Harrisburg City School District

1601 State Street
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Harrisburg City School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Pennsylvania for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 3 public high schools serving 1,978 students in Harrisburg City School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Pennsylvania.
High Schools in Harrisburg City School District have an average math proficiency score of 13% (versus the Pennsylvania public high school average of 40%), and reading proficiency score of 26% (versus the 58% statewide average).
High School in Harrisburg City School District have a Graduation Rate of 72%, which is less than the Pennsylvania average of 88%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Harrisburg High School - Scitech Cmp, with ≥95% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Pennsylvania or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 98% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Pennsylvania public high school average of 39% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (PA)
# Schools
12 Schools
790 Schools
# Students
6,229 Students
641,839 Students
# Teachers
410 Teachers
46,794 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Harrisburg City School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 675 school districts in Pennsylvania (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 71% has increased from 59% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (PA)
#651 out of 684 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
5%
36%
16%
55%
20%
57%
71%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.59
0.59
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
2%
4%
% Hispanic
45%
15%
% Black
47%
15%
% White
2%
61%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
4%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $24,958 is higher than the state median of $23,696. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $24,099 is higher than the state median of $23,119. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (PA)
Total Revenue
$156 MM
$39,541 MM
Spending
$150 MM
$38,578 MM
Revenue / Student
$24,958
$23,696
Spending / Student
$24,099
$23,119

Best Harrisburg City School District High Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Harrisburg High School - Scitech Cmp
(Math: 60-69% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
215 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 703-1900
Grades: 9-12
| 323 students
Rank: #22.
Harrisburg High School
(Math: 11-19% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
2451 Market St
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 703-4300
Grades: 9-12
| 1,333 students
Rank: #33.
Cougar Academy
Magnet School
(Math: 3% | Reading: 15%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1601 State St
Harrisburg, PA 17103
(717) 703-4325
Grades: K-12
| 322 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 12 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 6,229 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 98%
  • : 71% (Btm 50% in PA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 5% (Btm 50%)
  • : 16% (Btm 50%)
  • : 20% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), PA Dept. of Education

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