Research

Where are the 100 districts with the largest enrollment (2013-14)?

View a map of the nation's largest public school systems.
Sept. 29, 2015

Twenty-eight states are represented in the list of the 100 largest school districts in 2013-14. The rankings are dominated by three states--Texas, Florida and California. That makes sense, because those are the three most populous states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Florida's showing on the list also is boosted because that state's districts are countywide entities; seven Florida districts have more than 100,000 students. Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina also have multiple entries on the list because of countrywide school systems.

In contrast, New York City, the largest district in the nation with more than 1.1 million students, is the only district in New York state on the list, and Chicago, the third largest district, is the only representative from Illinois. New York has more than 930 districts, and Illinois has more than 850; Florida has only 74.

  • View the map (click on a star to see data for an individual district).

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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