NCES CCD 2024-25 54 schools AZ

Best-Resourced Schools in Scottsdale, AZ

54 public K-12 schools in Scottsdale from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

54
Schools
30,170
Students
40.9/100
Avg Resource Index
14.9:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Scottsdale has more public-school enrollment than 96% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Scottsdale is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 17 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

Combined-grade campuses shape the local portfolio

30 of Scottsdale's 54 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.

Campus spread matters more than the city mean

The 63-point gap between Scottsdale Online Learning and Noah Webster Schools-Pima shows the range hidden by Scottsdale's average Resource Investment Index. The city figure is useful for national placement, but families ultimately choose among campuses with different grade spans, enrollment, district affiliations, and reported support fields. Start with schools serving the relevant grade level, then compare the index components rather than assuming the city average describes any one classroom.

City enrollment
Top 4%
School count
Top 3%
Resource Index average
50th percentile
Teacher staffing
55th percentile

Scottsdale school enrollment varies 1905× across entities

Scottsdale school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 1,905 students (highest), a spread of 1,904 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Scottsdale operates 17 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Scottsdale student-teacher ratio is 14.9:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

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 Variation between sub-units within Scottsdale is typically wider than the Scottsdale-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

12 of Scottsdale's 54 listed schools are charters

22% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Scottsdale Online Learning 73
2. Candeo North Scottsdale 70
3. Desert Springs Preparatory Elementary School 61
4. Copper Canyon Elementary School 60
5. Liberty Elementary School 60
6. Sandpiper Elementary School 59
7. Desert Canyon Elementary 58
8. Anasazi Elementary 58
9. Salt River Accelerated Learning Academy 57
10. Pueblo Elementary School 55
11. Grayhawk Elementary School 55
12. Sonoran Sky Elementary School 53
13. North Ranch Elementary School 53
14. Cochise Elementary School 51
15. Yavapai Elementary School 51
16. Tonalea Middle School 51
17. Laguna Elementary School 49
18. Sequoya Elementary School 47
19. Hohokam Elementary School 47
20. Cave Creek Academy of Excellence 46
21. Sunrise Middle School 45
22. Redfield Elementary School 44
23. Mountainside Middle School 43
24. Desert Canyon Middle School 43
25. Cheyenne Traditional School 42
26. Mohave Middle School 42
27. Coronado High School 42
28. Pima Elementary School 41
29. Pinnacle Peak Preparatory 39
30. Navajo Elementary School 37
31. Desert Shadows Elementary School 35
32. Cocopah Middle School 34
33. Scottsdale Country Day School 34
34. Chaparral High School 33
35. Copper Ridge School 33
36. Desert Sun Academy 33
37. Hirsch Academy a Challenge Foundation 33
38. Echo Canyon K-8 32
39. Saguaro High School 31
40. Horizon High School 30
41. Basis Scottsdale Primary - East Campus 30
42. Basis Scottsdale Primary - West Campus 30
43. Great Hearts Academies - Cicero Prep 28
44. Cactus Shadows High School 27
45. Desert Shadows Middle School 27
46. Great Hearts Academies - Scottsdale Prep 23
47. Black Mountain Elementary School 23
48. Desert Mountain High School 22
49. Great Hearts Academies - Archway Scottsdale 16
50. Basis Scottsdale 15

Showing top 50 of 54 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Scottsdale

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.

  1. 1 Basis Scottsdale Primary - East Campus 65.9/100
  2. 2 Pima Elementary School 65.8/100
  3. 3 Noah Webster Schools-Pima 63.8/100
  4. 4 Sunrise Middle School 63.3/100
  5. 5 Redfield Elementary School 63.1/100

What do families ask about schools in Scottsdale?

Which Scottsdale school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Scottsdale Online Learning has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Scottsdale schools in this federal-data comparison at 73/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Scottsdale, AZ?

Scottsdale has 54 public schools with a total enrollment of 30,170 students. 12 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 14.9:1.

Other Cities in Arizona

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Arizona →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.