64 public K-12 schools in Des Moines from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
64 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Des Moines's 64 public schools is Lincoln High School, scoring 33/100, against a city average of 39.9/100. Computed live across every Des Moines campus reporting to NCES.
How the Des Moines Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Des Moines, IA enrolls 32,076 students across 64 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 14.6:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 39.9/100. 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 Des Moines on this index is Lincoln High School, at 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 2,364 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Des Moines 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.
Des Moines school enrollment varies 8.3× across entities
Des Moines school enrollment ranges from 285 students (lowest) to 2,364 students (highest), a spread of 2,079 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.
Des Moines has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% 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.
Des Moines student-teacher ratio is 14.6:1 — 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 Des Moines is typically wider than the Des Moines-aggregate figure suggests.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Des Moines
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 Des Moines is Lincoln High School with a quality score of 33/100. There are 64 public schools in Des Moines with 32,076 total students.
How many schools are in Des Moines, IA? ▼
Des Moines has 64 public schools with a total enrollment of 32,076 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 14.6:1.
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.
