Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
Nebraska Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for Nebraska — 330,483 students in 1,115 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 330,483 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 1,115 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 24,201 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 13.7 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 34.5% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 14.6% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 0.0% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 87.9% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 46.0% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 47.1% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 20.7% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 60.7% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 6.6% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 23.3% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 3.2% | 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.
Nebraska state report card
Outcomes reported directly by Nebraska’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 Nebraska measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
5-year graduation rate How Nebraska measures this5-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate, Class of 2024 (federal ACGR series); statewide ST row; cohort size not published in file | 90.6% | 2023–24 | |
College enrollment rate How Nebraska measures thisPercent of Class of 2022-23 Nebraska public HS graduates enrolled in any postsecondary institution as of 10/15/2024 (~16 months after graduation, NSC match); row labeled SchoolYear 2024-25 in NEP (reporting year, 2 years after the class) | 76.0% | 2022–23 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How Nebraska measures thisNSCAS Growth (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) Mathematics, published Grade=ALL state aggregate: grades 3-8 general assessment plus grade-11 NSCAS Alternate takers (~220 students; general grade-11 students take the ACT instead, reported separately); proficient = On Track + Advanced | 58.3% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How Nebraska measures thisNSCAS Growth (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) English Language Arts, published Grade=ALL state aggregate: grades 3-8 general assessment plus grade-11 NSCAS Alternate takers (~220 students; general grade-11 students take the ACT instead, reported separately); proficient = On Track + Advanced | 59.0% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How Nebraska measures thisPercent of public-school students chronically absent (absent 10% or more of enrolled school days); statewide ST row; eligible-enrollment denominator not published in file | 19.4% | 2024–25 |
Source: NebraskaDepartment 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.
Nebraska schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
Nebraska schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in Nebraska?+
330,483 students were enrolled in Nebraska's 1,115 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 24,201 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of Nebraska students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
34.5% of Nebraska public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is Nebraska's high school graduation rate?+
87.9% of Nebraska's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by Nebraska'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.