Public schools in Colorado

The NCES directory lists 1,900 public schools operating in Colorado in 2024-25; 1,861 of them reported 856,874 students, averaging 15.8 students per teacher, the 13th highest of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Denver Public Schools, with 90,310 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools1,8611,010 elementary, 279 middle, 436 high, 136 other
Students856,8741.8% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher15.8U.S. 15.3

Colorado has more students per teacher than the U.S. average

Colorado ranks 13th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Idaho16.9
  2. Michigan16.9
  3. North Carolina16.2
  4. Colorado15.8
  5. Alaska15.6
  6. Kentucky15.4
  7. Oklahoma15.4

Eight in ten larger Colorado districts spent between $11,559 and $17,219 per student

Among the 71 Colorado districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $11,559 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $17,219; the median was $14,088. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Colorado districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2371 values from $9,413 to $27,544; ; state median $14,088.$11,559$17,219the middle eight in ten$5k$10k$15k$20k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,088
Current spending per student, Colorado districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2371 values from $9,413 to $27,544; ; state median $14,088.$11,559$17,219the middle eight in ten$5k$10k$15k$20k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,088
Current spending per student, Colorado districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2371 values from $9,413 to $27,544; ; state median $14,088.$11,559$17,219the middle eight in ten$5k$15k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,088
Current spending per student, Colorado districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2371 values from $9,413 to $27,544; ; state median $14,088.$11,559$17,219the middle eight in ten$5k$15k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $14,088

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 45.6% of the Colorado students tested met the state's reading standard and 33.1% its math standard. Colorado writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Colorado's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 82.7% of 68,390 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Colorado almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: GOAL Academy, 6,693 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, 5.5 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Aspen School District No. 1 in the county of Pitkin and Sta, $27,544 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Aspen School District, $101,390 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Gunnison Elementary School, 0.2% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, 68 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: East Grand School District No. 2, 57.3 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Colorado

  1. Denver Public Schools90,310
  2. Jeffco Public Schools73,156
  3. Douglas County School District61,155
  4. Cherry Creek School District #551,980
  5. Aurora Public Schools38,089
  6. Adams 12 Five Star Schools34,466
  7. St. Vrain Valley Schools31,607
  8. Poudre School District29,381

Every Colorado school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Denver100,742 students226 schools
  2. Colorado Springs87,560 students179 schools
  3. Aurora71,727 students100 schools
  4. Lakewood24,624 students47 schools
  5. Fort Collins26,332 students47 schools
  6. Pueblo24,764 students45 schools
  7. Littleton24,407 students42 schools
  8. Thornton21,592 students39 schools
  9. Grand Junction14,632 students33 schools
  10. Longmont15,153 students30 schools
  11. Greeley19,885 students30 schools
  12. Boulder13,104 students30 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Colorado's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Colorado?
    The NCES directory lists 1,900 operating in 2024-25; 1,861 of them reported students: 1,010 elementary, 279 middle, 436 high and 136 other, enrolling 856,874 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Colorado?
    15.8 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Colorado?
    Denver Public Schools, with 90,310 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Colorado spend per public-school student?
    $14,660 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .