Total enrollment
83,468
+1,881 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
Chester County
Pennsylvania · Public K-12
The 111 public K-12 schools in Chester County cover all standard grade bands (62 elementary, 21 middle, and 22 high), with combined enrollment around 83,468.
7-year change in Chester County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
110
+2 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
59%
was 69%
% Hispanic
16%
was 12%
% Black
8%
was 7%
% Asian
11%
was 8%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
547,840
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
111
23 districts
Enrollment
83,468
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$127,208
Above Pennsylvania avg
Free/reduced lunch
37.9%
Below Pennsylvania avg
Elementary
62
29,471 students
Middle
21
16,704 students
High
22
25,304 students
Combined / other
6
11,989 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Downingtown Area SD
13,047 students · 23 districts in Chester County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Chester 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+
57.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
3.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.8%
civilian labor
Median age
41
22.0% under 18
Test scores in Chester County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 99 schools ranked. Pennsylvania state average: 51.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Downingtown STEM Academy· 99.6%
- Conestoga SHS· 87.9%
- Unionville HS· 87.9%
- Pickering Valley El Sch· 86.2%
- Hillendale El Sch· 85.9%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Insight PA Cyber CS· 18.8%
- Caln El Sch· 24.2%
- Rainbow El Sch· 26.7%
- Reeceville El Sch· 29.3%
- Achievement House CS· 30.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barkley El Sch | Phoenixville | Elementary | 02-05 | 281 | · |
| East Fallowfield El Sch | East Fallowfield | Elementary | KG-05 | 281 | · |
| Octorara Intermediate Sch | Atglen | Middle | 05-06 | 279 | · |
| North Brandywine MS | Coatesville | Middle | 06-07 | 274 | · |
| Octorara El Sch | Atglen | Elementary | 03-04 | 270 | · |
| Jordan Bank School | Oxford | Elementary | KG-KG | 181 | · |
| Spring City El Sch | Spring City | Elementary | KG-04 | 166 | · |
| Chester County Technical College High School - Pickering | Phoenixville | High | 09-12 | 79 | · |
| Chester County Technical College High School - Brandywine | Downingtown | High | 09-12 | 75 | · |
| Chester County Technical College High School - Pennocks | West Grove | High | 09-12 | 18 | · |
| Chester Co Family Academy CS | West Chester | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Chester County
West Chester20 schoolsDowningtown13 schoolsPhoenixville8 schoolsKennett Square7 schoolsMalvern7 schoolsCoatesville6 schoolsExton6 schoolsOxford6 schoolsWest Grove6 schoolsAtglen5 schoolsPottstown5 schoolsBerwyn3 schoolsWayne3 schoolsChadds Ford2 schoolsChester Springs2 schoolsDevon2 schoolsSpring City2 schoolsCoatsville1 schoolEast Fallowfield1 schoolElverson1 schoolGlenmoore1 schoolHoney Brook1 schoolLandenberg1 schoolThorndale1 schoolToughkenamon1 school
About Chester County
Chester County is a broad county of about 547,840 residents in Pennsylvania. Its public-school system serves approximately 83,468 students across 111 schools.
Stepping back, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $127,208, roughly 57% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the federal-poverty share is near 4%. That income level is 78% above the Pennsylvania median.
On the school-mix side, Chester County is built around 62 elementary schools (29,471 students), 21 middle schools (16,704), 22 high schools (25,304), and 6 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Chester County is Downingtown Area SD, which alone enrolls about 13,047 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment stayed largely flat: 81,587 students in SY 2017-18 versus 83,468 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 108 to 110 across the same 7-year window. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 69% to 59% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Chester County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Chester County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data