All rankings · District of Columbia
Best District of Columbia public schools
Eight rankings of District of Columbia's public schools from the latest NCES + state-assessment data. Unlike most school rankings, this list leads with BeatsExpectations: a demographics-adjusted score that asks how a school performs relative to what its student population would predict, not just in absolute terms.
District of Columbia schools with the lowest student-teacher ratios
Schools with 200+ students reporting the fewest students per teacher. Excludes virtual.| # | School | City | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tubman ES | Washington | 6.0:1 |
| 2 | Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS | Washington | 6.7:1 |
| 3 | Sela PCS | Washington | 7.0:1 |
| 4 | Plummer ES | Washington | 7.5:1 |
| 5 | Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory HS | Washington | 7.7:1 |
| 6 | Anacostia HS | Washington | 7.7:1 |
| 7 | Moten ES | Washington | 7.7:1 |
| 8 | Thomas ES | Washington | 7.9:1 |
| 9 | DC Bilingual PCS | Washington | 8.0:1 |
| 10 | LaSalle-Backus ES | Washington | 8.0:1 |
| 11 | Washington Leadership Academy PCS | Washington | 8.0:1 |
| 12 | Walker-Jones Education Campus | Washington | 8.1:1 |
| 13 | Patterson ES | Washington | 8.2:1 |
| 14 | Thomson ES | Washington | 8.2:1 |
| 15 | Capital City PCS - HS | Washington | 8.2:1 |
Fastest-growing District of Columbia public schools, 2017-2024
Schools open in both years with 200+ enrollment in 2017, ranked by % change.| # | School | City | Enrollment Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coolidge HS | Washington | +232% |
| 2 | Eliot-Hine MS | Washington | +113% |
| 3 | District of Columbia International School | Washington | +106% |
| 4 | Washington Leadership Academy PCS | Washington | +89% |
| 5 | Van Ness ES | Washington | +88% |
| 6 | Hardy MS | Washington | +61% |
| 7 | Ingenuity Prep PCS | Washington | +61% |
| 8 | Brookland MS | Washington | +60% |
| 9 | Garrison ES | Washington | +58% |
| 10 | John Lewis ES | Washington | +54% |
| 11 | Bancroft ES | Washington | +51% |
| 12 | Sela PCS | Washington | +50% |
| 13 | Benjamin Banneker HS | Washington | +46% |
| 14 | Dunbar HS | Washington | +45% |
| 15 | Paul PCS - MS | Washington | +44% |
Most racially diverse District of Columbia public schools
Schools ranked by how balanced their student body is. The largest single racial group's share of enrollment, lowest first.| # | School | City | Max group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - Calle Ocho | Washington | 32.1% White (162) |
| 2 | LEARN DC PCS | Washington | 33.8% Black (98) |
| 3 | Washington Yu Ying PCS | Washington | 34.8% Black (244) |
| 4 | Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - J.F. Cook | Washington | 36.1% Hispanic (203) |
| 5 | Jackson-Reed HS | Washington | 36.2% White (672) |
| 6 | Seaton ES | Washington | 37.7% Hispanic (147) |
| 7 | Hyde-Addison ES | Washington | 38.0% White (152) |
| 8 | Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS - Brookland | Washington | 39.5% White (140) |
| 9 | Hardy MS | Washington | 39.6% White (250) |
| 10 | Lee Montessori PCS - Brookland | Washington | 39.9% White (119) |
| 11 | District of Columbia International School | Washington | 40.0% Hispanic (662) |
| 12 | John Lewis ES | Washington | 41.1% Black (209) |
| 13 | DC Bilingual PCS | Washington | 42.0% Hispanic (261) |
| 14 | Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS | Washington | 42.1% Black (220) |
| 15 | Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS | Washington | 42.5% White (243) |
Largest District of Columbia public schools
Brick-and-mortar schools ranked by total enrollment. Virtual schools excluded.| # | School | City | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson-Reed HS | Washington | 1,855 |
| 2 | District of Columbia International School | Washington | 1,654 |
| 3 | Columbia Heights Education Campus | Washington | 1,563 |
| 4 | Deal MS | Washington | 1,462 |
| 5 | Coolidge HS | Washington | 1,029 |
| 6 | Roosevelt HS | Washington | 943 |
| 7 | Lafayette ES | Washington | 923 |
| 8 | Eastern HS | Washington | 909 |
| 9 | Dunbar HS | Washington | 892 |
| 10 | Bancroft ES | Washington | 821 |
| 11 | Ingenuity Prep PCS | Washington | 797 |
| 12 | Oyster-Adams Bilingual School | Washington | 791 |
| 13 | Friendship PCS - Collegiate Academy | Washington | 745 |
| 14 | McKinley Technology HS | Washington | 723 |
| 15 | Janney ES | Washington | 717 |
About these rankings
These tables use the most recent NCES Common Core of Data (2024-25) for enrollment, demographics, and staffing, and state-native assessment data (typically 2023-24 or 2024-25) for proficiency. BeatsExpectations is computed via per-state ordinary-least-squares regression of composite proficiency on free-and-reduced-lunch share. Full methodology.
License: CC-BY 4.0. Reproduce these rankings anywhere with attribution to allk12.com. Press contact: [email protected].
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