27 public K-12 schools in Fairbanks from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
27 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Fairbanks's 27 public schools is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea), scoring 30/100, against a city average of 36.5/100. Computed live across every Fairbanks campus reporting to NCES.
How the Fairbanks Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Fairbanks, AK enrolls 20,340 students across 27 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 4 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 17.1:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 36.5/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Fairbanks on this index is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea), at 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 7,876 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Fairbanks spans 3 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea) accounts for 38.7% of all Fairbanks public-school enrollment
That concentration means Fairbanks-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: Combined. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Fairbanks school enrollment varies 606× across entities
Fairbanks school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 7,876 students (highest), a spread of 7,863 students. That ratio is extreme even by the standards of already-wide distributions, and reflects extreme heterogeneity inside a single city, small specialty programs sit alongside large comprehensive campuses, often serving very different family demographics inside walking distance. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Fairbanks student-teacher ratio is 17.1:1: slightly above the ~15.7 national average, aligned with the U.S. average of approximately 15.7:1
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Sitting just over the national figure still leaves meaningful room for sub-unit variation that the aggregate number hides. Variation between sub-units within Fairbanks is typically wider than the Fairbanks-aggregate figure suggests.
Fairbanks has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility: 14.8% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options
charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. This area sits just above the 10% threshold, short of the 30% concentration-grant tier that unlocks supplemental charter school authorisation funding. Just clearing the eligibility threshold means federal support is real but comparatively modest next to higher-concentration areas.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Fairbanks
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Fairbanks is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea) with a quality score of 30/100. There are 27 public schools in Fairbanks with 20,340 total students.
How many schools are in Fairbanks, AK? ▼
Fairbanks has 27 public schools with a total enrollment of 20,340 students. 4 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 17.1:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
