Public schools in Chester, PA
Chester has 7 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 high, 4 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 6,823 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Chester-Upland SD runs 5 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Chester's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Chester | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester-Upland SD | 5 | 3,100 | $21,339 |
| Chester Community Charter School | 1 | 4,281 | $21,726 |
| The Chester Charter Scholars Academy | 1 | 700 | $13,490 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 high schools in Chester, 1,283 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester High School | 806 | 15.5 | 92.4% | Chester-Upland SD |
| STEM at Showalter | 477 | 14.5 | 91.4% | Chester-Upland SD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
4 elementary schools in Chester, 4,839 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Community CS | 3,782 | 20.6 | 99.9% | Chester Community Charter School |
| Edgmont Scholars Academy | 422 | 19.2 | 94.6% | Chester-Upland SD |
| Chester Upland Sch of Arts | 384 | 13.7 | 100.0% | Chester-Upland SD |
| Stetser Elementary School | 251 | 11.4 | 92.0% | Chester-Upland SD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Chester, 701 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Charter Scholars Academy CS | 701 | 13.6 | 97.4% | The Chester Charter Scholars Academy |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Chester's public schools compare with Pennsylvania's
The median Chester school has 14.5 students per full-time teacher, more than the Pennsylvania median of 13.1. 83% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 43% across the state. Its median school enrolls 477 students (state 460).
| Chester | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 14.5 | 13.1 |
| Median school size (students) | 477 | 460 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 83% | 43% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 86% | 41% |
| Charter schools | 29% | 6.0% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 7 Chester schools and the 2,899 Pennsylvania schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Chester
- Chester-Upland SDRuns 5 of Chester's 7 public schools and spent $21,339 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,339
- Chester High School, the largest high school in Chester806 students in 2024-25, 15.5 per teacher.806
- Compare Chester-Upland SD with Chester Community Charter SchoolChester's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Chester addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia302 schools
- Pittsburgh145 schools
- Harrisburg40 schools
- York39 schools
- Lancaster37 schools
- Erie35 schools
- Allentown34 schools
- Reading32 schools
Questions about schools in Chester
How many public schools are in Chester, PA?
7 public schools with an address in Chester were open in 2024-25: 2 high, 4 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 6,823 students. 2 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Chester?
Chester High School, with 806 students in 2024-25 (Chester-Upland SD).Which districts run Chester's schools?
Chester-Upland SD (5 schools), Chester Community Charter School (1 school), The Chester Charter Scholars Academy (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25