Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
District of Columbia Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for District of Columbia — 94,038 students in 247 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 94,038 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 247 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 8,607 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 10.9 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 76.6% | 2015–16 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 17.4% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 44.5% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 78.7% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 19.3% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 30.6% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 42.1% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 13.5% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 61.9% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 18.8% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 1.5% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
District of Columbia state report card
Outcomes reported directly by District of Columbia’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how District of Columbia measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
5-year graduation rate How District of Columbia measures this5-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate reported in SY 2024-25 for the cohort of first-time 9th graders in 2020-21 (Class of 2024 cohort followed 5 years); statewide 'State' sector row on the '2024-25 Rate Overview' sheet. | 80.2% | 2024–25 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How District of Columbia measures thisDC CAPE (District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education) + MSAA alternate assessment combined ('Assessment Name'='All'): percent of full-academic-year tested students Meeting or Exceeding Expectations (Level 4-5 on DC CAPE; Level 3-4 on MSAA), Math, grades 3-8 plus required high-school course assessments (Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II); State aggregation row, 'Meeting, Exceeding' sheet, 'All' grade row. | 26.4% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How District of Columbia measures thisDC CAPE (District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education) + MSAA alternate assessment combined ('Assessment Name'='All'): percent of full-academic-year tested students Meeting or Exceeding Expectations (Level 4-5 on DC CAPE; Level 3-4 on MSAA), ELA, grades 3-8 plus required high-school course assessments (English I and English II); State aggregation row, 'Meeting, Exceeding' sheet, 'All' grade row. | 37.6% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How District of Columbia measures thisDC School Report Card 'Chronic Absenteeism' metric: percent of K-12 students absent 10% or more of enrolled instructional days (per DC School Report Card Technical Guide); students must be enrolled at least 20 instructional days to be included. 'All Report Card Students' row, State Overall Scores sheet. Pre-K has a separate metric (not included here: 43.7%). | 40.1% | 2024–25 |
Source: District of ColumbiaDepartment of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
District of Columbia schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in District of Columbia?+
94,038 students were enrolled in District of Columbia's 247 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 8,607 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What is District of Columbia's high school graduation rate?+
78.7% of District of Columbia's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by District of Columbia's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.