High School Explorer

State: Public + private high schools, every state.

high schools (public + private)

public (24 districts)

private (NCES PSS)

4,486

public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

DC public HS enrollment trend

Across the 20,030 students enrolled in DC brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state grew +9.5% by 2024 (21,941 students, +1,911 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 39.0% (8,548 of 21,941 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does DC compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math

261

-12 vs national avg (273)

8th-grade reading

252

-8 vs national avg (260)

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. DC is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 2 cities by public-HS enrollment

Washington	45 HS	21,900
Laurel	1 HS	41

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools

public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024

KIPP DC PCS - Legacy College Preparatory PCS KIPP DC PCS	256→646	+152.3%
Luke C. Moore HS District of Columbia Public Schools	155→275	+77.4%
Coolidge HS District of Columbia Public Schools	740→1,029	+39.1%
Benjamin Banneker HS District of Columbia Public Schools	537→703	+30.9%
Maya Angelou PCS - HS Maya Angelou PCS	168→218	+29.8%
Cardozo Education Campus District of Columbia Public Schools	445→561	+26.1%
Dunbar HS District of Columbia Public Schools	728→892	+22.5%
H.D. Woodson HS District of Columbia Public Schools	478→579	+21.1%
Eastern HS District of Columbia Public Schools	766→909	+18.7%
Roosevelt HS District of Columbia Public Schools	797→943	+18.3%

Fastest-shrinking high schools

public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024

KIPP DC - College Preparatory PCS KIPP DC PCS	868→643	-25.9%
Anacostia HS District of Columbia Public Schools	321→246	-23.4%
Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy	255→218	-14.5%
Bard HS Early College DC (Bard DC) District of Columbia Public Schools	377→331	-12.2%
The Sojourner Truth School PCS The Sojourner Truth School PCS	157→141	-10.2%
Jackson-Reed HS District of Columbia Public Schools	2,062→1,855	-10.0%
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory HS Friendship PCS	334→307	-8.1%
Ballou HS District of Columbia Public Schools	636→597	-6.1%
Washington Latin PCS - Upper School Washington Latin PCS	376→357	-5.1%
Ron Brown College Preparatory HS District of Columbia Public Schools	201→196	-2.5%

Every DC high school

Search by school, district, or city; sort any column. Trend = high-school enrollment change, first→latest year on file (public 2021→2024 via CCD grades 9–12; private 2018→2022 via PSS total). Omitted (—) for schools under 50 HS students, where a year-over-year percentage isn't reliable.

