Largest school districts in the United States by enrollment
Last updated May 13, 2024
During the 2021-2022 school year, there were 13,253 public school districts. These school districts enrolled 46,512,056 students across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
A total of 14,021,186 students (30.15%) attended schools within the nation's 200 largest school districts by enrollment.[1] Ballotpedia's coverage scope includes these 200 districts as well as all school districts in America's 100 largest cities by population. However, only these 200 districts are included on this page.
As of the 2021-2022 school year, the largest school district was the New York City Department of Education with 847,030 students. The smallest school district in the top 200 was Norfolk Public Schools in Virginia with 27,478 students.
National map
Hover over the map below to see the total number of top 200 school districts in each state:
Districts by state
Click on the tabs for specific state details:
Alabama
- See also: List of school districts in Alabama
There were two districts in Alabama in the top 200 school districts:
- Mobile County Public Schools: 52,614 students
- Jefferson County Schools: 35,819 students
Alaska
- See also: List of school districts in Alaska
There was one district in Alaska in the top 200 school districts:
- Anchorage School District: 43,054 students
Arizona
- See also: List of school districts in Arizona
There were seven districts in Arizona in the top 200 school districts:
- Mesa Public Schools: 58,859 students
- Chandler Unified School District: 43,923 students
- Tucson Unified School District: 42,002 students
- Peoria Unified School District: 36,741 students
- Gilbert Public Schools: 33,775 students
- Deer Valley Unified School District: 33,353 students
- Paradise Valley Unified School District: 28,707 students
Arkansas
- See also: List of school districts in Arkansas
There were no districts in Arkansas in the top 200 school districts.
California
- See also: List of school districts in California
There were 23 districts in California in the top 200 school districts:
- Los Angeles Unified School District: 435,958 students
- San Diego Unified School District: 95,233 students
- Fresno Unified School District: 69,873 students
- Long Beach Unified School District: 67,292 students
- Elk Grove Unified School District: 62,229 students
- Corona-Norco Unified School District: 50,889 students
- San Francisco Unified School District: 49,204 students
- San Bernardino City Unified School District: 46,509 students
- Kern High School District: 42,863 students
- Capistrano Unified School District: 42,754 students
- Clovis Unified School District: 42,699 students
- Santa Ana Unified School District: 41,835 students
- Sacramento City Unified School District: 39,711 students
- Riverside Unified School District: 39,626 students
- Garden Grove Unified School District: 38,560 students
- San Juan Unified School District: 38,289 students
- Sweetwater Union High School District: 36,557 students
- Stockton Unified School District: 36,202 students
- Poway Unified School District: 35,192 students
- Fontana Unified School District: 35,101 students
- Oakland Unified School District: 34,428 students
- Fremont Unified School District: 33,873 students
- Moreno Valley Unified School District: 31,609 students
Colorado
- See also: List of school districts in Colorado
There were six districts in Colorado in the top 200 school districts:
- Denver Public Schools: 88,911 students
- Jeffco Public Schools: 76,904 students
- Douglas County School District: 63,596 students
- Cherry Creek School District: 53,587 students
- Aurora Public Schools: 38,451 students
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools: 36,078 students
Connecticut
- See also: List of school districts in Connecticut
There were no districts in Connecticut in the top 200 school districts.
Delaware
- See also: List of school districts in Delaware
There were no districts in Delaware in the top 200 school districts.
District of Columbia
There was one district in the District of Columbia in the top 200 school districts:
- District of Columbia Public Schools: 48,635 students
Florida
- See also: List of school districts in Florida
There were 25 districts in Florida in the top 200 school districts:
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools: 328,589 students
- Broward County Public Schools: 256,037 students
- Hillsborough County Public Schools: 224,149 students
- Orange County Public Schools: 203,224 students
- School District of Palm Beach County: 187,943 students
- Duval County Public Schools: 128,948 students
- Polk County Public Schools: 105,422 students
- School District of Lee County: 97,264 students
- Pinellas County Schools: 95,446 students
- Pasco County Schools: 81,157 students
- Brevard Public Schools: 72,497 students
- School District of Osceola County: 72,427 students
- Seminole County Public Schools: 66,729 students
- Volusia County Schools: 62,666 students
- School District of Manatee County: 50,248 students
- St. Johns County School District: 48,032 students
- Collier County Public Schools: 47,617 students
- Lake County Schools: 45,845 students
- Sarasota County Schools: 43,896 students
- St. Lucie Public Schools: 43,612 students
- Marion County Public Schools: 42,678 students
- Clay County District Schools: 38,593 students
- Escambia County School District: 37,804 students
- Leon County Schools: 32,562 students
- Okaloosa County School District,: 32,340 students
Georgien
- See also: List of school districts in Georgia
There were 11 districts in Georgia in the top 200 school districts:
- Gwinnett County Public Schools: 179,581 students
- Cobb County School District: 106,970 students
- DeKalb County School District: 93,473 students
- Fulton County Schools: 90,355 students
- Forsyth County Schools: 52,757 students
- Clayton County Public Schools: 52,335 students
- Atlanta Public Schools: 49,994 students
- Henry County Schools: 42,792 students
- Cherokee County School District: 42,049 students
- Savannah-Chatham County Public School System: 35,925 students
- Muscogee County School District: 30,085 students
Hawaii
- See also: List of school districts in Hawaii
There was one district in Hawaii in the top 200 school districts:
- Hawaii State Department of Education: 173,178 students
Idaho
- See also: List of school districts in Idaho
There was one district in Idaho in the top 200 school districts:
- West Ada School District: 39,332 students
Illinois
- See also: List of school districts in Illinois
There were two districts in Illinois in the top 200 school districts:
- Chicago Public Schools: 329,836 students
- School District U-46: 35,864 students
Indiana
- See also: List of school districts in Indiana
There were no districts in Indiana in the top 200 school districts.
