Total enrollment
16,206
+228 (+1%) vs SY 2020-21
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).
4-year change in New Bedford
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
27
-1 (-4%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
100,998
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Students
16,206
public K-12 · NCES
Schools
28
public K-12
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 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 16,206 students, stayed largely flat from the 15,978 reported in SY 2020-21. New Bedford now counts 27 public schools, down from 28 in SY 2020-21.
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.