175 public K-12 schools in Cincinnati from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
175 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Cincinnati's 175 public schools is Walnut Hills High School, scoring 29/100, against a city average of 33.1/100. Computed live across every Cincinnati campus reporting to NCES.
How the Cincinnati Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Cincinnati, OH enrolls 98,651 students across 175 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 25 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 18.1:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 33.1/100. 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 Cincinnati on this index is Walnut Hills High School, at 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 2,453 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Cincinnati spans 17 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.
Cincinnati school enrollment varies 3.8× across entities
Cincinnati school enrollment ranges from 647 students (lowest) to 2,453 students (highest), a spread of 1,806 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.
Cincinnati operates 17 school districts — among the most fragmented governance structures in the country
Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority. 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.
Cincinnati student-teacher ratio is 18.1:1: on the high side (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.
Cincinnati has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility: 14.3% 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. This area sits just above the 10% threshold, short of the 30% concentration-grant tier that unlocks supplemental charter school authorisation funding. Just clearing the eligibility threshold means federal support is real but comparatively modest next to higher-concentration areas.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Cincinnati
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 Cincinnati is Walnut Hills High School with a quality score of 29/100. There are 175 public schools in Cincinnati with 98,651 total students.
How many schools are in Cincinnati, OH? ▼
Cincinnati has 175 public schools with a total enrollment of 98,651 students. 25 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 18.1:1.
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.
