Public schools in Rhode Island

The NCES directory lists 313 public schools operating in Rhode Island in 2024-25; 302 of them reported 133,518 students, averaging 13.2 students per teacher, the 35th 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 Providence, with 19,472 students in 2024-25.

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

Schools302172 elementary, 58 middle, 59 high, 13 other
Students133,5180.3% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher13.2U.S. 15.3

Rhode Island has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

Rhode Island ranks 35th 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. Pennsylvania13.3
  2. South Dakota13.3
  3. West Virginia13.3
  4. Rhode Island13.2
  5. Nebraska13.1
  6. Kansas12.9
  7. New Mexico12.7

Eight in ten larger Rhode Island districts spent between $18,082 and $23,929 per student

Among the 33 Rhode Island districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $18,082 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $23,929; the median was $20,044. 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, Rhode Island districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2333 values from $16,083 to $27,636; ; state median $20,044.$18,082$23,929the middle eight in ten$15k$20k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $20,044
Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2333 values from $16,083 to $27,636; ; state median $20,044.$18,082$23,929the middle eight in ten$15k$20k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $20,044
Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2333 values from $16,083 to $27,636; ; state median $20,044.$18,082$23,929the middle eight in ten$15k$20k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $20,044
Current spending per student, Rhode Island districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2333 values from $16,083 to $27,636; ; state median $20,044.$18,082$23,929the middle eight in ten$15k$20k$25k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $20,044

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, 35.1% of the Rhode Island students tested met the state's reading standard and 28.9% its math standard. Rhode Island writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Rhode Island'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 84.1% of 11,062 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 Rhode Island almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: East Providence High, 1,691 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Block Island School, 6.0 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Narragansett, $27,636 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Narragansett, $108,019 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Fogarty Memorial, 1.2% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Fogarty Memorial, 59 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Glocester, 55.5 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Rhode Island

  1. Providence19,472
  2. Cranston9,861
  3. Pawtucket7,708
  4. Warwick7,688
  5. Woonsocket5,325
  6. East Providence5,236
  7. Cumberland4,845
  8. Coventry4,010

Every Rhode Island 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. Providence26,259 students57 schools
  2. Cranston10,732 students24 schools
  3. Warwick7,688 students18 schools
  4. Pawtucket8,442 students18 schools
  5. Cumberland6,378 students13 schools
  6. Woonsocket6,259 students12 schools
  7. Central Falls3,766 students10 schools
  8. North Providence3,713 students9 schools
  9. North Kingstown3,748 students8 schools
  10. Johnston3,136 students8 schools
  11. East Providence3,532 students8 schools
  12. Lincoln4,038 students7 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 Rhode Island's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Rhode Island?
    The NCES directory lists 313 operating in 2024-25; 302 of them reported students: 172 elementary, 58 middle, 59 high and 13 other, enrolling 133,518 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Rhode Island?
    13.2 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 Rhode Island?
    Providence, with 19,472 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Rhode Island spend per public-school student?
    $21,019 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 .