New Hampshire · NCES CCD 2024-25
Best-Resourced School Districts in New Hampshire Top 50 districts ranked by average school quality score, based on student-teacher ratios, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance.
Compiled by PlainSchools , Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026
50 Districts ranked
76,996 Students enrolled
44/100 Avg quality score
C+ Top grade The ranking in one line
Dresden School District in Hanover leads New Hampshire's districts with an average school quality score of 60.5/100 across 2 schools.
60.5/100 top district score (grade C+)
2 schools in Dresden School District
1,017 students in the top district
44/100 average across the top 50
# District Grade Students Schools Avg S:T Per-Pupil $ Avg Quality 1 Dresden School District Hanover C+ 1,017 2 10.4:1 $26,057 60.5 2 Hopkinton School District Contoocook C- 940 4 11.7:1 $23,087 51.8 3 Virtual Learning Academy Charter School Exeter C- 613 2 17.2:1 - 51.5 4 Academy for Science and Design Charter School Nashua C- 543 2 19.1:1 - 50 5 Hampton School District Hampton D 949 3 7.6:1 $25,125 48.3 6 Hollis-Brookline Cooperative School District Hollis D 1,141 2 12.4:1 $21,287 48 7 Littleton School District Littleton D 653 3 8.9:1 $26,757 47.7 8 Merrimack School District Merrimack D 3,570 6 11.8:1 $21,779 47 9 Exeter Region Cooperative School District Exeter D 2,406 2 11.7:1 $24,821 47 10 Hampstead School District Hampstead D 836 2 11.8:1 $28,194 47 11 Milton School District Milton D 513 3 12.3:1 $22,300 47 12 Bedford School District Bedford D 4,169 6 12.7:1 $18,552 46.3 13 Newmarket School District Newmarket D 970 3 10.6:1 $23,454 45.3 14 Kearsarge Regional School District New London D 1,734 7 9.8:1 $24,958 45 15 Epping School District Epping D 887 3 10.4:1 $22,737 44.7 16 Lebanon School District West Lebanon D 1,638 4 11.7:1 $25,858 44.5 17 Governor Wentworth Regional School District Wolfeboro Falls D 2,137 8 9.5:1 $24,829 44.4 18 Portsmouth School District Portsmouth D 2,490 6 10.6:1 $25,059 44 19 Contoocook Valley School District Peterborough D 1,975 11 9.4:1 $27,086 43.9 20 Sanborn Regional School District Kingston D 1,400 4 9.8:1 $24,731 43.8 21 Hinsdale School District Hinsdale D 527 3 9.4:1 $27,254 43.7 22 Hollis School District Hollis D 666 2 12.4:1 $21,260 43.5 23 Derry Cooperative School District Derry D 3,135 8 15.5:1 $22,014 43.4 24 Pelham School District Pelham D 1,688 3 11:1 $18,707 43.3 25 Merrimack Valley School District Penacook D 2,242 7 11.4:1 $19,273 43.1 26 Exeter School District Exeter D 833 2 10.6:1 $26,906 43 27 Somersworth School District Somersworth D 1,336 4 11.4:1 $22,157 42.8 28 Amherst School District Amherst D 1,348 2 11.6:1 $22,365 42.5 29 Litchfield School District Litchfield D 1,207 3 11.6:1 $18,942 42.3 30 Londonderry School District Londonderry D 4,128 6 11.1:1 $20,750 42 31 Timberlane Regional School District Plaistow D 3,316 7 11.9:1 $21,048 41.9 32 Mascoma Valley Regional School District Enfield D 1,098 4 10.9:1 $25,410 41.8 33 Shaker Regional School District Belmont D 1,168 4 10.7:1 $21,789 41.5 34 Windham School District Windham D 3,013 4 14.8:1 $18,379 41 35 Brookline School District Hollis D 582 2 11.4:1 $18,100 41 36 Gilford School District Gilford D 1,126 3 10.4:1 $21,371 40.7 37 Fall Mountain Regional School District Langdon D 1,425 12 11.3:1 $23,881 40.3 38 Milford School District Milford D 2,131 5 10.6:1 $20,617 40.2 39 Oyster River Coop School District Durham D 2,146 5 12.7:1 $22,976 40 40 Bow School District Bow D 1,665 3 18.2:1 $18,784 40 41 Farmington School District Farmington D 797 3 9.2:1 $20,954 40 42 Newfound Area School District Bristol F 1,171 6 12:1 $21,003 39.8 43 Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District Lyndeborough F 565 4 9.6:1 $21,492 39.5 44 Hooksett School District Hooksett F 1,265 3 13.6:1 $21,035 39.3 45 Newport School District Newport F 819 3 8.9:1 $23,673 39.3 46 White Mountains Regional School District Whitefield F 979 3 8.8:1 $26,287 39 47 Goffstown School District Goffstown F 2,773 5 12.8:1 $16,886 38.4 48 Hillsboro-Deering Cooperative School District Hillsborough F 1,046 3 9.8:1 $24,312 38.3 49 Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District Meredith F 918 4 10.4:1 $31,036 38.3 50 Winnisquam Regional School District Tilton F 1,302 5 12.5:1 $19,705 37.8
Frequently Asked Questions What are the best school districts in New Hampshire? ▼ The top-ranked district in New Hampshire is Dresden School District in Hanover with 1,017 students across 2 schools. Average quality score: 60.5/100. Rankings are based on average school quality scores from NCES data.
How are district rankings calculated? ▼ Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be ranked.
How many school districts are in New Hampshire? ▼ New Hampshire has 50+ school districts serving 163,884 students. The statewide average student-teacher ratio is 11.3:1.
Explore More for New Hampshire Methodology
Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100)
are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 metrics: student-teacher ratio,
school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates.
Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be included. This measures
school-level resources, not test scores. Higher average scores indicate districts where
schools generally have smaller classes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.
Read our methodology
- how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.