Public schools in Providence, RI

59 open public schools with an address in Providence, operated by 17 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

26,603

59 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

14.6:1

Rhode Island median 13:1

Charter schools

1 magnet · 0 virtual

An overview of Providence public schools

The federal directory lists 59 public schools in Providence, RI: 28 elementary, 10 middle, 20 high, 1 combined or other. The 59 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 26,603 students, an average of 451 per school. The largest campus is Classical High School (1,116 students), and the largest elementary school is Alfred Lima Sr. El School (662).

Providence operates the most schools here (37), plus 16 charter, service, or other agencies. 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 14.6:1, higher than the statewide school median of 13:1. 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 19 charter schools, 1 magnet school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 18 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 12 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 11 of 18 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Achievement First Envision Ele Achievement First Rhode Island · Charter	KG–04	458	14.8:1
Achievement First Promesa Achievement First Rhode Island · Charter	KG–05	548	13.4:1
Achievement First Providence Achievement First Rhode Island · Charter	KG–04	460	13.5:1
Alfred Lima Sr. El School Providence	KG–05	662	17:1
Anthony Carnevale Elementary Providence	PK–05	519	13.3:1
Asa Messer El. School Providence	PK–04	557	18:1
Cornel Young & Charlotte Woods Providence	PK–05	635	15.5:1
Frank D. Spaziano Elem School Providence	PK–06	588	19:1
George J. West El. School Providence	KG–05	502	12.9:1
Harry Kizirian Elementary Providence	PK–06	434	16.7:1
Highlander Elementary Charter Highlander · Charter	PK–06	269	12.8:1
Leviton Dual Language School Providence	KG–05	288	16.9:1
Lillian Feinstein El. School Providence	KG–05	429	17.9:1
Martin Luther King El. School Providence	PK–05	430	17.2:1
Mary E. Fogarty El. School Providence	KG–05	430	17.9:1
Nuestro Mundo Public Charter S Nuestro Mundo Public Charter · Charter · Magnet	KG–08	292	18.3:1
Paul Cuffee Lower School Paul Cuffee Charter Sch · Charter	KG–05	358	12.8:1
Pleasant View School Providence	PK–05	433	11.1:1
Reservoir Avenue School Providence	KG–05	289	18.1:1
Robert F. Kennedy El. School Providence	KG–05	451	19.6:1
Robert L. Bailey IV Providence	KG–05	444	14.8:1
SouthSide Elementary Charter SouthSide Charter School · Charter	KG–05	135	13.5:1
The Hope Academy The Hope Academy · Charter	KG–08	320	11.4:1
Times2 Elementary School Providence · Charter	KG–05	322	11.1:1
Vartan Gregorian El. School Providence	KG–05	311	15.6:1
Veazie Street School Providence	PK–05	440	15.2:1
Webster Avenue School Providence	KG–05	308	15.4:1
William D'Abate Elem. School Providence	KG–05	398	17.3:1

Middle schools in Providence

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
AF Providence Mayoral Middle Achievement First Rhode Island · Charter	05–08	405	14:1
Esek Hopkins Middle Providence	07–08	398	14.7:1
Governor Christopher DelSesto Providence	06–08	818	17:1
Nathan Bishop Middle Providence	06–08	719	16.3:1
Nathanael Greene Middle Providence	06–08	815	15.1:1
Paul Cuffee Middle School Paul Cuffee Charter Sch · Charter	06–08	189	14.5:1
Providence Preparatory Charter Providence Preparatory Charter · Charter	05–08	244	—
Roger Williams Middle Providence	06–08	786	14.6:1
Urban Collaborative Program Urban Collaborative	07–08	145	10.4:1
West Broadway Middle School Providence	05–08	516	15.6:1

High schools in Providence

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Achievement First Providence H Achievement First Rhode Island · Charter	09–12	458	12.7:1
Aventure Academy Providence	09–12	227	8.1:1
Bridge Academy Providence	09–12	117	16.7:1
Central High School Providence	09–12	1,050	16.7:1
Charette Charter School Charette Charter · Charter	09–12	168	16.8:1
Classical High School Providence	09–12	1,116	17.2:1
Dr. Jorge Alvarez HS Providence	09–12	447	14.4:1
E-Cubed Academy Providence	09–12	338	11.7:1
Hope High School Providence	09–12	775	12.3:1
Metropolitan Career Tech Ctr MET Career and Tech · Career and Technical School	09–12	817	11.7:1
Mount Pleasant High Providence	09–12	997	16.1:1
Paul Cuffee Upper School Paul Cuffee Charter Sch · Charter	09–12	243	9.3:1
Providence Career Technical Providence · Career and Technical School	09–12	759	12.2:1
RINI Middle College Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College · Charter	09–12	462	12.2:1
Sheila Skip Nowell Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy	09–12	187	12.5:1
Times2 Middle/High School Providence · Charter	06–12	383	12.4:1
Trinity Academy Performing Art Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts · Charter	05–12	234	9.4:1
Village Green Virtual Village Green Virtual · Charter	09–12	203	14.5:1
W B Cooley & Acad Internationa Providence	09–12	685	13.4:1
YouthBuild Preparatory Academy YouthBuild Preparatory Academy · Alternative School	09–12	115	28.8:1

Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Providence

School	Grades	Students	Ratio	Compare
R.I. School for the Deaf R.I. Sch for the Deaf · Special Education School	PK–12	77	3.3:1

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White8%
Hispanic68.6%
Black15.6%
Asian2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
Multiracial3.6%

Enrollment-weighted across 59 Providence schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (26,603 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in Providence

How many public schools are in Providence, RI?

The current NCES directory lists 59 open public schools with a location address in Providence: 28 elementary, 10 middle, 20 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 26,603 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve Providence?

Schools with an address in Providence belong to 17 education agencies, led by Providence (37 schools), Achievement First Rhode Island (5 schools), Paul Cuffee Charter Sch (3 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

What is the largest public high school in Providence?

Classical High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Providence, with 1,116 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in Providence?

Yes. 19 of the 59 public schools in Providence are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Achievement First Envision Ele, Achievement First Promesa, Achievement First Providence. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Providence schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Providence public schools is 14.6:1, higher than the Rhode Island school median of 13:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

Does living in Providence 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island cities