kittitas County
Graduation
87.2%
Per pupil
$8,899
56/100
Skamania County
Graduation
84.0%
Per pupil
$10,545
55/100
Snohomish County
Graduation
84.5%
Per pupil
$9,889
54/100
King County
Graduation
84.6%
Per pupil
$9,759
54/100
Okanogan County
Graduation
86.4%
Per pupil
$8,802
53/100
Kitsap County
Graduation
84.3%
Per pupil
$9,511
52/100
Spokane County
Graduation
85.5%
Per pupil
$8,962
52/100
Klickitat County
Graduation
83.2%
Per pupil
$9,851
52/100
Benton County
Graduation
84.8%
Per pupil
$8,952
50/100
Chelan County
Graduation
83.2%
Per pupil
$9,390
50/100
Clark County
Graduation
84.5%
Per pupil
$8,847
49/100
Mason County
Graduation
83.2%
Per pupil
$9,068
48/100
San Juan County
Graduation
79.1%
Per pupil
$10,052
48/100
Grays Harbor County
Graduation
82.4%
Per pupil
$9,170
48/100
Skagit County
Graduation
77.6%
Per pupil
$10,180
48/100
Thurston County
Graduation
83.3%
Per pupil
$8,953
48/100
Lewis County
Graduation
82.8%
Per pupil
$9,019
47/100
Cowlitz County
Graduation
84.1%
Per pupil
$8,528
47/100
Walla Walla County
Graduation
81.6%
Per pupil
$9,158
46/100
Whatcom County
Graduation
79.9%
Per pupil
$9,431
46/100
Pierce County
Graduation
83.1%
Per pupil
$8,706
46/100
Franklin County
Graduation
80.0%
Per pupil
$9,148
45/100
Columbia County
Graduation
69.0%
Per pupil
$10,179
45/100
Ferry County
Graduation
48.5%
Per pupil
$10,380
44/100
Grant County
Graduation
79.1%
Per pupil
$8,920
43/100
Clallam County
Graduation
52.1%
Per pupil
$9,769
43/100
Pacific County
Graduation
70.4%
Per pupil
$9,387
42/100
Yakima County
Graduation
79.7%
Per pupil
$8,539
41/100
Adams County
Graduation
76.6%
Per pupil
$8,585
40/100
Asotin County
Graduation
80.4%
Per pupil
$8,261
40/100
Stevens County
Graduation
74.9%
Per pupil
$8,028
34/100

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in Washington

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About Washington Schools

Which Washington counties have the highest graduation rates?
Wahkiakum County (95.0%), Lincoln County (91.7%), and Garfield County (90.0%) currently lead Washington 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 Washington?
Across Washington counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,250. The highest current county values are Skamania County ($10,545), Ferry County ($10,380), and Pend Oreille County ($10,253). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
Which regional school comparisons include Washington counties?
Seattle area include Washington counties in curated regional school comparisons. Use these guides for broad county shortlists, then verify school assignment and district rules locally.
What are the best school counties in Washington?
Wahkiakum County, Lincoln County, Whitman County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in Washington, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.
Which Washington county has the strongest measured school score?
Wahkiakum County has the highest school score in Washington with a score of 85/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.
What is the average graduation rate in Washington?
The average high school graduation rate across Washington counties is 81.4%, based on NCES data.

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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