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

No. Use the Preston 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 Preston 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 Preston County?

Start with the 10 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Preston County Schools & Education

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

Preston County, West Virginia

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

School Score

42/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 92.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,821

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,773

School Score

42/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 62/100

State Score Position

#49

of 55 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Preston County

Measured School Summary

Preston County performs at an average level with a school score of 42/100 and a solid graduation rate of 90.0%.

Funding Context

At $6,821 per pupil, Preston County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 32% below the West Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 12% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Preston 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

10 public schools and 1 district 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

42/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #49 of 55 West Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

90.0%

2.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,821

$952 below the state average

School coverage

1 district 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

Preston County has 10 public schools across 1 district, 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 Preston 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.

Dominant-district county

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS carries most of the listed public-school system, with 10 of 10 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#49

of 55 West Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 20 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.

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Elementary to high school visible

4,090 students

Elementary 8Middle 1High 1Other 0

10 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS is the largest listed district slice, with 10 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 Preston County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Preston County Records School Score of 42.2

Education data brief for Preston County, West Virginia.

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

Lead metric:School score

The composite school score in Preston County is 42.2, which is roughly 20 points lower than the West Virginia state average of 62.3 and below the national median of 50.0. This score is reported alongside a per-pupil expenditure of $6,821, which is lower than both the state average of $7,773 and the national average of $13,000. Preston County Schools is a large rural district serving 4,090 students across 10 schools. Preston High School is the largest in the county, with 1,178 students. The county’s graduation rate is 90.0%, which is higher than the national average of 87.0% but remains below the West Virginia state average of 92.8%. Most of the county's schools are located in rural areas, with only one school in a town locale. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Preston County

Reported Enrollment

4,090

10 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary8

Middle1

High1

Other0

1 School District in Preston County

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Guide

10 schools

4,090 students enrolled

Open district guide

10 Public Schools in Preston 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 10 of 10 matching schools

Public schools in Preston County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
PRESTON HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	KINGWOOD, 26537Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,178
WEST PRESTON SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	ARTHURDALE, 26520Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	656
BRUCETON SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	BRUCETON MILLS, 26525Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	621
KINGWOOD ELEMENTARY	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	KINGWOOD, 26537Town: Distant	PK–4	Primary	361
SOUTH PRESTON SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	TUNNELTON, 26444Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	342
CENTRAL PRESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	KINGWOOD, 26537Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	322
TERRA ALTA/EAST PRESTON SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	TERRA ALTA, 26764Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	310
AURORA SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	AURORA, 26705Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	168
FELLOWSVILLE ELEMENTARY	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	TUNNELTON, 26444Rural: Distant	PK–4	Primary	92
ROWLESBURG SCHOOL	Record	PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS	ROWLESBURG, 26425Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	40

PRESTON HIGH SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

KINGWOOD, 26537 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,178 students

WEST PRESTON SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

ARTHURDALE, 26520 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary656 students

BRUCETON SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

BRUCETON MILLS, 26525 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary621 students

KINGWOOD ELEMENTARY

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

KINGWOOD, 26537 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary361 students

SOUTH PRESTON SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

TUNNELTON, 26444 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary342 students

CENTRAL PRESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

KINGWOOD, 26537 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle322 students

TERRA ALTA/EAST PRESTON SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

TERRA ALTA, 26764 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary310 students

AURORA SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

AURORA, 26705 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary168 students

FELLOWSVILLE ELEMENTARY

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

TUNNELTON, 26444 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary92 students

ROWLESBURG SCHOOL

PRESTON COUNTY SCHOOLS

ROWLESBURG, 26425 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary40 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,821

State avg $7,773

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Preston 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 West Virginia counties have the highest graduation rates?

Harrison County (98.0%), Ohio County (98.0%), and Putnam County (98.0%) currently lead West Virginia 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 West Virginia?

Across West Virginia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,773. The highest current county values are Doddridge County ($12,943), Wetzel County ($11,343), and Tyler County ($10,519). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Preston County?

Preston County has a school score of 42/100, 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 Preston County?

The high school graduation rate in Preston County is 90.0%, 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 Preston County spend per student?

Preston County spends $6,821 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

Wood County

West Virginia

+1 pts

43/100

School score

Raleigh County

West Virginia

-1 pts

41/100

School score

Wayne County

West Virginia

-4 pts

39/100

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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