How many public schools are in the United States?

The NCES directory lists 99,073 public schools operating in the 50 states and D.C. in the 2024-25 school year; 94,177 of them reported students, 48,582,474 in all, in 17,648 districts. Among those, California and Texas hold the most, 9,918 and 8,846. The average school had 516 students.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: the directory's operating schools, and those that reported fall membership · data checked · method

Public schools, NCES directory99,07394,177 reported students; 55% of those elementary
Students48,582,474516 per school on average
Students per teacher15.3Maine 10.9 to California 20.9

Ten states hold 49% of the schools

  1. California9,918
  2. Texas8,846
  3. New York4,767
  4. Florida3,929
  5. Illinois3,817
  6. Ohio3,471
  7. Michigan3,326
  8. Pennsylvania2,899
  9. North Carolina2,653
  10. New Jersey2,480

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year.

Schools by level

LevelSchoolsStudents
Elementary51,39822,431,197
Middle15,7848,806,125
High21,72715,255,893
Other or none5,2682,089,259

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, directory level; secondary (grades 7 to 12) schools counted as high.

Schools are largest in Georgia and smallest in Montana

Average students per school, 2024-25: 756 in Georgia against 178 in Montana; the U.S. average is 516.

Average students per public school by state, 2024-25AK 266; AL 548; AR 466; AZ 505; CA 582; CO 460; CT 494; DC 387; DE 629; FL 718; GA 756; HI 566; IA 381; ID 407; IL 482; IN 564; KS 357; KY 471; LA 515; MA 508; MD 643; ME 297; MI 410; MN 372; MO 384; MS 506; MT 178; NC 578; ND 238; NE 327; NH 331; NJ 544; NM 352; NV 657; NY 523; OH 477; OK 394; OR 423; PA 571; RI 442; SC 654; SD 208; TN 544; TX 613; UT 647; VA 676; VT 271; WA 447; WI 375; WV 380; WY 257AK: 266AK266ME: 297ME297WI: 375WI375VT: 271VT271NH: 331NH331WA: 447WA447ID: 407ID407MT: 178MT178ND: 238ND238MN: 372MN372IL: 482IL482MI: 410MI410NY: 523NY523MA: 508MA508OR: 423OR423NV: 657NV657WY: 257WY257SD: 208SD208IA: 381IA381IN: 564IN564OH: 477OH477PA: 571PA571NJ: 544NJ544CT: 494CT494RI: 442RI442CA: 582CA582UT: 647UT647CO: 460CO460NE: 327NE327MO: 384MO384KY: 471KY471WV: 380WV380VA: 676VA676MD: 643MD643DE: 629DE629AZ: 505AZ505NM: 352NM352KS: 357KS357AR: 466AR466TN: 544TN544NC: 578NC578SC: 654SC654DC: 387DC387OK: 394OK394LA: 515LA515MS: 506MS506AL: 548AL548GA: 756GA756HI: 566HI566TX: 613TX613FL: 718FL718
Average students per public school by state, 2024-25AK 266; AL 548; AR 466; AZ 505; CA 582; CO 460; CT 494; DC 387; DE 629; FL 718; GA 756; HI 566; IA 381; ID 407; IL 482; IN 564; KS 357; KY 471; LA 515; MA 508; MD 643; ME 297; MI 410; MN 372; MO 384; MS 506; MT 178; NC 578; ND 238; NE 327; NH 331; NJ 544; NM 352; NV 657; NY 523; OH 477; OK 394; OR 423; PA 571; RI 442; SC 654; SD 208; TN 544; TX 613; UT 647; VA 676; VT 271; WA 447; WI 375; WV 380; WY 257AK: 266AK266ME: 297ME297WI: 375WI375VT: 271VT271NH: 331NH331WA: 447WA447ID: 407ID407MT: 178MT178ND: 238ND238MN: 372MN372IL: 482IL482MI: 410MI410NY: 523NY523MA: 508MA508OR: 423OR423NV: 657NV657WY: 257WY257SD: 208SD208IA: 381IA381IN: 564IN564OH: 477OH477PA: 571PA571NJ: 544NJ544CT: 494CT494RI: 442RI442CA: 582CA582UT: 647UT647CO: 460CO460NE: 327NE327MO: 384MO384KY: 471KY471WV: 380WV380VA: 676VA676MD: 643MD643DE: 629DE629AZ: 505AZ505NM: 352NM352KS: 357KS357AR: 466AR466TN: 544TN544NC: 578NC578SC: 654SC654DC: 387DC387OK: 394OK394LA: 515LA515MS: 506MS506AL: 548AL548GA: 756GA756HI: 566HI566TX: 613TX613FL: 718FL718
Average students per public school by state, 2024-25AK 266; AL 548; AR 466; AZ 505; CA 582; CO 460; CT 494; DC 387; DE 629; FL 718; GA 756; HI 566; IA 381; ID 407; IL 482; IN 564; KS 357; KY 471; LA 515; MA 508; MD 643; ME 297; MI 410; MN 372; MO 384; MS 506; MT 178; NC 578; ND 238; NE 327; NH 331; NJ 544; NM 352; NV 657; NY 523; OH 477; OK 394; OR 423; PA 571; RI 442; SC 654; SD 208; TN 544; TX 613; UT 647; VA 676; VT 271; WA 447; WI 375; WV 380; WY 257AK: 266AKME: 297MEWI: 375WIVT: 271VTNH: 331NHWA: 447WAID: 407IDMT: 178MTND: 238NDMN: 372MNIL: 482ILMI: 410MINY: 523NYMA: 508MAOR: 423ORNV: 657NVWY: 257WYSD: 208SDIA: 381IAIN: 564INOH: 477OHPA: 571PANJ: 544NJCT: 494CTRI: 442RICA: 582CAUT: 647UTCO: 460CONE: 327NEMO: 384MOKY: 471KYWV: 380WVVA: 676VAMD: 643MDDE: 629DEAZ: 505AZNM: 352NMKS: 357KSAR: 466ARTN: 544TNNC: 578NCSC: 654SCDC: 387DCOK: 394OKLA: 515LAMS: 506MSAL: 548ALGA: 756GAHI: 566HITX: 613TXFL: 718FL
Average students per public school by state, 2024-25AK 266; AL 548; AR 466; AZ 505; CA 582; CO 460; CT 494; DC 387; DE 629; FL 718; GA 756; HI 566; IA 381; ID 407; IL 482; IN 564; KS 357; KY 471; LA 515; MA 508; MD 643; ME 297; MI 410; MN 372; MO 384; MS 506; MT 178; NC 578; ND 238; NE 327; NH 331; NJ 544; NM 352; NV 657; NY 523; OH 477; OK 394; OR 423; PA 571; RI 442; SC 654; SD 208; TN 544; TX 613; UT 647; VA 676; VT 271; WA 447; WI 375; WV 380; WY 257AK: 266AKME: 297MEWI: 375WIVT: 271VTNH: 331NHWA: 447WAID: 407IDMT: 178MTND: 238NDMN: 372MNIL: 482ILMI: 410MINY: 523NYMA: 508MAOR: 423ORNV: 657NVWY: 257WYSD: 208SDIA: 381IAIN: 564INOH: 477OHPA: 571PANJ: 544NJCT: 494CTRI: 442RICA: 582CAUT: 647UTCO: 460CONE: 327NEMO: 384MOKY: 471KYWV: 380WVVA: 676VAMD: 643MDDE: 629DEAZ: 505AZNM: 352NMKS: 357KSAR: 466ARTN: 544TNNC: 578NCSC: 654SCDC: 387DCOK: 394OKLA: 515LAMS: 506MSAL: 548ALGA: 756GAHI: 566HITX: 613TXFL: 718FL

