232 public K-12 schools in Denver from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
232 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Denver's 232 public schools is East High School, scoring 34/100, against a city average of 42.5/100. Computed live across every Denver campus reporting to NCES.
How the Denver Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Denver, CO enrolls 101,588 students across 232 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 59 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 15.5:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 42.5/100. 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 Denver on this index is East High School, at 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 2,476 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Denver spans 4 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.
Denver school enrollment varies 4.4× across entities
Denver school enrollment ranges from 562 students (lowest) to 2,476 students (highest), a spread of 1,914 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. 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.
Denver student-teacher ratio is 15.5:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — 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 Variation between sub-units within Denver is typically wider than the Denver-aggregate figure suggests.
Denver has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 25.4% 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. Eligibility here is approaching the 30% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 10% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Denver
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 Denver is East High School with a quality score of 34/100. There are 232 public schools in Denver with 101,588 total students.
How many schools are in Denver, CO? ▼
Denver has 232 public schools with a total enrollment of 101,588 students. 59 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 15.5:1.
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.
