Total enrollment
23,420
+3,889 (+20%) vs SY 2017-18
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Alaska · Public K-12
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska comes in at 39 public K-12 schools on the latest counts, totaling roughly 23,777 students, with a county median household income near $88,267. The level mix is 23 elementary, 4 middle, and 8 high schools.
7-year change in Fairbanks North Star Borough
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
35
-3 (-8%) vs SY 2017-18
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
95,460
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
39
3 districts
Enrollment
23,777
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$88,267
Above Alaska avg
Free/reduced lunch
33.3%
Below Alaska avg
Elementary
23
5,889 students
Middle
4
2,030 students
High
8
3,327 students
Combined / other
4
12,531 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
12,214 students · 3 districts in Fairbanks North Star Borough
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Fairbanks North Star Borough residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
33.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
2.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.3%
civilian labor
Median age
33
23.7% under 18
Test scores in Fairbanks North Star Borough
Latest 2023-24 ELA proficiency, 33 schools ranked. Alaska state average: 35.2%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Watershed Charter School· 60.2%
- Ben Eielson Jr/Sr High School· 58.3%
- Woodriver Elementary· 51.1%
- Anderson Crawford Elementary· 50.0%
- Two Rivers School· 48.8%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Hunter Elementary· 14.4%
- Effie Kokrine Charter School· 18.2%
- Ryan Middle School· 22.0%
- North Pole High School· 23.7%
- University Park Elementary· 25.7%
See all 33 schools in Fairbanks North Star Borough ranked by score →
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) | Fairbanks | Combined | PK-12 | 7,876 | · |
| Raven School | Fairbanks | Combined | PK-12 | 3,687 | · |
| Lathrop High School | Fairbanks | High | 09-12 | 788 | · |
| Fairbanks B.E.S.T. | Fairbanks | Combined | PK-12 | 784 | · |
| West Valley High School | Fairbanks | High | 09-12 | 782 | · |
| North Pole High School | North Pole | High | 09-12 | 695 | · |
| North Pole Middle School | North Pole | Middle | 06-08 | 631 | · |
| Tanana Middle School | Fairbanks | Middle | 06-08 | 523 | · |
| Ryan Middle School | Fairbanks | Middle | 06-08 | 463 | · |
| Barnette Magnet School | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-08 | 417 | · |
| Randy Smith Middle School | Fairbanks | Middle | 06-08 | 413 | · |
| Weller Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 413 | · |
| Pearl Creek Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 388 | · |
| Ladd Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-08 | 383 | · |
| Anderson Crawford Elementary | Eielson Afb | Elementary | PK-05 | 369 | · |
| Arctic Light Elementary | Fort Wainwright | Elementary | PK-05 | 361 | · |
| University Park Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 361 | · |
| Anne Wien Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 360 | · |
| Ben Eielson Jr/Sr High School | Eielson Afb | High | 06-12 | 357 | · |
| Hutchison High School | Fairbanks | High | 09-12 | 356 | · |
| Ticasuk Brown Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 351 | · |
| Woodriver Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 342 | · |
| Hunter Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 332 | · |
| Midnight Sun Elementary School | North Pole | Elementary | PK-05 | 322 | · |
| North Pole Elementary | North Pole | Elementary | PK-05 | 312 | · |
| Denali Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 300 | · |
| Boreal Sun Charter School | Fairbanks | Elementary | KG-08 | 201 | · |
| Watershed Charter School | Fairbanks | Elementary | KG-08 | 200 | · |
| North Star College | Fairbanks | High | 11-12 | 197 | · |
| Discovery Peak Charter School | North Pole | Elementary | KG-08 | 193 | · |
| Alternative Learning Systems | Fairbanks | Combined | PK-12 | 184 | · |
| Chinook Montessori Charter School | Fairbanks | Elementary | KG-08 | 158 | · |
| Effie Kokrine Charter School | Fairbanks | High | 07-12 | 139 | · |
| Two Rivers School | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-08 | 67 | · |
| Salcha Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | PK-05 | 59 | · |
| Golden Heart Academy | Fairbanks | High | 05-12 | 13 | · |
| Anderson Elementary | Eielson Afb | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Joy Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Nordale Elementary | Fairbanks | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Fairbanks North Star Borough
About Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough is an average-sized county of about 95,460 residents in Alaska. Its public-school system teaches approximately 23,777 students across 39 schools.
Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $88,267, about 33% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 3%. That income level is 7% meaningfully above the Alaska median.
On the school-mix side, Fairbanks North Star Borough comprises 23 elementary schools (5,889 students), 4 middle schools (2,030), 8 high schools (3,327), and 4 combined or other schools.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 12,214 students on its own.
Over the past 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment increased 20%: 19,531 students in SY 2017-18 versus 23,420 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Fairbanks North Star Borough lost 3 schools, going from 38 to 35.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Fairbanks North Star Borough discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.
Frequently asked questions
Fairbanks North Star Borough school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data