High school	City	Type	HS enrollment (9–12)	9–12 trend
Anacostia HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	246	-23.4%
Archbishop Carroll High School Catholic	Washington	Private	383	—
BASIS DC PCS charter K–12 BASIS DC PCS	Washington	Public	233	+8.9%
Ballou HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	597	-6.1%
Ballou STAY HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	278	+14.9%
Bard HS Early College DC (Bard DC) District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	331	-12.2%
Benjamin Banneker HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	703	+30.9%
British Int'L Schl Washington K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	478	+20.7%
Capital City PCS - HS charter Capital City PCS	Washington	Public	348	+0.3%
Cardozo Education Campus K–12 District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	561	+26.1%
Caroline Education Community International Psa K–12 Other religious	Washington	Private	1,244	+29.4%
Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy charter K–12 Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy	Washington	Public	218	-14.5%
Columbia Heights Education Campus K–12 District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	1,028	-1.5%
Coolidge HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	1,029	+39.1%
Cornerstone Schools-Washington K–12 Other religious	Washington	Private	160	-1.8%
DC Department of Corrections DC Jail Education Program	Washington	Public	45	—
Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Capitol Hill charter Digital Pioneers Academy PCS	Washington	Public	387	+230.8%
District of Columbia International School charter K–12 District of Columbia International School	Washington	Public	876	+15.7%
Duke Ellington School of the Arts District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	589	+1.7%
Dunbar HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	892	+22.5%
E.L. Haynes PCS - HS charter E.L. Haynes PCS	Washington	Public	446	+0.7%
Eastern HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	909	+18.7%
Edmund Burke School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	333	+9.5%
Friendship PCS - Collegiate Academy charter Friendship PCS	Washington	Public	745	+13.9%
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory HS charter Friendship PCS	Washington	Public	307	-8.1%
Fusion Academy Wdc: Washington D.C. K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	42	—
Garnet-Patterson STAY HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	432	+8.0%
Georgetown Day School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	1,053	+106.5%
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School Catholic	Washington	Private	509	+2.0%
Girls Global Academy PCS charter Girls Global Academy PCS	Washington	Public	183	+18.1%
Gonzaga College High School Catholic	Washington	Private	956	-0.6%
Goodwill Excel Center PCS charter Goodwill Excel Center PCS	Washington	Public	440	+3.3%
H.D. Woodson HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	579	+21.1%
IDEA PCS charter IDEA PCS	Washington	Public	350	+4.8%
Jackson-Reed HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	1,855	-10.0%
KIPP DC - College Preparatory PCS charter KIPP DC PCS	Washington	Public	643	-25.9%
KIPP DC PCS - Legacy College Preparatory PCS charter KIPP DC PCS	Washington	Public	646	+152.3%
Kennedy Institute Catholic	Washington	Private	44	—
Kingsman Academy PCS charter K–12 Kingsman Academy PCS	Washington	Public	290	+17.9%
Kirov Academy Of Washington D.C. K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	77	—
Living Word Christian School K–12 Other religious	Washington	Private	26	—
Luke C. Moore HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	275	+77.4%
Maret School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	650	+0.2%
Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings formerly Oak Hill K–12 DYRS	Laurel	Public	41	—
Maya Angelou Academy at Youth Services Center K–12 DYRS	Washington	Public	74	—
Maya Angelou PCS - HS charter Maya Angelou PCS	Washington	Public	218	+29.8%
McKinley Technology HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	723	+4.6%
Model Secondary School For The Deaf Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	101	-42.3%
Mysa School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	21	—
New Beginnings Vocational Program Llc Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	22	—
Paul PCS - International HS charter Paul PCS	Washington	Public	439	+3.8%
Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	350	+9.4%
Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts charter K–12 Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Washington	Public	277	-1.8%
River Terrace Education Campus K–12 District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	111	+14.4%
Ron Brown College Preparatory HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	196	-2.5%
Roosevelt HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	943	+18.3%
School Without Walls HS District of Columbia Public Schools	Washington	Public	606	+1.5%
Sidwell Friends School K–12 Other religious	Washington	Private	1,120	-0.5%
St Anselm'S Abbey School K–12 Catholic	Washington	Private	251	—
St Johns College High School Catholic	Washington	Private	1,279	+9.3%
St. Coletta Special Education PCS charter K–12 St. Coletta Special Education PCS	Washington	Public	—	—
Templeton Academy K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	65	—
The Field School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	347	-5.7%
The Monroe School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	26	—
The SEED PCS of Washington DC charter SEED PCS	Washington	Public	245	+2.1%
The Sojourner Truth School PCS charter K–12 The Sojourner Truth School PCS	Washington	Public	141	-10.2%
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS charter Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Washington	Public	373	+7.5%
Washington International School K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	847	+0.4%
Washington Latin PCS - Upper School charter Washington Latin PCS	Washington	Public	357	-5.1%
Washington Leadership Academy PCS charter Washington Leadership Academy PCS	Washington	Public	386	+0.0%
Whittle School & Studios K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	141	-7.2%
Whittle School And Studios K–12 Nonsectarian	Washington	Private	128	—

Sources: Public — NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute API; "HS enrollment" = grades 9–12 (so K–12/combined records aren't inflated by their elementary grades); trend 2021–2024. Private — NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS); enrollment is total students (PSS has no grade detail); trend 2018→2022 (biennial). "High school" = offers grade 12. Winners/losers shown for public only (comparable annual span) and exclude very small/near-closure schools.

DC public HS enrollment trend

How does DC compare nationally?

Where the students are

School-size distribution

Every DC high school

Worried about your school's enrollment trajectory?