Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
Wisconsin Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for Wisconsin — 805,901 students in 2,229 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 805,901 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 2,229 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 58,686 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 13.7 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 40.2% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 11.0% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 6.0% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 92.0% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 38.7% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 38.1% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 24.6% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 65.7% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 8.8% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 14.5% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 4.3% | 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.
Wisconsin state report card
Outcomes reported directly by Wisconsin’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 Wisconsin measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
5-year graduation rate How Wisconsin measures this5-year cohort graduation rate, Class of 2024 (COHORT=2024, TIMEFRAME '5-Year rate', measured at end of SY 2024-25): Regular High School Diploma / COHORT_COUNT. school_year = cohort's expected 4-year graduation year. | 93.1% | 2023–24 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How Wisconsin measures thisWisconsin Forward Exam Mathematics, grades 3-8 only (grade 11 takes the ACT). Percent of TESTED students scoring Meeting or Advanced (TEST_RESULT_CODE 3-4) under the post-2023-24 performance levels; N-weighted aggregate of statewide per-grade counts, TEST_GROUP='Forward' (DLM excluded), No Test excluded from denominator. | 53.9% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How Wisconsin measures thisWisconsin Forward Exam ELA, grades 3-8 only (Forward does not test HS ELA; grade 11 takes the ACT). Percent of TESTED students scoring Meeting or Advanced (TEST_RESULT_CODE 3-4) under the post-2023-24 performance levels; N-weighted aggregate of statewide per-grade counts, TEST_GROUP='Forward' (DLM alternate assessment excluded), No Test excluded from denominator. | 52.8% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How Wisconsin measures thisStudents enrolled >=90 school days with an attendance rate <=90% (i.e., missed >=10% of enrolled days) as share of students enrolled >=90 days; unified 'ESSA/STATE' measure, statewide row, all grades with attendance reporting. Published ABSENCE_RATE=17.3 (=130131/752427). | 17.3% | 2024–25 |
Source: WisconsinDepartment 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.
Wisconsin schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
Wisconsin schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in Wisconsin?+
805,901 students were enrolled in Wisconsin's 2,229 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 58,686 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of Wisconsin students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
40.2% of Wisconsin public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is Wisconsin's high school graduation rate?+
92.0% of Wisconsin's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by Wisconsin'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.