Utah
Utah has the lowest per-pupil spending in the nation — a structural consequence of having the highest average household size in the US (more children per taxpayer) combined with a constitutional requirement that education spending compete with other state priorities. Despite chronically low per-pupil funding, Utah's academic outcomes regularly exceed what its spending level predicts, due in part to high parental engagement, a culturally homogeneous and educationally supportive community in many areas, and relatively young and committed teaching workforce. The state's Granite, Davis, Alpine, and Jordan school districts each rank among the 50 largest in the country by enrollment, reflecting the density of Utah's Wasatch Front population. Utah recently enacted school choice expansions through an Education Savings Account program. The RISE and ACT Aspire assessments are used for accountability.
| District | Schools | Students | Per-Pupil | Grad Rate | Free Lunch | Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Districts — 10,000+ Students | ||||||
| Alpine District | 92 | 87K | $9,513↓22% | 93.2%↑9% | 20.2%↓41% | 54 |
| Davis District | 96 | 73K | $9,987↓18% | 96.1%↑12% | 17.4%↓49% | 53 |
| Granite District | 89 | 61K | $12,566 | 82.3% | 48.7%↑43% | 45 |
| Jordan District | 69 | 59K | $9,748↓20% | 90.1%↑5% | 17.7%↓48% | 54 |
| Washington District | 55 | 38K | $9,512↓22% | 91.9%↑7% | 29.0%↓15% | 46 |
| Nebo District | 48 | 35K | $11,095↓9% | 95.0%↑11% | 24.7%↓27% | 47 |
| Weber District | 50 | 33K | $11,173↓9% | 90.3%↑5% | 24.7%↓28% | 47 |
| Canyons District | 49 | 33K | $14,236↑16% | 90.9%↑6% | 28.9%↓15% | 52 |
| Tooele District | 26 | 23K | $10,539↓14% | 88.0% | 20.9%↓39% | 48 |
| Cache District | 26 | 20K | $10,012↓18% | 94.5%↑10% | 31.1%↓9% | 53 |
| Salt Lake District | 40 | 20K | $14,329↑17% | 84.8% | 52.1%↑53% | 45 |
| Provo District | 23 | 14K | $13,633↑11% | 91.2%↑6% | 37.4%↑10% | 47 |
| Iron District | 18 | 13K | $8,861↓28% | 70.0%↓18% | 34.9% | 42 |
| Box Elder District | 22 | 12K | $11,680 | 87.2% | 30.1%↓12% | 53 |
| Ogden City District | 24 | 11K | $15,547↑27% | 81.9% | 52.4%↑54% | — |
| Medium Districts — 1,000–9,999 Students | ||||||
| Wasatch District | 9 | 9,082 | $12,026 | 92.0%↑7% | 22.1%↓35% | — |
| Uintah District | 13 | 7,004 | $11,230↓8% | 86.2% | 41.1%↑21% | 50 |
| Murray District | 12 | 5,871 | $11,255↓8% | 78.0%↓9% | 31.9%↓6% | 47 |
| Duchesne District | 15 | 5,435 | $11,849 | 81.6% | 41.0%↑21% | 55 |
| Logan City District | 11 | 5,420 | $13,276↑8% | 84.0% | 55.3%↑62% | 53 |
| American Preparatory Academy | 6 | 5,195 | $9,670↓21% | 89.7% | 33.7% | 49 |
| Sevier District | 14 | 4,807 | $11,673 | 87.9% | 44.1%↑30% | 51 |
| Park City District | 12 | 4,504 | $18,214↑49% | 91.0%↑6% | 15.9%↓53% | 53 |
| Carbon District | 9 | 3,468 | $17,372↑42% | 97.5%↑14% | 44.2%↑30% | 45 |
| Morgan District | 8 | 3,339 | $10,491↓14% | 93.0%↑9% | 9.6%↓72% | 53 |
| South Sanpete District | 8 | 3,310 | $11,421↓7% | 93.6%↑9% | 45.2%↑33% | 49 |
| Millard District | 9 | 3,264 | $13,201↑8% | 94.3%↑10% | 43.8%↑29% | 54 |
| North Sanpete District | 8 | 2,752 | $11,645 | 84.7% | 53.6%↑57% | 44 |
| Juab District | 6 | 2,731 | $14,054↑15% | 97.5%↑14% | 23.4%↓31% | 43 |
| Ascent Academies of Utah | 4 | 2,247 | $11,030↓10% | — | 36.4%↑7% | 64 |
| Emery District | 10 | 2,230 | $27,568↑125% | 94.6%↑10% | 53.1%↑56% | 49 |
| Providence Hall | 1 | 2,163 | $10,424↓15% | 97.5%↑14% | 16.9%↓50% | 54 |
| Freedom Preparatory Academy | 3 | 2,074 | $13,779↑12% | 92.5%↑8% | 35.8%↑5% | 46 |
| Summit Academy | 3 | 2,013 | $10,526↓14% | — | 16.5%↓52% | 49 |
| Utah Virtual Academy | 1 | 1,772 | $10,379↓15% | 71.0%↓17% | 44.3%↑30% | 47 |
| Syracuse Arts Academy | 2 | 1,739 | $11,738 | — | 18.4%↓46% | — |
| South Summit District | 6 | 1,717 | $15,287↑25% | 83.9% | 20.1%↓41% | 53 |
| American Leadership Academy | 1 | 1,629 | $8,960↓27% | 97.5%↑14% | 36.7%↑8% | 47 |
| Beaver District | 7 | 1,561 | $14,777↑21% | 87.0% | 45.3%↑33% | 49 |
| Spectrum Academy | 2 | 1,561 | $19,600↑60% | 74.5%↓13% | 28.1%↓17% | 46 |
| Kane District | 10 | 1,519 | $19,943↑63% | 90.1%↑5% | 34.5% | 54 |
| Grand District | 4 | 1,473 | $15,624↑28% | 82.0% | 45.1%↑33% | — |
| Excelsior Academy | 1 | 1,397 | $9,980↓19% | — | 20.8%↓39% | 48 |
| Hawthorn Academy | 2 | 1,346 | $8,394↓31% | — | 26.2%↓23% | 50 |
| Wallace Stegner Academy | 2 | 1,346 | $21,739↑77% | — | 69.0%↑102% | 45 |
| Garfield District | 10 | 1,312 | $14,710↑20% | 84.7% | 35.4% | 57 |
| Thomas Edison | 2 | 1,216 | $7,529↓39% | — | 24.3%↓29% | 53 |
| Davinci Academy | 1 | 1,199 | $8,757↓29% | 92.0%↑7% | 32.9% | — |
| No. UT. Acad. for Math Engineering & Science | 2 | 1,120 | $10,004↓18% | 93.7%↑9% | 11.3%↓67% | 53 |
| Vista School | 1 | 1,112 | $15,630↑28% | — | 37.2%↑9% | — |