Total enrollment
16,206
+269 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
28 schools in New Bedford
Massachusetts · Public K-12
28 public K-12 schools operate inside New Bedford, with combined enrollment of about 16,206 students (19 elementary, 3 middle, and 5 high).
7-year change in New Bedford
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
27
-2 (-7%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
34%
was 44%
% Hispanic
45%
was 37%
% Black
14%
was 12%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
About New Bedford
New Bedford is an expansive Massachusetts city in terms of public-school footprint, with 28 schools and 16,206 students total.
For a sense of the school types, the city covers 19 elementary, 3 middle, 5 high, and 1 other.
Schools in New Bedford average about 579 students each, 16% meaningfully above the Massachusetts norm.
Looking at the last 7 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 16,206 students, stayed largely flat from the 15,937 reported in SY 2017-18. New Bedford now counts 27 public schools, down from 29 in SY 2017-18. Demographically, the White share of enrollment shrank from 44% to 34%.
On allk12, the community for New Bedford discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.