Total enrollment
13,766
-537 (-4%) vs SY 2020-21
Douglas County
Kansas · Public K-12
From the largest high school to the smallest elementary school, Douglas County's 30 public schools collectively enroll about 13,766 K-12 students, with Lawrence the heaviest district by enrollment. The level mix is 16 elementary, 6 middle, and 5 high schools.
4-year change in Douglas County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
28
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Douglas County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Kansas | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.2% | #14 of 57 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 13,766 | #6 of 61 | #642 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 28 | #8 of 61 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.0:1 | #54 of 61 | #1,756 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 39.5% | #51 of 61 | #2,118 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.1% | #13 of 60 | #1,048 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Douglas County school rankings
Residents
120,302
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
30
4 districts
Enrollment
13,766
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$69,746
Above Kansas avg
Free/reduced lunch
39.5%
Below Kansas avg
Elementary
16
6,129 students
Middle
6
2,848 students
High
5
4,246 students
Combined / other
3
543 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Lawrence
10,380 students · 4 districts in Douglas County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Douglas County 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+
53.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.3%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.2%
civilian labor
Median age
32
17.5% under 18
Test scores in Douglas County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 25 schools ranked. Kansas state average: 44.5%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Langston Hughes Elem· 79.8%
- Quail Run Elementary· 63.6%
- Lecompton Elem· 62.4%
- Sunflower Elementary· 57.5%
- Deerfield Elem· 56.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Lawrence Liberty Memorial Central Mid School· 31.0%
- Billy Mills Middle School· 31.6%
- New York Elem· 32.9%
- Lawrence High· 37.8%
- Baldwin High School· 41.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Free State High | Lawrence | High | 09-12 | 1,774 | · |
| Lawrence High | Lawrence | High | 09-12 | 1,454 | · |
| Eudora Elementary School | Eudora | Elementary | KG-05 | 650 | · |
| Lawrence West Middle School | Lawrence | Middle | 06-08 | 648 | · |
| Lawrence Southwest Middle School | Lawrence | Middle | 06-08 | 641 | · |
| Langston Hughes Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 560 | · |
| Eudora High School | Eudora | High | 09-12 | 558 | · |
| Lawrence Virtual School | Lawrence | Combined | KG-12 | 543 | · |
| Billy Mills Middle School | Lawrence | Middle | 06-08 | 494 | · |
| Sunflower Elementary | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 444 | · |
| Baldwin High School | Baldwin City | High | 09-12 | 437 | · |
| Schwegler Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 434 | · |
| Deerfield Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 433 | · |
| Quail Run Elementary | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 421 | · |
| New York Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | PK-05 | 415 | · |
| Sunset Hill Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 398 | · |
| Hillcrest Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 393 | · |
| Lawrence Liberty Memorial Central Mid School | Lawrence | Middle | 06-08 | 386 | · |
| Eudora Middle School | Eudora | Middle | 06-08 | 370 | · |
| Baldwin Elementary Primary Center | Baldwin City | Elementary | PK-02 | 365 | · |
| Prairie Park Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 354 | · |
| Cordley Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 348 | · |
| Baldwin Junior High School | Baldwin City | Middle | 06-08 | 309 | · |
| Lecompton Elem | Lecompton | Elementary | PK-04 | 298 | · |
| Baldwin Elementary Intermediate Center | Baldwin City | Elementary | 03-05 | 276 | · |
| Woodlawn Elem | Lawrence | Elementary | KG-05 | 240 | · |
| Eudora Early Learning Center | Eudora | Elementary | PK-PK | 100 | · |
| Eudora Schools Virtual Learning | Eudora | High | 06-12 | 23 | · |
| Broken Arrow Elem | Lawrence | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Pinckney Elem | Lawrence | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Douglas County
About Douglas County
Douglas County is a medium-population county of about 120,302 residents in Kansas. Its public-school system educates approximately 13,766 students across 30 schools.
Zooming out, census numbers show the median household earns about $69,746 a year, 53% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 5%. That income level is 5% meaningfully above the Kansas median.
On the school-mix side, Douglas County covers 16 elementary schools (6,129 students), 6 middle schools (2,848), 5 high schools (4,246), and 3 combined or other schools.
Lawrence dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 10,380 students on its own.
Trend over the past 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 13,766 students, shrank 4% from the 14,303 reported in SY 2020-21.
On this page, the community for Douglas County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data