NCES CCD 2024-25 127 schools WA

Best-Resourced Schools in Seattle, WA

127 public K-12 schools in Seattle from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

127
Schools
58,797
Students
54.2/100
Avg Resource Index
15.7:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Seattle has more public-school enrollment than 99% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Seattle is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 8 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

A full K–12 ladder sits inside the city boundary

Seattle's list includes 42 elementary, 15 middle, and 20 high-school campuses, plus 50 combined-grade records. The city average spans every major grade stage, so the ranked table is more informative when read within level than as one interchangeable queue.

The composite and staffing measures point in different directions

Seattle's average Resource Investment Index sits at the 95th percentile, while its teacher-staffing measure sits at the 46th percentile. The 49-point percentile gap is a reminder that the index is not a class-size score: counselors, gifted-program reporting, and attendance also affect it. Compare those components directly when two schools have similar index totals; the same headline score can arise from a different mix of reported resources.

City enrollment
Top 1%
School count
Top 1%
Resource Index average
95th percentile
Teacher staffing
46th percentile

Seattle school enrollment varies 590× across entities

Seattle school enrollment ranges from 3 students (lowest) to 1,770 students (highest), a spread of 1,767 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Seattle operates 8 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Seattle student-teacher ratio is 15.7:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

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 Seattle is typically wider than the Seattle-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

# School Score
1. Puget Sound Skills Center 85
2. Private School Services 79
3. Middle College High School 77
4. Cascade Parent Partnership Program 71
5. Licton Springs K-8 70
6. Thornton Creek Elementary School 69
7. Whittier Elementary School 69
8. Adams Elementary School 69
9. Madrona K-5 School 69
10. West Woodland Elementary School 68
11. Magnolia Elementary School 68
12. Mcgilvra Elementary School 68
13. Arbor Heights Elementary School 67
14. Orca K-8 School 67
15. John Hay Elementary School 67
16. Nova High School 67
17. Queen Anne Elementary 67
18. Mercer International Middle School 66
19. Dearborn Park International School 66
20. Daniel Bagley Elementary School 66
21. Laurelhurst Elementary School 66
22. Stephen Decatur Elementary School 66
23. Sand Point Elementary 66
24. Rainier View Elementary School 66
25. West Seattle Elementary School 65
26. Olympic View Elementary School 65
27. Alki Elementary School 65
28. Greenwood Elementary School 64
29. Wedgwood Elementary School 64
30. Stevens Elementary School 64
31. Sanislo Elementary School 64
32. Emerson Elementary School 63
33. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School 63
34. Concord International School 63
35. Leschi Elementary School 63
36. South Shore Pk-8 School 62
37. Bryant Elementary School 62
38. Rising Star Elementary School 62
39. John Muir Elementary School 62
40. Graham Hill Elementary School 62
41. Dunlap Elementary School 62
42. The Center School 61
43. Broadview-Thomson K-8 School 60
44. Northgate Elementary School 60
45. Cascade Middle School 59
46. Hazel Wolf K-8 59
47. Washington Middle School 59
48. Cedar Park Elementary School 59
49. Montlake Elementary School 59
50. Jane Addams Middle School 58

Showing top 50 of 127 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Seattle

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.

  1. 1 Kimball Elementary School 79.3/100
  2. 2 Talley High School 78.8/100
  3. 3 Chief Sealth International High School 78.7/100
  4. 4 Graham Hill Elementary School 78.7/100
  5. 5 Thurgood Marshall Elementary 78.6/100

What do families ask about schools in Seattle?

Which Seattle school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Puget Sound Skills Center has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Seattle schools in this federal-data comparison at 85/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Seattle, WA?

Seattle has 127 public schools with a total enrollment of 58,797 students. 4 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 15.7:1.

Other Cities in Washington

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Washington →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.