Public schools in Boulder, CO
30 open public schools with an address in Boulder, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
30
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
13,104
30 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
16.5:1
Colorado median 15.4:1
Charter schools
3
1 virtual
An overview of Boulder public schools
The federal directory lists 30 public schools in Boulder, CO: 16 elementary, 6 middle, 6 high, 2 combined or other. The 30 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 13,104 students, an average of 437 per school. The largest campus is Boulder High School (1,939 students), and the largest elementary school is Foothill Elementary School (419).
Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 operates the most schools here (29), plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 16.5:1, higher than the statewide school median of 15.4:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 3 charter schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 6 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 3 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 6 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 28% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Boulder
Elementary schools in Boulder
16| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 318 | 18.5:1 | |
| Boulder Community School/Integrated Studies Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–05 | 255 | 16.8:1 | |
| Columbine Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 369 | 14.9:1 | |
| Community Montessori School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–06 | 277 | 17.7:1 | |
| Creekside Elementary School at Martin Park Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 359 | 17.3:1 | |
| Crest View Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–05 | 390 | 15.7:1 | |
| Douglass Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 313 | 15.9:1 | |
| Eisenhower Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 308 | 15.3:1 | |
| Flatirons Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–05 | 163 | 13.9:1 | |
| Foothill Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–05 | 419 | 16.6:1 | |
| Heatherwood Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 252 | 14.8:1 | |
| High Peaks Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–05 | 257 | 16.3:1 | |
| Horizons K-8 School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Charter · Alternative School | KG–08 | 358 | 14.1:1 | |
| Mesa Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 250 | 15.7:1 | |
| University Hill Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–05 | 405 | 15.7:1 | |
| Whittier Elementary School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–05 | 269 | 13.2:1 |
Middle schools in Boulder
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Middle School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 06–08 | 363 | 12.6:1 | |
| Centennial Middle School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 06–08 | 598 | 19.4:1 | |
| Manhattan Middle School of the Arts and Academics Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 06–08 | 482 | 16.9:1 | |
| Nevin Platt Middle School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 06–08 | 483 | 16.9:1 | |
| Southern Hills Middle School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 06–08 | 502 | 19.3:1 | |
| Summit Middle Charter School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Charter | 06–08 | 366 | 16.8:1 |
High schools in Boulder
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe Ridge High School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Alternative School | 09–12 | 184 | 15.7:1 | |
| Boulder High School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 09–12 | 1,939 | 21.3:1 | |
| Boulder Prep Charter High School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 · Charter · Alternative School | 09–12 | 114 | 10.3:1 | |
| Fairview High School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 09–12 | 1,863 | 23.1:1 | |
| New Vista High School Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | 09–12 | 327 | 17.8:1 | |
| Williamsburg Academy of Colorado Education Reenvisioned BOCES · Virtual | 06–12 | 622 | 30.8:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Boulder
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder Universal Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | KG–12 | 231 | 14.1:1 | |
| Mapleton Early Childhood Center Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 | PK–PK | 68 | 19.4:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White63.7%
- Hispanic22.5%
- Black1.3%
- Asian4.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial7.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 30 Boulder schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (13,104 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Boulder
How many public schools are in Boulder, CO?
The current NCES directory lists 30 open public schools with a location address in Boulder: 16 elementary, 6 middle, 6 high, 2 combined or other. Together they reported 13,104 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Boulder?
Schools with an address in Boulder belong to 2 education agencies, led by Boulder Valley School District No. Re2 (29 schools), Education Reenvisioned BOCES (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Boulder?
Boulder High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Boulder, with 1,939 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Boulder?
Yes. 3 of the 30 public schools in Boulder are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Boulder Prep Charter High School, Horizons K-8 School, Summit Middle Charter School. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Boulder schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Boulder public schools is 16.5:1, higher than the Colorado school median of 15.4:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Boulder guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Colorado cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Colorado cities