State profile · CT

Connecticut Public Schools

Every public school, district, and the headline NCES measures for Connecticut — 201 districts, drawn straight from federal records.

1,005
Schools
491,941
Students
12.1:1
Avg ratio
36.4%
Free lunch

The state in one line

Connecticut runs 1,005 public schools across 201 districts, with a 12.1:1 average classroom and 36.4% of students on subsidized lunch.

1,005
public schools
201
school districts
12.1:1
avg student–teacher
36.4%
free/reduced lunch

What the NCES Data Says About Connecticut Schools

Connecticut operates 1,005 public K-12 schools organised into 201 independent school districts serving 491,941 students, per the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data 2024-25. The largest district, Bridgeport School District, enrolls 19,337 pupils across 36 schools at $20,908 per student, while smaller rural districts can run fewer than a dozen campuses. This fragmentation — inherited from century-old township governance patterns in many states — is why per-pupil spending, class sizes, and programme availability vary dramatically inside a single state boundary.

Statewide, the average student-teacher ratio is 12.1:1, a useful benchmark for comparing any individual district or school on PlainSchools. Free-lunch eligibility averages 36.4% across Connecticut public schools, a federal indicator of economic need that drives Title I funding allocations. The district table below is sortable by enrollment, school count, and per-pupil expenditure — the three fields that best predict a district's financial and demographic profile. For schools specifically, use the rankings links above to view per-category leaderboards covering spending, class size, best schools by composite quality score, chronic absenteeism, and funding-equity distribution within the state.

Every district figure here pulls from two distinct federal surveys: enrollment and demographic data come from the NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (school membership and directory), while per-pupil spending, teacher salaries, and federal/state/local revenue shares originate in the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey (typically FY 2021-22). Civil-rights indicators — gifted enrollment, AP course counts, counselor staffing, chronic absenteeism, in- and out-of-school suspensions — come from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Cross-referencing these three sources is what lets PlainSchools produce composite scores and equity rankings that single-source tools cannot.

Connecticut's average class size vs. every US state

Average students per teacher, state by state (lower means smaller classes)

12 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 80% of 51 US states

11–12: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 12–13: 4 US states (8%). This entry sits in this band. 13–14: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 14–15: 10 US states (20%). Above this entry. 15–16: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 16–17: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 17–18: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 18–19: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 20–21: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 21–22: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 22–23: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 23–24: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. This state 11 24 every US state, by average class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

Or browse all Connecticut schools

Federal data — no proprietary formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal survey data — enrollment, staffing, finance, and demographics from NCES — without a composite rating on top. The insights below are computed directly from those datasets; every number traces to a cited source.

Connecticut per-pupil spending varies 6.0× across districts

Per-pupil spending in Connecticut ranges from $10,531 (lowest district) to $62,781 (highest), a spread of $52,250. That spread reflects typical state-level variation between high-property-value suburbs and rural or low-tax-base districts. High-spending districts typically draw on higher property tax bases, a structural feature of state education finance under the federal Title I framework that sets the floor but not the ceiling.

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Local Education Agency Finance Survey (F-33) · FY 2021-22

Average Connecticut student-teacher ratio is 12.1:1 — low (typically associated with smaller schools or state-funded class-size reduction)

Student-teacher ratio is the simplest staffing metric reported on NCES Common Core of Data, but it does not capture push-in specialists, intervention staff, English Language Learner aides, special education co-teachers, or counseling and support staff. Lower ratios in this state often correlate with smaller per-school enrollments and rural geography rather than higher staffing budgets per se. Class-load comparisons are most meaningful at the district or school level, not the state aggregate.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data — Public School Universe School-level enrollment and staffing · 2024-25

School Spending

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Schools ranked by per-pupil expenditure

District Spending

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Districts ranked by per-pupil expenditure

Largest Schools

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Schools ranked by student enrollment

Funding Equity

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Districts ranked by funding equity score

Best Student-Teacher Ratios

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Schools with the smallest class sizes

Best Schools

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Top-rated schools by quality score

Best Districts

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Top-ranked districts by quality score

Chronic Absenteeism

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Schools ranked by absenteeism rates

