NCES CCD 2024-25 242 schools DC

Best-Resourced Schools in Washington, DC

Compiled from official source data by .

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

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242
Schools
93,327
Students
36.8/100
Avg Resource Index
12.3:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Washington has more public-school enrollment than 99% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Washington is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 62 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

156 of Washington's 242 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.

Governance mix is central to a fair comparison

126 of 242 listed Washington campuses are reported as charters, so district-run and charter records occupy substantial shares of the same city view. They may follow different governance, enrollment, and program structures even when their mailing city matches. The 60-point gap between Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys Pcs and Washington Latin Pcs - Anna Julia Cooper Ms should be read within that context, not as a single-system league table. Check charter status and district affiliation before comparing two nearby schools, and verify current admissions rules with the operator.

City enrollment
Top 1%
School count
Top 1%
Resource Index average
32nd percentile
Teacher staffing
86th percentile

Washington school enrollment varies 48× across entities

Washington school enrollment ranges from 39 students (lowest) to 1,855 students (highest), a spread of 1,816 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme heterogeneity inside a single city, with small specialty programs listed alongside large comprehensive campuses. 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

Washington operates 62 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

Washington student-teacher ratio is 12.3:1 — low (typically associated with smaller schools or per-school staffing investment that often correlates with stronger per-student supports)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

126 of Washington's 242 listed schools are charters

52% 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

# School Score
1. Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys Pcs 60
2. Anacostia Hs 60
3. Ross Es 60
4. Richard Wright Pcs for Journalism and Media Arts 59
5. Mann Es 58
6. School-Within-School at Goding 57
7. Kipp Dc - College Preparatory Pcs 56
8. Key Es 56
9. Powell Es 55
10. Center City Pcs - Brightwood 55
11. Peabody Es (Capitol Hill Cluster) 55
12. Ballou Hs 54
13. Latin American Montessori Bilingual Pcs 54
14. Roosevelt Stay Hs 54
15. Shepherd Es 54
16. Hearst Es 54
17. Columbia Heights Education Campus 53
18. Ballou Stay Hs 53
19. Military Road Early Learning Center 53
20. Watkins Es (Capitol Hill Cluster) 52
21. Kramer Ms 52
22. Maury Es 51
23. Garrison Es 51
24. Friendship Pcs - Online Academy 51
25. Thomson Es 51
26. Ludlow-Taylor Es 50
27. Sela Pcs 50
28. Thaddeus Stevens Early Learning Center 50
29. Eaton Es 49
30. Hyde-Addison Es 49
31. Two Rivers Pcs - 4th Street 49
32. Bruce-Monroe Es at Park View 48
33. Raymond Es 48
34. The Seed Pcs of Washington Dc 48
35. District of Columbia International School 47
36. Washington Yu Ying Pcs 47
37. Two Rivers Pcs - Young Es 47
38. Dorothy I. Height Es 47
39. Rocketship Pcs - Rise Academy 47
40. Burroughs Es 47
41. Cleveland Es 47
42. Monument Academy Pcs 47
43. Capital Village Pcs 47
44. Oyster-Adams Bilingual School 46
45. Washington Latin Pcs - Ms 46
46. Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Pcs - Brookland 46
47. Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering Hs 46
48. Learn Dc Pcs 46
49. Ron Brown College Preparatory Hs 46
50. Appletree Early Learning Center Pcs - Oklahoma Avenue 46

Showing top 50 of 242 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Washington

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 Washington Yu Ying Pcs 74.7/100
  2. 2 Learn Dc Pcs 73.8/100
  3. 3 Mundo Verde Bilingual Pcs - Calle Ocho 73.6/100
  4. 4 Jackson-Reed Hs 72.7/100
  5. 5 District of Columbia International School 71.7/100

What do families ask about schools in Washington?

Which Washington school has the highest Resource Investment Index? ▼

Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys Pcs has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Washington schools in this federal-data comparison at 60/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Washington, DC? ▼

Washington has 242 public schools with a total enrollment of 93,327 students. 126 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 12.3:1.

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.