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.

Washington Lags in Spending and Graduation Rates

Washington's 81.4% graduation rate falls significantly below the national average of 87.0%. Despite a school score of 53.9 which beats the national median, the state spends only $9,250 per pupil compared to the $13,000 national benchmark.

A Massive Performance Gap Across 39 Counties

Education quality varies wildly across Washington’s 39 counties, with graduation rates ranging from a high of 95.0% in Wahkiakum County to a low of 48.5% in Ferry County. School scores mirror this disparity, peaking at a score of 61.3 while the lowest performing districts struggle at 39.0.

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

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

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

Highest Measured School Signals

Wahkiakum County

85/100

School score

Lincoln County

74/100

School score

Whitman County

61/100

School score

Douglas County

61/100

School score

Garfield County

60/100

School score

Lowest Measured School Signals

#1 lowest

Stevens County

34/100

School score

#2 lowest

Asotin County

40/100

School score

#3 lowest

Adams County

40/100

School score

#4 lowest

Yakima County

41/100

School score

#5 lowest

Pacific County

42/100

School score

All Washington Counties

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

— = 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 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.

Which county in Washington has the lowest school score?

Stevens County has the lowest school score in Washington with a score of 34/100. School scores reflect available graduation-rate and per-pupil spending signals.

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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