Public + private high schools, every state.
382
high schools (public + private)
339
public (273 districts)
43
private (NCES PSS)
25,001
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

NE public HS enrollment trend

Across the 97,244 students enrolled in NE brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state grew +3.2% by 2024 (100,392 students, +3,148 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 0.0% (0 of 100,392 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does NE 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
277
+4 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
264
+4 vs national avg (260)
national avg NE Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. NE 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 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

OMAHA 16 HS 27,516
LINCOLN 8 HS 13,420
PAPILLION 2 HS 3,905
GRAND ISLAND 2 HS 3,376
BELLEVUE 2 HS 2,949
BENNINGTON 2 HS 2,641
KEARNEY 3 HS 1,730
COLUMBUS 2 HS 1,681
FREMONT 1 HS 1,677
NORFOLK 1 HS 1,359

School-size distribution

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

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
WESTVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
743→1,573 +111.7%
BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
721→1,494 +107.2%
NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL
LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
499→1,017 +103.8%
STANDING BEAR HIGH SCHOOL
LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
317→631 +99.1%
GRETNA EAST HIGH SCHOOL
GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
747→1,009 +35.1%
DAVID CITY SECONDARY SCHOOL
DAVID CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
182→222 +22.0%
ELKHORN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
ELKHORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
879→1,050 +19.5%
LOUISVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
LOUISVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
179→207 +15.6%
WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL
WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
280→323 +15.4%
LAKEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
304→344 +13.2%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
GRETNA HIGH SCHOOL
GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1,616→955 -40.9%
OGALLALA HIGH SCHOOL
OGALLALA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
320→237 -25.9%
BURKE HIGH SCHOOL
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,180→1,693 -22.3%
BRYAN HIGH SCHOOL
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1,849→1,474 -20.3%
VALENTINE HIGH SCHOOL
VALENTINE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
196→158 -19.4%
SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,987→2,412 -19.3%
CHADRON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
CHADRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
298→242 -18.8%
CENTURA SECONDARY SCHOOL
CENTURA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
150→126 -16.0%
NORTH STAR HIGH SCHOOL
LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2,242→1,927 -14.0%
ST PAUL JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL
ST PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
210→183 -12.9%

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