New Hampshire · NCES CCD 2024-25
Best 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.
50 Districts ranked
86,181 Students enrolled
43/100 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 61/100 across 2 schools.
61/100 top district score (grade C+)
2 schools in Dresden School District
1,017 students in the top district
43/100 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 10.1:1 $23,858 61 2 Academy for Science and Design Charter School Nashua C- 543 2 15.2:1 — 53.5 3 Hopkinton School District Contoocook C- 940 4 11.4:1 $22,192 52 4 Virtual Learning Academy Charter School Exeter C- 613 2 23.3:1 — 51 5 Hampton School District Hampton D 949 3 8:1 $24,686 48.3 6 Hollis-Brookline Cooperative School District Hollis D 1,141 2 12.7:1 $18,936 47.5 7 Milton School District Milton D 513 3 12.1:1 $21,763 47 8 Merrimack School District Merrimack D 3,570 6 12.1:1 $20,427 46.7 9 Exeter Region Cooperative School District Exeter D 2,406 2 12.2:1 $23,903 46.5 10 Hampstead School District Hampstead D 836 2 11.9:1 $33,557 46.5 11 Littleton School District Littleton D 653 3 10.4:1 $24,163 46 12 Bedford School District Bedford D 4,169 6 13.4:1 $17,544 45.8 13 Newmarket School District Newmarket D 970 3 10.5:1 $22,254 45.3 14 Lebanon School District West Lebanon D 1,638 4 11.6:1 $25,977 44.5 15 Epping School District Epping D 887 3 10.6:1 $21,524 44.3 16 Portsmouth School District Portsmouth D 2,490 6 10.7:1 $23,187 44 17 Governor Wentworth Regional School District Wolfeboro Falls D 2,137 8 9.7:1 $24,826 43.9 18 Contoocook Valley School District Peterborough D 1,975 11 9.5:1 $24,694 43.8 19 Winnisquam Regional School District Tilton D 1,302 5 11.8:1 $19,132 43.8 20 Derry Cooperative School District Derry D 3,135 8 14.7:1 $27,710 43.8 21 Hollis School District Hollis D 666 2 12.3:1 $21,114 43.5 22 Hinsdale School District Hinsdale D 527 3 9.6:1 $27,218 43.3 23 Merrimack Valley School District Penacook D 2,242 7 11.5:1 $19,092 43 24 Exeter School District Exeter D 833 2 11:1 $25,851 43 25 Kearsarge Regional School District New London D 1,734 7 11.2:1 $23,822 42.6 26 Amherst School District Amherst D 1,348 2 11.9:1 $23,106 42.5 27 Somersworth School District Somersworth D 1,336 4 11.6:1 $20,822 42.5 28 Pelham School District Pelham D 1,688 3 11.5:1 $18,196 42.3 29 Sanborn Regional School District Kingston D 1,400 4 11.2:1 $22,498 42.3 30 Timberlane Regional School District Plaistow D 3,316 7 11.9:1 $21,250 42.1 31 Londonderry School District Londonderry D 4,128 6 11.6:1 $20,160 41.7 32 Litchfield School District Litchfield D 1,207 3 12.5:1 $18,504 41.7 33 Shaker Regional School District Belmont D 1,168 4 11.4:1 $20,336 40.8 34 Mascoma Valley Regional School District Enfield D 1,098 4 11.5:1 $25,246 40.8 35 Fall Mountain Regional School District Langdon D 1,425 12 11.1:1 $22,487 40.6 36 Windham School District Windham D 3,013 4 15.3:1 $17,070 40.5 37 Brookline School District Hollis D 582 2 12.1:1 $17,290 40.5 38 Bow School District Bow D 1,665 3 17.9:1 $18,098 40.3 39 Oyster River Coop School District Durham D 2,146 5 12.7:1 $21,762 40 40 Milford School District Milford F 2,131 5 11.1:1 $19,661 39.8 41 Hooksett School District Hooksett F 1,265 3 13.3:1 $26,530 39.7 42 Gilford School District Gilford F 1,126 3 11.2:1 $21,089 39.7 43 Farmington School District Farmington F 797 3 10:1 $19,928 39.7 44 Newfound Area School District Bristol F 1,171 6 12.4:1 $21,365 39.5 45 Nashua School District Nashua F 10,004 20 11.4:1 $17,617 38.8 46 Goffstown School District Goffstown F 2,773 5 12.7:1 $16,330 38.6 47 Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District Meredith F 918 4 10.3:1 $29,799 38.5 48 White Mountains Regional School District Whitefield F 979 3 9.6:1 $23,245 38.3 49 Hillsboro-Deering Cooperative School District Hillsborough F 1,046 3 10.4:1 $23,322 38 50 Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District Lyndeborough F 565 4 10.7:1 $21,054 38
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: 61/100. 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 11.5:1.
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.