28 public K-12 schools in New Bedford from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
28 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of New Bedford's 28 public schools is New Bedford High, scoring 50/100, against a city average of 42.8/100. Computed live across every New Bedford campus reporting to NCES.
How the New Bedford Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
New Bedford, MA enrolls 16,337 students across 28 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 2 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 11.2:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 42.8/100. 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 New Bedford on this index is New Bedford High, at 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 2,878 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
New Bedford 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.
New Bedford High accounts for 17.6% of all New Bedford public-school enrollment
That concentration means New Bedford-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: High. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
New Bedford school enrollment varies 31× across entities
New Bedford school enrollment ranges from 93 students (lowest) to 2,878 students (highest), a spread of 2,785 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.
New Bedford student-teacher ratio is 11.2:1 — 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.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in New Bedford
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 New Bedford is New Bedford High with a quality score of 50/100. There are 28 public schools in New Bedford with 16,337 total students.
How many schools are in New Bedford, MA? ▼
New Bedford has 28 public schools with a total enrollment of 16,337 students. 2 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 11.2:1.
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.
