Public schools in Connecticut

The NCES directory lists 1,007 public schools operating in Connecticut in 2024-25; 987 of them reported 487,458 students, averaging 12.2 students per teacher, the 40th 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 Bridgeport Public Schools, with 19,802 students in 2024-25.

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

Schools987590 elementary, 177 middle, 199 high, 21 other
Students487,4581.0% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher12.2U.S. 15.3

Connecticut has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

Connecticut ranks 40th 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. Kansas12.9
  2. New Mexico12.7
  3. Missouri12.3
  4. Connecticut12.2
  5. Massachusetts12.0
  6. Montana11.6
  7. New Jersey11.6

Eight in ten larger Connecticut districts spent between $20,629 and $28,256 per student

Among the 112 Connecticut districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $20,629 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $28,256; the median was $23,805. 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, Connecticut districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23112 values from $14,431 to $32,070; ; state median $23,805.$20,629$28,256the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $23,805
Current spending per student, Connecticut districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23112 values from $14,431 to $32,070; ; state median $23,805.$20,629$28,256the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $23,805
Current spending per student, Connecticut districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23112 values from $14,431 to $32,070; ; state median $23,805.$20,629$28,256the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $23,805
Current spending per student, Connecticut districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23112 values from $14,431 to $32,070; ; state median $23,805.$20,629$28,256the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $23,805

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, 49.4% of the Connecticut students tested met the state's reading standard and 41.2% its math standard. Connecticut writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Connecticut'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 88.2% of 40,732 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 Connecticut almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Danbury High School, 3,612 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Westbrook High School, 6.3 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Westbrook School District, $35,786 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Regional School District 09, $127,454 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Holmes Elementary School, 1.2% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Westbrook Middle School, 79 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Darien School District, 70.9 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Connecticut

  1. Bridgeport Public Schools19,802
  2. New Haven Public Schools17,903
  3. Waterbury School District17,123
  4. Hartford School District15,754
  5. Stamford Public Schools15,483
  6. Danbury Public Schools11,833
  7. Norwalk Public Schools11,341
  8. Connecticut Technical Education and Career System11,296

Every Connecticut 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. Hartford18,023 students44 schools
  2. Bridgeport24,735 students44 schools
  3. New Haven20,596 students42 schools
  4. Waterbury18,911 students32 schools
  5. Stamford16,520 students23 schools
  6. Norwalk11,577 students23 schools
  7. Danbury12,554 students20 schools
  8. West Hartford9,352 students17 schools
  9. East Hartford8,182 students16 schools
  10. Fairfield8,419 students15 schools
  11. New Britain9,274 students14 schools
  12. Milford5,859 students14 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 Connecticut's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Connecticut?
    The NCES directory lists 1,007 operating in 2024-25; 987 of them reported students: 590 elementary, 177 middle, 199 high and 21 other, enrolling 487,458 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Connecticut?
    12.2 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 Connecticut?
    Bridgeport Public Schools, with 19,802 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Connecticut spend per public-school student?
    $24,197 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 .