Iowa
- See also: List of school districts in Iowa
There was one district in Iowa in the top 200 school districts:
- Des Moines Public Schools: 31,323 students
Kansas
- See also: List of school districts in Kansas
There was one district in Kansas in the top 200 school districts:
- Wichita Public Schools: 46,657 students
Kentucky
- See also: List of school districts in Kentucky
There were two districts in Kentucky in the top 200 school districts:
- Jefferson County Public Schools: 94,393 students
- Fayette County Public Schools: 41,415 students
Louisiana
- See also: List of school districts in Louisiana
There were four districts in Louisiana in the top 200 school districts:
- Jefferson Parish Public School System: 46,896 students
- East Baton Rouge Parish School System: 41,043 students
- St. Tammany Parish Public Schools: 37,048 students
- Caddo Parish Public Schools: 34,746 students
Maine
- See also: List of school districts in Maine
There were no districts in Maine in the top 200 school districts.
Maryland
- See also: List of school districts in Maryland
There were eight districts in Maryland in the top 200 school districts:
- Montgomery County Public Schools: 158,231 students
- Prince George's County Public Schools: 128,770 students
- Baltimore County Public Schools: 111,136 students
- Anne Arundel County Public Schools: 83,163 students
- Baltimore City Public School System: 77,807 students
- Howard County Public Schools: 57,325 students
- Frederick County Public Schools: 45,220 students
- Harford County Public Schools: 37,920 students
Massachusetts
There was one district in Massachusetts in the top 200 school districts:
- Boston Public Schools: 46,169 students
Michigan
- See also: List of school districts in Michigan
There was one district in Michigan in the top 200 school districts:
- Detroit Public Schools Community District: 48,536 students
Minnesota
- See also: List of school districts in Minnesota
There were three districts in Minnesota in the top 200 school districts:
- Anoka-Hennepin School District: 38,230 students
- Saint Paul Public Schools: 33,475 students
- Minneapolis Public Schools: 30,115 students
Mississippi
- See also: List of school districts in Mississippi
There was one district in Mississippi in the top 200 school districts:
- DeSoto County School District: 34,469 students
Missouri
- See also: List of school districts in Missouri
There were no districts in Missouri in the top 200 school districts.
Montana
- See also: List of school districts in Montana
There were no districts in Montana in the top 200 school districts.
Nebraska
- See also: List of school districts in Nebraska
There were two districts in Nebraska in the top 200 school districts:
- Omaha Public Schools: 51,626 students
- Lincoln Public Schools: 41,747 students
Nevada
- See also: List of school districts in Nevada
There were two districts in Nevada in the top 200 school districts:
- Clark County School District: 315,787 students
- Washoe County School District: 65,538 students
New Hampshire
There were no districts in New Hampshire in the top 200 school districts.
New Jersey
- See also: List of school districts in New Jersey
There was one district in New Jersey in the top 200 school districts:
- Newark Public Schools: 40,876 students
New Mexico
- See also: List of school districts in New Mexico
There was one district in New Mexico in the top 200 school districts:
- Albuquerque Public Schools: 81,762 students
New York
- See also: List of school districts in New York
There were two districts in New York in the top 200 school districts:
- New York City Department of Education: 847,030 students
- Buffalo Public Schools: 30,823 students
North Carolina
There were nine districts in North Carolina in the top 200 school districts:
- Wake County Public School System: 160,099 students
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: 143,244 students
- Guilford County Schools: 69,173 students
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools: 52,681 students
- Cumberland County Schools: 48,860 students
- Union County Public Schools: 40,600 students
- Johnston County Schools: 37,823 students
- Cabarrus County Schools: 33,562 students
- Durham Public Schools: 31,754 students
North Dakota
- See also: List of school districts in North Dakota
There were no districts in North Dakota in the top 200 school districts.
