Public schools in District of Columbia

The NCES directory lists 245 public schools operating in District of Columbia in 2024-25; 240 of them reported 92,916 students, averaging 11.0 students per teacher, tied for 46th with New Hampshire and Wyoming 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 District of Columbia Public Schools, with 51,245 students in 2024-25.

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

Schools240144 elementary, 42 middle, 43 high, 11 other
Students92,9160.2% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher11.0U.S. 15.3

District of Columbia has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

District of Columbia ranks 46th 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. New Jersey11.6
  2. New York11.4
  3. Vermont11.1
  4. District of Columbia11.0
  5. New Hampshire11.0
  6. Wyoming11.0
  7. Maine10.9

Eight in ten larger District of Columbia districts spent between $24,063 and $31,629 per student

Among the 11 District of Columbia districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $24,063 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $31,629; the median was $27,018. 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, District of Columbia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2311 values from $23,955 to $31,705; ; state median $27,018.$24,063$31,629the middle eight in ten$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $27,018
Current spending per student, District of Columbia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2311 values from $23,955 to $31,705; ; state median $27,018.$24,063$31,629the middle eight in ten$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $27,018
Current spending per student, District of Columbia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2311 values from $23,955 to $31,705; ; state median $27,018.$24,063$31,629the middle eight in ten$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $27,018
Current spending per student, District of Columbia districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2311 values from $23,955 to $31,705; ; state median $27,018.$24,063$31,629the middle eight in ten$20k$30k$40kcurrent spending per studentstate median $27,018

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, 33.5% of the District of Columbia students tested met the state's reading standard and 21.8% its math standard. District of Columbia writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare District of Columbia'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 76.5% of 4,759 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 District of Columbia almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Jackson-Reed High School, 1,855 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Tubman Elementary School, 6.0 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Digital Pioneers Academy PCS, $35,597 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: District of Columbia Public Schools, $124,986 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Ross Elementary School, 5.3% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: The Sojourner Truth School PCS, 63 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS, 50.5 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in District of Columbia

  1. District of Columbia Public Schools51,245
  2. KIPP DC Public Schools7,372
  3. Friendship Public Charter School4,378
  4. DC Prep PCS2,181
  5. District of Columbia International School1,654
  6. Center City PCS1,446
  7. Rocketship Education DC PCS1,197
  8. E.L. Haynes Public Charter School1,184

Every District of Columbia 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. Washington92,875 students239 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 District of Columbia's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in District of Columbia?
    The NCES directory lists 245 operating in 2024-25; 240 of them reported students: 144 elementary, 42 middle, 43 high and 11 other, enrolling 92,916 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in District of Columbia?
    11.0 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 District of Columbia?
    District of Columbia Public Schools, with 51,245 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does District of Columbia spend per public-school student?
    $30,462 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 .