District of Columbia Snapshot
239
Public Schools in District of Columbia
25
Colleges in District of Columbia
60.8%
Avg Completion Rate
How District of Columbia compares
District of Columbia
60.76%
National Average
56.52%
District of Columbia's avg completion rate is 7.5% higher than the national average.
District of Columbia Education Laws
Compulsory attendance, homeschool regulation, school choice programs, and per-pupil spending for District of Columbia — verified against ECS, HSLDA, Ballotpedia, and NCES.
Compulsory Ages
13 years of required schooling (national avg 11.0)
Kindergarten
Entry age: 5 by Sep 30
Homeschool Regulation
Notice plus testing or subjects required
School Choice
Opportunity Scholarship Program (federally funded)
Per-Pupil Spending
84% above national avg ($15,305)
Student-Teacher Ratio
17% below national avg (14.5)
Compulsory Education in District of Columbia
District of Columbia requires school attendance from age 5 through age 18 — a total of 13 years of required schooling. Kindergarten attendance is mandatory; children must enter K by 5 by Sep 30.
Homeschool Laws in District of Columbia
District of Columbia falls in the moderate regulation tier (HSLDA classification). Notice plus testing or subjects required.
- Notice to authorities required: Yes
- Standardized testing required: No
- Specific subjects mandated: No
Annual notification to OSSE
School Choice in District of Columbia
District of Columbia operates the following private-school choice programs:
- Education Savings Account (ESA)
- School voucher program
Opportunity Scholarship Program (federally funded)
School Spending & Class Size in District of Columbia
District of Columbia spends $28,100 per K-12 student annually (NCES, FY2022). 84% above national avg ($15,305). The average student-to-teacher ratio is 12.0:1. 17% below national avg (14.5).
How District of Columbia compares to other states
Quick policy snapshot for every other state. Click any state to view its full policy page.
| State | Ages | Homeschool | Choice | Per-Pupil $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6–17 | Low | Universal | $11,314 |
| Alaska | 7–16 | None | None | $20,403 |
| Arizona | 6–16 | Low | Universal | $10,003 |
| Arkansas | 5–18 | Low | Universal | $12,520 |
| California | 6–18 | Moderate | None | $17,078 |
| Colorado | 6–17 | Low | None | $13,572 |
| Connecticut | 5–18 | Low | None | $22,769 |
| Delaware | 5–16 | Moderate | Limited | $17,277 |
| Florida | 6–16 | Moderate | Universal | $11,763 |
| Georgia | 6–16 | Moderate | Limited | $12,350 |
| Hawaii | 6–18 | Moderate | None | $16,597 |
| Idaho | 7–16 | None | Universal | $9,557 |
| Illinois | 7–17 | None | None | $17,889 |
| Indiana | 7–18 | Low | Universal | $11,413 |
| Iowa | 6–16 | Moderate | Universal | $13,549 |
| Kansas | 7–18 | None | Limited | $13,768 |
| Kentucky | 6–18 | Low | None | $12,702 |
| Louisiana | 7–18 | Moderate | Universal | $12,477 |
| Maine | 7–17 | Moderate | None | $18,046 |
| Maryland | 5–18 | Moderate | Limited | $16,018 |
| Massachusetts | 6–16 | High | None | $20,857 |
| Michigan | 6–16 | None | None | $13,715 |
| Minnesota | 7–17 | Moderate | Limited | $14,873 |
| Mississippi | 6–17 | Low | Universal | $10,030 |
| Missouri | 7–17 | None | None | $12,915 |
| Montana | 7–16 | Moderate | Limited | $13,432 |
| Nebraska | 6–18 | Moderate | None | $14,950 |
| Nevada | 7–18 | Moderate | Limited | $12,646 |
| New Hampshire | 6–18 | Moderate | Universal | $19,753 |
| New Jersey | 6–16 | None | Limited | $23,046 |
| New Mexico | 5–18 | Moderate | None | $12,915 |
| New York | 6–16 | High | None | $28,760 |
| North Carolina | 7–16 | Moderate | Universal | $10,413 |
| North Dakota | 7–16 | Moderate | None | $16,385 |
| Ohio | 6–18 | Moderate | Limited | $15,204 |
| Oklahoma | 5–18 | None | Universal | $10,430 |
| Oregon | 7–18 | Moderate | None | $14,521 |
| Pennsylvania | 8–17 | High | Limited | $19,188 |
| Rhode Island | 5–18 | High | Limited | $20,546 |
| South Carolina | 5–17 | Moderate | Limited | $12,516 |
| South Dakota | 6–18 | Low | None | $12,649 |
| Tennessee | 6–18 | Moderate | Universal | $11,554 |
| Texas | 6–18 | None | Universal | $11,675 |
| Utah | 6–18 | Moderate | Limited | $9,140 |
| Vermont | 6–16 | High | Limited | $21,656 |
| Virginia | 5–18 | Moderate | Limited | $14,202 |
| Washington | 8–18 | Moderate | None | $15,420 |
| West Virginia | 6–17 | Moderate | Universal | $14,308 |
| Wisconsin | 6–18 | Low | Limited | $14,914 |
| Wyoming | 7–16 | Low | Universal | $18,763 |
More about District of Columbia
Explore other state-specific topics to get the full picture of living in District of Columbia.
FAQ
How many ZIP codes does Mubboo track in District of Columbia?
Mubboo tracks 57 ZIP codes in District of Columbia via the U.S. Census ZCTA basemap. Use the search box above to look up data for any specific ZIP.
How does District of Columbia's average college completion rate compare nationally?
District of Columbia's average college completion rate is higher the national average. See the "How District of Columbia compares" callout above for the precise side-by-side comparison.
How fresh is this data?
Mubboo refreshes each data source on its native cadence — HUD Fair Market Rents annually (October), Tax Foundation tables annually, and federal datasets per their published schedules. Each page caches for 24 hours via ISR. See our methodology page for details.
Data sources: NCES Common Core of Data, College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education). Mubboo refreshes each source on its native cadence (HUD annually, Tax Foundation annually, etc.). See our full methodology →