Average students per school

  • 178 to under 357
  • 357 to under 423
  • 423 to under 506
  • 506 to under 578
  • 578 and up
All 51 values as a table
StateStudents per schoolSchools
Georgia7562,287
Florida7183,929
Virginia6761,845
Nevada657722
South Carolina6541,183
Utah6471,044
Maryland6431,370
Delaware629222
Texas6138,846
California5829,918
North Carolina5782,653
Pennsylvania5712,899
Hawaii566295
Indiana5641,822
Alabama5481,357
Tennessee5441,804
New Jersey5442,480
New York5234,767
Louisiana5151,277
Massachusetts5081,793
Mississippi506844
Arizona5052,183
Connecticut494987
Illinois4823,817
Ohio4773,471
Kentucky4711,381
Arkansas4661,041
Colorado4601,861
Washington4472,437
Rhode Island442302
Oregon4231,266
Michigan4103,326
Idaho407767
Oklahoma3941,755
District of Columbia387240
Missouri3842,294
Iowa3811,290
West Virginia380630
Wisconsin3752,148
Minnesota3722,321
Kansas3571,328
New Mexico352859
New Hampshire331484
Nebraska327993
Maine297553
Vermont271283
Alaska266483
Wyoming257346
North Dakota238486
South Dakota208670
Montana178818

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: enrollment divided by schools open that year, by state.

States with the most students

StateStudentsSchoolsShare of U.S.
California5,770,9939,91811.9%
Texas5,427,0008,84611.2%
Florida2,820,9023,9295.8%
New York2,493,6544,7675.1%
Illinois1,838,5623,8173.8%
Georgia1,728,1982,2873.6%
Pennsylvania1,656,1132,8993.4%
Ohio1,654,7733,4713.4%
North Carolina1,534,3082,6533.2%
Michigan1,364,6953,3262.8%

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: fall 2024 membership, schools open that year.

Reference figures with their sources

FigureValueSource and year
Public schools operating99,073NCES CCD 2024-25 directory, 50 states and D.C.
Public schools that reported students94,177NCES CCD 2024-25 membership
Students enrolled48,582,474NCES CCD 2024-25 membership
Districts and agencies with an open school17,648NCES CCD 2024-25
Students per teacher, average school15.3NCES CCD 2024-25 staff
Students eligible for free meals50.6% (reporting schools)NCES CCD 2024-25 lunch file
Current spending per student, newest year$17,619Census Bureau fiscal year 2023-24
Current spending per student$16,260NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 (the year the district records use)
Chronically absent, average school26.5%EDFacts 2022-23
Charter schools7,592 (3,858,033 students)NCES CCD 2024-25 directory
Schools teaching online1,433NCES CCD 2024-25 virtual status
Title I schoolwide programs, schools open in 2024-2540,865NCES CCD 2021-22, the latest Title I status published
Title I targeted programs, schools open in 2024-258,752NCES CCD 2021-22

Quote any figure with its source and year. The state summary behind these tables: plainschools-state-summary.csv.

Sources

Compiled from official source data by .