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Pierce County

Washington · Public K-12

Of the 287 public K-12 schools in Pierce County, the largest district by enrollment is Tacoma School District (28,900 students). Total county enrollment runs around 138,462. By grade band, the county runs 163 elementary, 48 middle, and 61 high schools.

7-year change in Pierce County

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Total enrollment
138,371
+1,684 (+1%) vs SY 2017-18
School count
266
+9 (+4%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
44%
was 53%
% Hispanic
22%
was 19%
% Black
8%
was 8%
% Asian
6%
was 6%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
930,319
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
287
23 districts
Enrollment
138,462
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$99,564
Above Washington avg
Free/reduced lunch
50.0%
Below Washington avg
Elementary
163
66,389 students
Middle
48
29,265 students
High
61
41,222 students
Combined / other
15
1,586 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Tacoma School District
28,900 students · 23 districts in Pierce County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of Pierce 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
White
64%
Hispanic
13%
Black
7%
Asian
7%
Two or more
15%
Native American
1%
Pacific Islander
2%
School enrollment
White
44%
Hispanic
22%
Black
8%
Asian
6%
Two or more
14%
Native American
1%
Pacific Islander
4%
Bachelor's+
30.9%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.2%
civilian labor
Median age
37
23.0% under 18

Test scores in Pierce County

Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 217 schools ranked. Washington state average: 58.4%.

See all 217 schools in Pierce County ranked by score →

All schools (287)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
Graham Kapowsin High SchoolGrahamHigh09-122,087·
Sumner High SchoolSumnerHigh09-121,857·
Puyallup High SchoolPuyallupHigh10-121,815·
Gov John Rogers High SchoolPuyallupHigh09-121,788·
Spanaway Lake High SchoolSpanawayHigh09-121,787·
Stadium High SchoolTacomaHigh09-121,700·
Bethel High SchoolSpanawayHigh09-121,688·
Bonney Lake High SchoolBonney LakeHigh09-121,643·
Emerald Ridge High SchoolPuyallupHigh10-121,599·
Lincoln High SchoolTacomaHigh09-121,556·
Mount Tahoma High SchoolTacomaHigh09-121,410·
Gig Harbor HighGig HarborHigh09-121,375·
Peninsula High SchoolGig HarborHigh09-121,345·
White River High SchoolBuckleyHigh09-121,340·
Curtis Senior HighUniversity PlaceHigh10-121,321·
Clover Park High SchoolLakewoodHigh09-121,161·
Dr. Dolores Silas High SchoolTacomaHigh09-121,160·
Lakes High SchoolLakewoodHigh09-121,158·
Glacier Middle SchoolBuckleyMiddle06-08999·
Washington High SchoolTacomaHigh09-12989·
Franklin Pierce High SchoolTacomaHigh09-12977·
Steilacoom HighSteilacoomHigh09-12968·
Mountain View Middle SchoolBonney LakeMiddle06-08937·
Thomas Middle SchoolLakewoodMiddle06-08934·
Dessie F Evans ElementaryPuyallupElementaryPK-06919·
Curtis Junior HighUniversity PlaceHigh08-09904·
Fife High SchoolTacomaHigh10-12885·
Orting High SchoolOrtingHigh09-12876·
Fife Elementary SchoolTacomaElementaryKG-05866·
Liberty Middle SchoolSpanawayMiddle06-08857·
Ballou Jr HighPuyallupMiddle07-09852·
Doris Stahl Junior HighPuyallupMiddle06-10846·
Glacier View Junior HighPuyallupMiddle07-09843·
Morris Ford Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08831·
Ferrucci Jr HighPuyallupMiddle07-09815·
Perry G Keithley Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08804·
Spanaway Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08766·
Cedarcrest Middle SchoolSpanawayMiddle06-08765·
Lakeridge Middle SchoolBonney LakeMiddle06-08763·
Kalles Junior HighPuyallupMiddle07-09762·
Pioneer MiddleDupontMiddle06-08758·
G W Edgerton ElementaryPuyallupElementaryPK-06753·
General William H. Harrison Preparatory SchoolLakewoodHigh06-12738·
Northwood ElementaryEdgewoodElementaryKG-06732·
Sunrise ElementaryPuyallupElementaryPK-06724·
Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary SchoolOrtingElementaryPK-05723·
Aylen Jr HighPuyallupMiddle07-09720·
Pope ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-06710·
Narrows View IntermediateUniversity PlaMiddle05-07692·
Chester H Thompson ElementaryTacomaElementaryPK-05688·
Baker Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08687·
Warren Hunt ElemPuyallupElementaryPK-06681·
Emma L Carson ElementaryPuyallupElementaryPK-06676·
Sumner Middle SchoolSumnerMiddle06-08674·
Bethel Middle SchoolSpanawayMiddle06-08661·
Tacoma School of the ArtsTacomaHigh09-12658·
Stewart Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08650·
Donald Eismann ElementaryBonney LakeElementaryPK-05648·
Orting Middle SchoolOrtingMiddle06-08643·
Drum IntermediateUniversity PlaMiddle05-07639·
Mason Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08639·
Chief Leschi SchoolPuyallupCombinedKG-12633·
Maple Lawn ElementarySumnerElementaryPK-05628·
Harbor Ridge Middle SchoolGig HarborMiddle06-08627·
Tehaleh Heights Elementary SchoolBonney LakeElementaryPK-05627·
Frontier Middle SchoolGrahamMiddle06-08620·
Columbia Junior High SchoolTacomaHigh08-09619·
Clover Creek ElementaryTacomaElementaryKG-05617·
Shaw Road ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-06615·
Shining Mountain ElementarySpanawayElementaryKG-05613·
Surprise Lake Middle SchoolMiltonMiddle06-07613·
Woodland ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-06606·
Cougar Mountain Middle SchoolGrahamMiddle06-08605·
Foss High SchoolTacomaHigh09-12599·
Science and Math InstituteTacomaHigh09-12597·
Firgrove ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-06593·
Katherine G. Johnson Elementary SchoolTacomaElementaryKG-05592·
Edgemont Jr HighEdgewoodMiddle06-09590·
First Creek Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08584·
Rainier Elementary SchoolJblm Lewis MainElementaryPK-05576·
Elk Plain School of ChoiceSpanawayElementaryKG-08574·
Eatonville High SchoolEatonvilleHigh09-12573·
Hillside Elementary SchoolJblm Lewis MainElementaryPK-05567·
Meeker Middle SchoolTacomaMiddle06-08567·
Orting Elementary SchoolOrtingElementaryKG-05567·
Fruitland ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-06566·
Elk Ridge ElementaryBuckleyElementaryKG-05564·
Hudtloff Middle SchoolLakewoodMiddle06-08555·
Emerald Hills ElementaryBonney LakeElementaryKG-05551·
Sunset PrimaryUniversity PlaceElementaryPK-04548·
Four Heroes ElementaryLakewoodElementaryPK-05541·
Frank Brouillet ElemPuyallupElementaryKG-06541·
Centennial ElementaryGrahamElementaryKG-05540·
Lakeview Hope AcademyLakewoodElementaryPK-05540·
Evergreen ElementarySpanawayElementaryKG-05530·
Expedition ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-05530·
Camas Prairie ElementarySpanawayElementaryKG-05529·
Frederickson ElementaryPuyallupElementaryKG-05527·
Sheridan Elementary SchoolTacomaElementaryPK-05525·
Daffodil Valley ElementarySumnerElementaryPK-05524·

