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

No. Use the Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County?

Start with the 282 listed public schools and 19 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

How does Pierce County compare with nearby school counties?

Pierce County appears in the Seattle area comparison with King County, WA and Snohomish County, WA. Use that regional guide to compare county school score, graduation rate, and spending before narrowing to individual districts and schools.

Pierce County Schools & Education

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

Pierce County, Washington

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

School Score

46/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

83.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

83.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 81.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,706

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

46/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 51/100

State Score Position

#29

of 39 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Pierce County

Measured School Summary

Pierce County has midrange measured school signals (score: 46/100) with a graduation rate of 83.1%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Pierce County spends $8,706 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 9% below the Washington average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.7 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Pierce 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

282 public schools and 19 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

46/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #29 of 39 Washington counties with school score data.

Completion

83.1%

1.7 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,706

$544 below the state average

School coverage

282

19 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

Pierce County has 282 public schools across 19 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 Pierce 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

Pierce 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

#29

of 39 Washington counties with school score data. The county score is 5 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.

Tacoma School District

Elementary to high school visible

28,311 students

Elementary 36Middle 13High 16Other 4

69 listed schools in this county slice.

Puyallup School District

Elementary to high school visible

23,104 students

Elementary 23Middle 7High 5Other 2

37 listed schools in this county slice.

Bethel School District

Elementary to high school visible

21,156 students

Elementary 20Middle 6High 6Other 2

34 listed schools in this county slice.

Clover Park School District

Elementary to high school visible

12,566 students

Elementary 17Middle 4High 8Other 3

32 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Tacoma School District is the largest listed district slice, with 69 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 Pierce County?

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

Comparison context

Compare Pierce County With Nearby School Markets

Pierce County appears in curated regional school comparisons where parents commonly weigh county lines, housing tradeoffs, commute, and district boundaries before narrowing to individual schools.

Seattle area

King County vs Snohomish County vs Pierce County Schools

This guide helps families compare the Seattle core, northern suburbs, and South Sound alternatives before focusing on districts.

Compared with

King County, WA and Snohomish County, WA

Current leader

Snohomish County, WA at 54/100

Graduation-rate leader: King County, WA at 84.6%

Open regional guide Open interactive comparison

Education Overview

About Schools in Pierce County, Washington

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.

A Massive Urban and Suburban System

Pierce County operates a vast educational network of 282 schools across 19 districts, serving 136,629 students. The system is heavily weighted toward early education, with 153 elementary schools currently in operation.

Tacoma and Bethel Lead the Way

Tacoma School District is the largest with 28,311 students, followed closely by Puyallup and Bethel. Charter schools represent a tiny fraction of the market, with only two schools serving less than 1% of the total student population.

Large Campuses and Suburban Life

Most students attend large suburban or city schools, with an average enrollment of 510 students per campus. Graham Kapowsin High is the county's largest with 2,011 students, illustrating the scale of these major educational hubs.

School Overview

Total Schools

282

in Pierce County

Reported Enrollment

136,629

282 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

1% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary153

Middle48

High59

Other22

19 School Districts in Pierce County

Tacoma School District

Puyallup School District

Bethel School District

Clover Park School District

Sumner-Bonney Lake School District

Peninsula School District

Franklin Pierce School District

University Place School District

White River School District

Fife School District

282 Public Schools in Pierce County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 25 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 282 matching schools

Public schools in Pierce County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Graham Kapowsin High School	Profile	Bethel School District	Graham, 98338Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,011
Spanaway Lake High School	Profile	Bethel School District	Spanaway, 98387Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,817
Bethel High School	Profile	Bethel School District	Spanaway, 98387Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,739
Gov John Rogers High School	Profile	Puyallup School District	Puyallup, 98373Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,730
Sumner High School	Profile	Sumner-Bonney Lake School District	Sumner, 98390Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,728
Puyallup High School	Profile	Puyallup School District	Puyallup, 98371Suburb: Large	10–12	High	1,701
Bonney Lake High School	Profile	Sumner-Bonney Lake School District	Bonney Lake, 98391Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,636
Lincoln High School	Profile	Tacoma School District	Tacoma, 98418City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,578
Stadium High School	Profile	Tacoma School District	Tacoma, 98403City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,571
Emerald Ridge High School	Profile	Puyallup School District	Puyallup, 98374Rural: Fringe	10–12	High	1,537
Gig Harbor High	Profile	Peninsula School District	Gig Harbor, 98335Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,435
Mount Tahoma High School	Profile	Tacoma School District	Tacoma, 98409City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,430
Peninsula High School	Profile	Peninsula School District	Gig Harbor, 98332Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,372
Curtis Senior High	Profile	University Place School District	UNIVERSITY PLACE, 98466Suburb: Large	10–12	High	1,349
Clover Park High School	Profile	Clover Park School District	Lakewood, 98499City: Small	9–12	High	1,315
Lakes High School	Profile	Clover Park School District	Lakewood, 98498City: Small	9–12	High	1,286
White River High School	Profile	White River School District	Buckley, 98321Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,263
Franklin Pierce High School	Profile	Franklin Pierce School District	TACOMA, 98445Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,141
Dr. Dolores Silas High School	Profile	Tacoma School District	Tacoma, 98406City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,114
Washington High School	Profile	Franklin Pierce School District	Tacoma, 98444Suburb: Large	9–12	High	997

Graham Kapowsin High School

Bethel School District

Graham, 98338 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,011 students

Spanaway Lake High School

Bethel School District

Spanaway, 98387 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,817 students

Bethel High School

Bethel School District

Spanaway, 98387 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,739 students

Gov John Rogers High School

Puyallup School District

Puyallup, 98373 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,730 students

Sumner High School

Sumner-Bonney Lake School District

Sumner, 98390 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,728 students

Puyallup High School

Puyallup School District

Puyallup, 98371 / Suburb: Large

Profile10–12High1,701 students

Bonney Lake High School

Sumner-Bonney Lake School District

Bonney Lake, 98391 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,636 students

Lincoln High School

Tacoma School District

Tacoma, 98418 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,578 students

Stadium High School

Tacoma School District

Tacoma, 98403 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,571 students

Emerald Ridge High School

Puyallup School District

Puyallup, 98374 / Rural: Fringe

Profile10–12High1,537 students

Gig Harbor High

Peninsula School District

Gig Harbor, 98335 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,435 students

Mount Tahoma High School

Tacoma School District

Tacoma, 98409 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,430 students

Peninsula High School

Peninsula School District

Gig Harbor, 98332 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,372 students

Curtis Senior High

University Place School District

UNIVERSITY PLACE, 98466 / Suburb: Large

Profile10–12High1,349 students

Clover Park High School

Clover Park School District

Lakewood, 98499 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,315 students

Lakes High School

Clover Park School District

Lakewood, 98498 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,286 students

White River High School

White River School District

Buckley, 98321 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,263 students

Franklin Pierce High School

Franklin Pierce School District

TACOMA, 98445 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,141 students

Dr. Dolores Silas High School

Tacoma School District

Tacoma, 98406 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,114 students

Washington High School

Franklin Pierce School District

Tacoma, 98444 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High997 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.

5 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,706

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Pierce 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 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.

How should I read the school score in Pierce County?

Pierce County has a school score of 46/100, 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 Pierce County?

The high school graduation rate in Pierce County is 83.1%, which is below 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 Pierce County spend per student?

Pierce County spends $8,706 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 Pierce County, Washington — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Pierce County, Washington?

What are the major school districts in Pierce County, Washington?

What is the school experience like in Pierce County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Walla Walla County

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School score

Cowlitz County

Washington

+1 pts

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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.

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