Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives

District of Columbia

241 Schools61 Districts91K Students
$42,627
Avg Per-Pupil Spend
+197% nat'l
Free Lunch Rate
National avg 52.2%
76.2%
Graduation Rate
-10.3pp vs nat'l
37/100
Opportunity Score
Limited
⇄ Compare District of Columbia with another state
About District of Columbia Public Schools

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is unique among US education systems: it operates alongside a substantial and highly-regulated charter sector within a 68-square-mile city-state, with no surrounding suburban districts. DC's Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) oversees both DCPS and over 100 charter schools, which together enroll nearly 50% of the city's K-12 students — the highest charter share of any major city. DC has received more federal education funding per student than any other jurisdiction and has been a test bed for major reform strategies including mayoral control, turnaround schools, aggressive teacher evaluation (IMPACT), and intensive school choice. Academic gains in DC over the past two decades are among the most significant of any urban district on NAEP, even as significant equity gaps between high-income and low-income neighborhoods persist.

State Snapshot
State BoardDC State Board of Education
AssessmentDC CAPE (DC Comprehensive Assessment of Progress in Education)
Compulsory Ages5–18
School CalendarSchool year typically begins in late August
Total Enrollment90,689
Public Schools241
Neighboring States
School Districts (61)
Per-pupil spending in District of Columbia ranges from $20,885 to $242,838 across districts with available data. State avg: $42,627.
DistrictSchoolsStudentsPer-PupilGrad RateFree LunchOpp.
Large Districts — 10,000+ Students
District of Columbia Public Schools11650K$36,13415%72.8%36
Medium Districts — 1,000–9,999 Students
KIPP DC PCS207,361$36,41615%87.0%14%36
Friendship PCS154,609$22,66847%88.9%17%36
DC Prep PCS62,128$22,41147%33
District of Columbia International School11,590$25,80539%41
Rocketship Education DC PCS31,493$29,16732%33
Center City PCS61,408$30,51928%38
E.L. Haynes PCS31,164$30,87428%87.0%14%44
Two Rivers PCS31,052$28,61333%36
Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS21,007$27,54735%37
Capital City PCS31,004$30,95027%82.0%8%44
Small Districts — Fewer than 1,000 Students
Ingenuity Prep PCS1788$28,21634%38
Washington Latin PCS2760$56,07232%87.0%14%44
Paul PCS2694$29,58131%82.0%8%44
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS2673$26,83037%35
BASIS DC PCS1663$20,88551%92.5%21%
Meridian PCS1627$32,17425%36
Washington Yu Ying PCS1602$24,36743%38
Creative Minds International PCS1587$31,14427%44
Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS1553$30,23829%44
DC Scholars PCS1532$24,27943%33
DC Bilingual PCS1530$54,41428%44
Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS1518$50,56119%36
Digital Pioneers Academy PCS2511$35,02218%38
AppleTree Early Learning PCS6491$30,88628%36
Lee Montessori PCS2479$56,68233%35
Cedar Tree Academy PCS1463$21,83049%32
Perry Street Preparatory PCS1451$32,16825%36
Eagle Academy PCS2412$47,66412%38
Goodwill Excel Center PCS1405$22,15048%15.0%80%46
Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy1401$36,75914%82.0%8%33
Bridges PCS1380$40,77444
Washington Leadership Academy PCS1377$35,79316%38
Breakthrough Montessori PCS1346$33,39822%41
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS1318$35,64816%77.0%32
Kingsman Academy PCS1315$37,58312%52.0%32%36
Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS1314$31,26527%38
IDEA PCS1307$42,59382.0%8%33
Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts1300$31,29427%82.0%8%
Howard University Middle School of Math and Science PCS1284$29,77030%31
Sela PCS1280$28,14834%44
Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS1270$34,10020%38
Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS1262$28,75533%38
Maya Angelou PCS2252$122,946188%57.0%25%33
St. Coletta Special Education PCS1250$81,05590%
Early Childhood Academy PCS1250$31,68826%38
SEED PCS1248$59,01738%92.5%21%33
Washington Global PCS1240$28,89532%
Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS1228$209,101391%38
LEARN DC PCS1214$43,65938
Showing 50 of 61
Frequently Asked Questions
Data sourced from NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and Opportunity Atlas. Figures reflect the most recent available federal dataset (2021-22 / 2022-23). Learn more about our data sources.