Cities in Pierce County

Tacoma96 schoolsPuyallup36 schoolsLakewood27 schoolsGig Harbor15 schoolsSpanaway15 schoolsBonney Lake9 schoolsBuckley9 schoolsGraham9 schoolsEatonville8 schoolsOrting7 schoolsSteilacoom7 schoolsSumner5 schoolsTacoma5 schoolsEdgewood4 schoolsUniversity Pla4 schoolsUniversity Place4 schoolsJblm Lewis Main3 schoolsLake Tapps3 schoolsDupont2 schoolsJblm Lewis North2 schoolsLakebay2 schoolsMilton2 schoolsPuyallup2 schoolsAnderson Island1 schoolAshford1 schoolAuburn1 schoolCarbonado1 schoolJblm Mcchord Field1 schoolMckenna1 schoolRoy1 schoolSpanaway1 schoolSumner1 schoolVaughn1 schoolWilkeson1 school

About Pierce County

Pierce County is a population-heavy county of about 930,319 residents in Washington. Its public-school system educates approximately 138,462 students across 287 schools.

Looking at the wider area, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $99,564, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 26% meaningfully above the Washington median.

In terms of grade levels, Pierce County comprises 163 elementary schools (66,389 students), 48 middle schools (29,265), 61 high schools (41,222), and 15 combined or other schools.

Tacoma School District is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 28,900 students across Pierce County.

Over the past 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment stayed largely flat: 136,687 students in SY 2017-18 versus 138,371 in SY 2024-25. Pierce County now counts 266 public schools, up from 257 in SY 2017-18. The White share of public-school enrollment declined from 53% to 44%.

Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Pierce County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.

Frequently asked questions

How many public schools are in Pierce County?
Pierce County, Washington has 287 public K-12 schools serving approximately 138,462 students.
How many high schools are in Pierce County?
Pierce County, Washington has 61 public high schools, serving approximately 41,222 students.
How many middle schools are in Pierce County?
Pierce County, Washington has 48 public middle schools, serving approximately 29,265 students.
How many elementary schools are in Pierce County?
Pierce County, Washington has 163 public elementary schools, serving approximately 66,389 students.
What is the largest school district in Pierce County?
Tacoma School District is the largest school district in Pierce County, serving approximately 28,900 students. The county contains 23 school districts overall.
What is the population of Pierce County?
Pierce County, Washington has a population of approximately 930,319, with a median age of 37. About 23.0% of residents are under 18.
What is the median household income in Pierce County?
Median household income in Pierce County is $99,564, above the Washington average of $79,106. About 5.9% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of Pierce County?
Approximately 30.9% of adults 25 and older in Pierce County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in Pierce County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 50.0% of students in Pierce County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income enrollment. This is lower than the Washington county average of 53.8%.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Pierce County schools?
Across Pierce County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 19.2 to 1.

Pierce County school rankings

Largest schoolsAll rankings →
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data