Ohio
- See also: List of school districts in Ohio
There were three districts in Ohio in the top 200 school districts:
- Columbus City Schools: 45,547 students
- Cincinnati Public Schools: 35,820 students
- Cleveland Metropolitan School District: 35,319 students
Oklahoma
- See also: List of school districts in Oklahoma
There were two districts in Oklahoma in the top 200 school districts:
- Tulsa Public Schools: 33,211 students
- Oklahoma City Public Schools: 32,086 students
Oregon
- See also: List of school districts in Oregon
There were three districts in Oregon in the top 200 school districts:
- Portland Public Schools: 45,171 students
- Salem-Keizer Public Schools: 39,507 students
- Beaverton School District: 39,253 students
Pennsylvania
- See also: List of school districts in Pennsylvania
There was one district in Pennsylvania in the top 200 school districts:
- School District of Philadelphia: 118,053 students
Rhode Island
- See also: List of school districts in Rhode Island
There were no districts in Rhode Island in the top 200 school districts.
South Carolina
There were four districts in South Carolina in the top 200 school districts:
- Greenville County School District: 76,939 students
- Charleston County School District: 49,331 students
- Horry County Schools: 46,551 students
- Berkeley County School District: 37,074 students
South Dakota
- See also: List of school districts in South Dakota
There were no districts in South Dakota in the top 200 school districts.
Tennessee
- See also: List of school districts in Tennessee
There were seven districts in Tennessee in the top 200 school districts:
- Memphis-Shelby County Schools: 105,596 students
- Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools: 80,381 students
- Knox County School District: 60,426 students
- Rutherford County Schools: 49,253 students
- Hamilton County School District: 45,176 students
- Williamson County Schools: 41,954 students
- Clarksville-Montgomery County School System: 37,680 students
Texas
- See also: List of school districts in Texas
There were 43 districts in Texas in the top 200 school districts:
- Houston Independent School District: 194,607 students
- Dallas Independent School District: 143,558 students
- Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District: 117,217 students
- Northside Independent School District: 102,377 students
- Katy Independent School District: 88,368 students
- Fort Bend Independent School District: 77,545 students
- Fort Worth Independent School District: 74,850 students
- Austin Independent School District: 74,602 students
- Conroe Independent School District: 67,761 students
- Frisco Independent School District: 65,825 students
- Aldine Independent School District: 61,633 students
- North East Independent School District: 59,830 students
- Arlington Independent School District: 56,311 students
- Garland Independent School District: 53,674 students
- Klein Independent School District: 53,294 students
- El Paso Independent School District: 50,769 students
- Plano Independent School District: 49,400 students
- Pasadena Independent School District: 49,326 students
- Lewisville Independent School District: 49,205 students
- Humble Independent School District: 48,112 students
- Socorro Independent School District: 47,278 students
- Round Rock Independent School District: 47,167 students
- San Antonio Independent School District: 44,710 students
- Killeen Independent School District: 43,882 students
- Leander Independent School District: 41,780 students
- Clear Creek Independent School District: 40,832 students
- Alief Independent School District: 40,664 students
- Lamar Consolidated Independent School District: 39,579 students
- United Independent School District: 39,316 students
- Brownsville Independent School District: 38,448 students
- Mesquite Independent School District: 38,378 students
- Richardson Independent School District: 37,633 students
- Ysleta Independent School District: 37,244 students
- Mansfield Independent School District: 35,559 students
- Keller Independent School District: 34,813 students
- Spring Branch Independent School District: 33,545 students
- Spring Independent School District: 33,425 students
- Corpus Christi Independent School District: 33,175 students
- Irving Independent School District: 32,378 students
- Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District: 32,078 students
- Ector County Independent School District: 31,810 students
- Amarillo Independent School District: 30,866 students
- Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District: 29,250 students
Utah
- See also: List of school districts in Utah
There were seven districts in Utah in the top 200 school districts:
- Alpine School District: 86,275 students
- Davis School District: 74,486 students
- Granite School District: 62,544 students
- Jordan School District: 59,363 students
- Washington County School District: 37,400 students
- Nebo School District: 36,229 students
- Canyons School District: 33,702 students
Vermont
- See also: List of school districts in Vermont
There were no districts in Vermont in the top 200 school districts.
Virginia
- See also: List of school districts in Virginia
There were eight districts in Virginia in the top 200 school districts:
- Fairfax County Public Schools: 178,479 students
- Prince William County Public Schools: 90,070 students
- Loudoun County Public Schools: 81,131 students
- Virginia Beach City Public Schools: 65,450 students
- Chesterfield County Public Schools: 62,445 students
- Henrico County Public Schools: 49,991 students
- Chesapeake Public Schools: 40,458 students
- Norfolk Public Schools: 27,478 students
Washington
- See also: List of school districts in Washington
There were two districts in Washington in the top 200 school districts:
- Seattle Public Schools: 51,443 students
- Lake Washington School District: 30,730 students
West Virginia
There were no districts in West Virginia in the top 200 school districts.
Wisconsin
- See also: List of school districts in Wisconsin
There was one district in Wisconsin in the top 200 school districts:
- Milwaukee Public Schools: 69,115 students
Wyoming
- See also: List of school districts in Wyoming
There were no districts in Wyoming in the top 200 school districts.
See also
- United States school districts
- List of school districts in the United States
- School board elections, 2024
- School board elections, 2023
- School board elections, 2022
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
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