154 public K-12 schools in Cleveland from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
154 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Cleveland's 154 public schools is Ohio Connections Academy Inc, scoring 24/100, against a city average of 30.5/100. Computed live across every Cleveland campus reporting to NCES.
How the Cleveland Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Cleveland, OH enrolls 57,269 students across 154 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 54 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 17.9:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 30.5/100. 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 Cleveland on this index is Ohio Connections Academy Inc, at 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 5,191 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Cleveland spans 16 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.
Ohio Connections Academy Inc accounts for 16.5% of all Cleveland public-school enrollment
That concentration means Cleveland-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: Combined. 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.
Cleveland school enrollment varies 14× across entities
Cleveland school enrollment ranges from 384 students (lowest) to 5,191 students (highest), a spread of 4,807 students. That spread reflects typical urban portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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.
Cleveland operates 16 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.
Cleveland student-teacher ratio is 17.9:1 — 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 Cleveland is typically wider than the Cleveland-aggregate figure suggests.
Cleveland has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 35.1% 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. Areas above 30% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic charter school authorisation formula. 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.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Cleveland
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 Cleveland is Ohio Connections Academy Inc with a quality score of 24/100. There are 154 public schools in Cleveland with 57,269 total students.
How many schools are in Cleveland, OH? ▼
Cleveland has 154 public schools with a total enrollment of 57,269 students. 54 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 17.9:1.
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.
