Public schools in Indiana

The NCES directory lists 1,919 public schools operating in Indiana in 2024-25; 1,822 of them reported 1,026,942 students, averaging 15.2 students per teacher, the 17th 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 Fort Wayne Community School District, with 28,537 students in 2024-25.

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

Schools1,8221,044 elementary, 328 middle, 389 high, 61 other
Students1,026,9422.1% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher15.2U.S. 15.3

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

Indiana ranks 17th 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. Alaska15.6
  2. Kentucky15.4
  3. Oklahoma15.4
  4. Indiana15.2
  5. Delaware14.6
  6. Texas14.5
  7. Minnesota14.2

Eight in ten larger Indiana districts spent between $10,527 and $14,569 per student

Among the 240 Indiana districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $10,527 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $14,569; the median was $12,329. 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, Indiana districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23240 values from $7,989 to $29,355; ; state median $12,329.$10,527$14,569the middle eight in ten3 more above $20,000 →← 1 below $5,000$5k$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,329
Current spending per student, Indiana districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23240 values from $7,989 to $29,355; ; state median $12,329.$10,527$14,569the middle eight in ten3 more above $20,000 →← 1 below $5,000$5k$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,329
Current spending per student, Indiana districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23240 values from $7,989 to $29,355; ; state median $12,329.$10,527$14,569the middle eight in ten3 more above $20,000 →← 1 below $5,000$5k$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,329
Current spending per student, Indiana districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23240 values from $7,989 to $29,355; ; state median $12,329.$10,527$14,569the middle eight in ten3 more above $20,000 →← 1 below $5,000$5k$10k$15k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,329

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, 40.8% of the Indiana students tested met the state's reading standard and 38.5% its math standard. Indiana writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Indiana'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 88.1% of 77,216 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 Indiana almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Indiana Connections Academy, 5,376 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Union Junior & High School, 3.3 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: DeKalb Co Eastern Com Sch Dist, $29,355 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Matchbook Learning, $100,256 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy, 0.1% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Bloomfield Middle School, 72 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Eastern Pulaski Community Sch Corp, 61.7 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Indiana

  1. Fort Wayne Community School District28,537
  2. Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation21,589
  3. Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation21,062
  4. Indianapolis Public Schools19,848
  5. MSD Lawrence Township16,747
  6. Carmel Clay Schools16,145
  7. MSD Wayne Township16,094
  8. Perry Township Schools14,899

Every Indiana 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. Indianapolis150,172 students219 schools
  2. Fort Wayne46,306 students74 schools
  3. Evansville22,227 students40 schools
  4. South Bend16,466 students35 schools
  5. Elkhart17,460 students29 schools
  6. Bloomington11,962 students26 schools
  7. Lafayette14,952 students24 schools
  8. Valparaiso10,682 students23 schools
  9. Terre Haute11,196 students21 schools
  10. Gary11,157 students21 schools
  11. Fishers20,449 students21 schools
  12. Muncie9,282 students19 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 Indiana's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Indiana?
    The NCES directory lists 1,919 operating in 2024-25; 1,822 of them reported students: 1,044 elementary, 328 middle, 389 high and 61 other, enrolling 1,026,942 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Indiana?
    15.2 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 Indiana?
    Fort Wayne Community School District, with 28,537 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Indiana spend per public-school student?
    $12,966 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 .