Public schools in Fort Collins, CO
46 open public schools with an address in Fort Collins, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
46
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
25,928
46 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15:1
Colorado median 15.4:1
Charter schools
8
0 virtual
An overview of Fort Collins public schools
The federal directory lists 46 public schools in Fort Collins, CO: 26 elementary, 7 middle, 8 high, 5 combined or other. The 46 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 25,928 students, an average of 564 per school. The largest campus is Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students), and the largest elementary school is Tavelli Elementary School (519).
Poudre School District R-1 operates the most schools here (42), and 2 regular districts have at least one Fort Collins campus, 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 15:1, similar to 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 8 charter schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 13 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 7 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 10 of 13 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 37% 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 Fort Collins
Elementary schools in Fort Collins
26| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis International Academy State Charter School Institute · Charter | PK–06 | 288 | 15.6:1 | |
| Bacon Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 397 | 12.8:1 | |
| Bauder Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 423 | 12.5:1 | |
| Beattie Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 302 | 15.5:1 | |
| Bennett Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 362 | 14.8:1 | |
| Coyote Ridge Elementary School Thompson School District R-2J | PK–05 | 242 | 14.1:1 | |
| Dunn Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | KG–05 | 392 | 14.4:1 | |
| Fort Collins Montessori School Poudre School District R-1 · Charter | PK–06 | 278 | 22.3:1 | |
| Harris Bilingual Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 311 | 13.9:1 | |
| Irish Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 365 | 12.6:1 | |
| Johnson Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 348 | 16.4:1 | |
| Kruse Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 406 | 14.2:1 | |
| Laurel Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 412 | 13.9:1 | |
| Linton Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 307 | 11.6:1 | |
| Lopez Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 361 | 15.2:1 | |
| McGraw Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 349 | 14:1 | |
| Mountain Sage Community School Poudre School District R-1 · Charter | KG–08 | 265 | 15.9:1 | |
| O'Dea Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | KG–05 | 398 | 11.7:1 | |
| Olander Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 310 | 14.2:1 | |
| Putnam Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 258 | 9.3:1 | |
| Riffenburgh Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | KG–05 | 443 | 14.7:1 | |
| Shepardson Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 414 | 13.9:1 | |
| Tavelli Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 519 | 17.3:1 | |
| Traut Core Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 484 | 17.8:1 | |
| Werner Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | PK–05 | 374 | 15.8:1 | |
| Zach Elementary School Poudre School District R-1 | KG–05 | 492 | 16.5:1 |
Middle schools in Fort Collins
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blevins Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 363 | 12.7:1 | |
| Boltz Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 551 | 13.4:1 | |
| Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 762 | 18.9:1 | |
| Lesher Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 766 | 18.3:1 | |
| Lincoln Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 552 | 13.3:1 | |
| Preston Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 568 | 16.4:1 | |
| Webber Middle School Poudre School District R-1 | 06–08 | 728 | 17.4:1 |
High schools in Fort Collins
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centennial High School Poudre School District R-1 · Alternative School | 09–12 | 118 | 9.7:1 | |
| Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins State Charter School Institute · Charter | 06–12 | 971 | 24.5:1 | |
| Compass Community Collaborative School Poudre School District R-1 · Charter | 06–12 | 179 | 13.1:1 | |
| Fort Collins High School Poudre School District R-1 | 09–12 | 1,836 | 18.6:1 | |
| Fossil Ridge High School Poudre School District R-1 | 09–12 | 1,846 | 19.3:1 | |
| Poudre Community Academy Poudre School District R-1 · Alternative School | 06–12 | 212 | 14:1 | |
| Poudre High School Poudre School District R-1 | 09–12 | 1,409 | 16.4:1 | |
| Rocky Mountain High School Poudre School District R-1 | 09–12 | 2,044 | 19.6:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Fort Collins
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado State Charter School Institute · Charter | KG–12 | 621 | 17.2:1 | |
| Liberty Common Charter School Poudre School District R-1 · Charter | KG–12 | 1,516 | 19.5:1 | |
| Polaris Expeditionary Learning School Poudre School District R-1 · Alternative School | KG–12 | 406 | 15.3:1 | |
| PSD Global Academy Poudre School District R-1 | KG–12 | 259 | 11.3:1 | |
| Ridgeview Classical Schools Poudre School District R-1 · Charter | KG–12 | 721 | 15.1:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White69%
- Hispanic20.8%
- Black1.4%
- Asian3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial5.1%
Enrollment-weighted across 46 Fort Collins schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (25,928 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Fort Collins
How many public schools are in Fort Collins, CO?
The current NCES directory lists 46 open public schools with a location address in Fort Collins: 26 elementary, 7 middle, 8 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 25,928 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Fort Collins?
Schools with an address in Fort Collins belong to 3 education agencies, led by Poudre School District R-1 (42 schools), State Charter School Institute (3 schools), Thompson School District R-2J (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 Fort Collins?
Rocky Mountain High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Fort Collins, with 2,044 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Fort Collins?
Yes. 8 of the 46 public schools in Fort Collins are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado, Axis International Academy, Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Fort Collins schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Fort Collins public schools is 15:1, similar to 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 Fort Collins 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