40 public K-12 schools in Thornton from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
40 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Thornton's 40 public schools is Riverdale Ridge High School, scoring 24/100, against a city average of 39.7/100. Computed live across every Thornton campus reporting to NCES.
How the Thornton Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Thornton, CO enrolls 21,640 students across 40 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 3 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 18.2:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 39.7/100. 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 Thornton on this index is Riverdale Ridge High School, at 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,784 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Thornton 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.
Thornton school enrollment varies 50× across entities
Thornton school enrollment ranges from 36 students (lowest) to 1,784 students (highest), a spread of 1,748 students. That ratio is among the widest observed 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.
Thornton student-teacher ratio is 18.2:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Thornton
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 Thornton is Riverdale Ridge High School with a quality score of 24/100. There are 40 public schools in Thornton with 21,640 total students.
How many schools are in Thornton, CO? ▼
Thornton has 40 public schools with a total enrollment of 21,640 students. 3 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 18.2:1.
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.