Largest districts in Connecticut

By total K-12 enrollment — NCES Common Core 2024-25

Diverse district mix
Bridgeport School District19,337New Haven School District19,150Waterbury School District18,701Hartford School District16,774Stamford School District16,158Danbury School District12,109Norwalk School District11,514Connecticut Technical Educatio…11,183New Britain School District9,717Fairfield School District9,379
# District Enrollment
1 Bridgeport School District Bridgeport 19,337
2 New Haven School District New Haven 19,150
3 Waterbury School District Waterbury 18,701
4 Hartford School District Hartford 16,774
5 Stamford School District Stamford 16,158
6 Danbury School District Danbury 12,109
7 Norwalk School District Norwalk 11,514
8 Connecticut Technical Education and Career System Hartford 11,183
9 New Britain School District New Britain 9,717
10 Fairfield School District Fairfield 9,379
11 West Hartford School District West Hartford 9,231
12 Capitol Region Education Council Hartford 8,942
13 Meriden School District Meriden 8,630
14 Greenwich School District Greenwich 8,560
15 Bristol School District Bristol 7,784
16 Trumbull School District Trumbull 6,920
17 Stratford School District Stratford 6,762
18 East Hartford School District East Hartford 6,392
19 Southington School District Southington 6,284
20 Manchester School District Manchester 6,192
21 West Haven School District West Haven 5,976
22 Glastonbury School District Glastonbury 5,663
23 Hamden School District Hamden 5,468
24 Westport School District Westport 5,387
25 Milford School District Milford 5,382
26 Wallingford School District Wallingford 5,335
27 Enfield School District Enfield 4,913
28 South Windsor School District South Windsor 4,877
29 Darien School District Darien 4,700
30 Ridgefield School District Ridgefield 4,568
31 Shelton School District Shelton 4,512
32 Middletown School District Middletown 4,414
33 Naugatuck School District Naugatuck 4,337
34 Cheshire School District Cheshire 4,208
35 New Canaan School District New Canaan 4,168
36 Farmington School District Farmington 4,147
37 Simsbury School District Simsbury 4,125
38 Groton School District Mystic 4,104
39 Newtown School District Newtown 4,003
40 Newington School District Newington 3,937
41 Torrington School District Torrington 3,883
42 Wilton School District Wilton 3,788
43 New Milford School District New Milford 3,683
44 Wethersfield School District Wethersfield 3,646
45 Regional School District 15 Middlebury 3,469
46 Monroe School District Monroe 3,398
47 Norwich School District Norwich 3,348
48 Windsor School District Windsor 3,337
49 Windham School District Willimantic 3,224
50 Bethel School District Bethel 3,223
51 North Haven School District North Haven 3,187
52 Guilford School District Guilford 3,155
53 Vernon School District Vernon 3,148
54 Avon School District Avon 3,106
55 New London School District New London 2,948
56 East Haven School District East Haven 2,885
57 Berlin School District Berlin 2,682
58 Branford School District Branford 2,651
59 East Lyme School District East Lyme 2,617
60 Watertown School District Watertown 2,598
61 Ellington School District Ellington 2,586
62 Brookfield School District Brookfield 2,563
63 Rocky Hill School District Rocky Hill 2,550
64 Killingly School District Danielson 2,450
65 Madison School District Madison 2,444
66 Ledyard School District Ledyard 2,421
67 Waterford School District Waterford 2,338
68 Ansonia School District Ansonia 2,332
69 Tolland School District Tolland 2,302
70 Plainville School District Plainville 2,291
71 Colchester School District Colchester 2,235
72 Weston School District Weston 2,197
73 Regional School District 10 Burlington 2,147
74 New Fairfield School District New Fairfield 2,143
75 Wolcott School District Wolcott 2,139
76 Seymour School District Seymour 2,133
77 Norwich Free Academy District Norwich 2,106
78 Regional School District 05 Woodbridge 2,075
79 Bloomfield School District Bloomfield 2,055
80 Suffield School District Suffield 2,041
81 Montville School District Oakdale 2,017
82 Regional School District 16 Prospect 1,958
83 Cromwell School District Cromwell 1,947
84 Plainfield School District Plainfield 1,944
85 Regional School District 17 Higganum 1,814
86 Stonington School District Pawcatuck 1,800
87 East Hampton School District East Hampton 1,770
88 Area Cooperative Educational Services North Haven 1,740
89 Granby School District Granby 1,738
90 Griswold School District Griswold 1,725
91 Oxford School District Oxford 1,717
92 Coventry School District Coventry 1,657
93 Regional School District 14 Woodbury 1,617
94 Windsor Locks School District Windsor Locks 1,549
95 North Branford School District Northford 1,538
96 Canton School District Collinsville 1,528
97 Clinton School District Clinton 1,497
98 Learn Old Lyme 1,410
99 Stafford School District Stafford Springs 1,401
100 Regional School District 13 Durham 1,365

Showing top 100 of 201 districts by enrollment.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 Local Education Agency Universe Federal universe survey of all U.S. school districts

Largest Schools in Connecticut

Danbury High School
Danbury — high
3,612
students
Greenwich High School
Greenwich — high
2,620
students
New Britain High School
New Britain — high
2,521
students
Westhill High School
Stamford — high
2,224
students
Trumbull High School
Trumbull — high
2,152
students
Stamford High School
Stamford — high
2,102
students
Norwich Free Academy
Norwich — high
2,020
students
Southington High School
Southington — high
1,905
students
West Haven High School
West Haven — high
1,813
students
Central High School
Bridgeport — high
1,803
students

Other States

Arkansas
AR public schools
California
CA public schools
Colorado
CO public schools
Delaware
DE public schools
District of Columbia
DC public schools
Florida
FL public schools

Side-by-side: Compare Bridgeport School District vs New Haven School District → · Compare any two districts

Data sourced from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25, NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Using the Connecticut data

Connecticut's 1,005 schools sit inside 201 districts — compare at the district level first.

  • District boundaries decide enrollment: shortlist 2-3 districts on spending, ratio, and size before comparing individual schools. Compare districts
  • Check how Connecticut distributes money across its districts — funding equity varies more within states than between them. Funding equity
  • Verify any school's federal record (enrollment, staffing, CRDC flags) before a visit or enrollment decision. Look up a school

Figures are the federal record (CCD 2024-25, F-33 FY 2021-22, CRDC 2021-22) — they lag the current school year and describe reported data, not school quality. PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public schools are in Connecticut?

Connecticut has 1,005 public schools across 201 school districts, serving 491,941 students.

What is the average student-teacher ratio in Connecticut?

The average student-teacher ratio in Connecticut public schools is 12.1:1. This varies by district — use the district table below to compare.

What percentage of Connecticut students qualify for free lunch?

36.4% of students in Connecticut qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of economic need used for Title I funding.

What is the largest school district in Connecticut?

The largest school district in Connecticut is Bridgeport School District with 19,337 students across 36 schools.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Top schools in Connecticut by enrollment

Largest K-12 public schools by total students enrolled

students

What this shows The largest public schools in Connecticut by enrollment — often statewide virtual academies or large consolidated campuses, so size here reflects reach, not quality.

Source NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) As of 2024-25

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) — Public school universe · 2023-2024 Public K-12 school enrollment, demographics, and operational data; collected annually by NCES from state education agencies.