Which state has the most public schools?
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Which states run the most public schools? Tap them most-to-least.
Tapping assigns 1→4 in order
I bet… Texas — it's huge!
Answer
The real order is…
California runs 10,325 schools. Visit one every single day and it would take you about 28 years to see them all!
📚 Background California runs the most public schools — over 10,000. Visit one every single day and it would take you about 28 years to see them all. Texas is close behind; New York, with the fourth-most students, runs less than half as many schools as California. (NCES, Digest of Education Statistics) (opens in a new tab)
🔍 Explore more: 🍎『The great teacher flip: more kids, fewer teachers?』→ I bet… Texas — it's huge!
Compare
Public schools (total, by state, 2022-23)
Highest: California (10,325 schools); lowest shown here: Delaware (229 schools).
Note: every public elementary, middle and high school counted once — 2022-23 school year, NCES.
Geography is destiny!
Recap
🏅 Today's discovery
🏅 California is the USA's #1!
🐕 States in Numbers
Quiz a friend!
📋 See the ranking table (top 50)
| Rank | State | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | 10,325 schools |
| #2 | Texas | 9,176 schools |
| #3 | New York | 4,812 schools |
| #4 | Illinois | 4,408 schools |
| #5 | Florida | 4,230 schools |
| #6 | Ohio | 3,632 schools |
| #7 | Michigan | 3,510 schools |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | 2,936 schools |
| #9 | North Carolina | 2,716 schools |
| #10 | Minnesota | 2,690 schools |
| #11 | New Jersey | 2,562 schools |
| #12 | Washington | 2,549 schools |
| #13 | Missouri | 2,473 schools |
| #14 | Arizona | 2,429 schools |
| #15 | Georgia | 2,316 schools |
| #16 | Wisconsin | 2,235 schools |
| #17 | Virginia | 2,132 schools |
| #18 | Colorado | 1,932 schools |
| #19 | Indiana | 1,921 schools |
| #20 | Tennessee | 1,900 schools |
| #21 | Massachusetts | 1,837 schools |
| #22 | Oklahoma | 1,781 schools |
| #23 | Kentucky | 1,542 schools |
| #24 | Alabama | 1,516 schools |
| #25 | Maryland | 1,410 schools |
| #26 | Kansas | 1,355 schools |
| #27 | Louisiana | 1,337 schools |
| #28 | Iowa | 1,327 schools |
| #29 | Oregon | 1,286 schools |
| #30 | South Carolina | 1,264 schools |
| #31 | Utah | 1,102 schools |
| #32 | Arkansas | 1,097 schools |
| #33 | Nebraska | 1,092 schools |
| #34 | Mississippi | 1,038 schools |
| #35 | Connecticut | 1,013 schools |
| #36 | New Mexico | 890 schools |
| #37 | Montana | 826 schools |
| #38 | Idaho | 795 schools |
| #39 | Nevada | 734 schools |
| #40 | South Dakota | 720 schools |
| #41 | West Virginia | 684 schools |
| #42 | Maine | 597 schools |
| #43 | North Dakota | 511 schools |
| #44 | New Hampshire | 502 schools |
| #45 | Alaska | 498 schools |
| #46 | Wyoming | 361 schools |
| #47 | Rhode Island | 316 schools |
| #48 | Vermont | 305 schools |
| #49 | Hawaii | 295 schools |
| #50 | Delaware | 229 schools |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (2022-23)
Sources
Data as of: 2022-23
NCES Digest of Education Statistics: Table 216.70, public schools by state (2022-23) (opens in a new tab) (2026-07-26) — Official published school counts (the committed raw file holds the 2022-23 'Total, all schools' value per state as published).
↳ On the NCES Digest table 216.70, find your state's row and read the 2022-23 'Total, all schools' column.