Photo: Citycommunications at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0Fort Collins’s public schools outscore 89% of Colorado districts
On the state math tests, 48% of Fort Collins’s students scored proficient, above the Colorado average (32%). The grade covers the public school district serving Fort Collins, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Colorado, not nationally.
From Colorado state tests taken in spring 2022, when 87% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Fort Collins’s schools, in brief
Above the state on both counts
Reading proficiency is 59% and math 48% in spring 2022, against 45% and 32% statewide; 87% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 83%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $15,698 per student, against $15,889 across Colorado (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
22 elementary schools, then seven middle and four high schools
Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary, Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins, Axis International Academy, Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado, Liberty Common Charter School, Ridgeview Classical Schools, Mountain Sage Community School, Fort Collins Montessori School, Compass Community Collaborative School, St. Joseph Catholic School (private), Rivendell School of Northern Colorado (private), Front Range Baptist Academy (private), Christian Core Academy (private), Fort Collins Christian School (private) and Cornerstone Ministries DBA Grace Academy (private) are in town. PSD Global Academy, an online school, is based here too; it isn’t counted as a local school. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Fort Collins’s grade
A: better than 89% of Colorado school districts, #28 of 159 Colorado towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Colorado average; test scores are the stronger of the two.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Fort Collins, with each school’s own grade.
Fort Collins’s public schools are run by Poudre School District R-1, which also serves Timnath and Wellington. Parts of Fort Collins (8% of its land) are served by Thompson School District R-2J instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well above the state in reading
Fort Collins vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Colorado towns that share Fort Collins’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins | A | Poudre School District R-1 |
| Windsor | A | Windsor School District RE-4 |
| Timnath | A | Poudre School District R-1 |
Every school in Fort Collins
53 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Colorado’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
1 duplicate private-school records merged.
Questions about Fort Collins’s schools
Are Fort Collins’s schools good?
By Colorado’s own tests, yes: the public schools Fort Collins children attend outscore 89% of Colorado’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A Schools grade, #28 of 159 Colorado towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 89%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Fort Collins in?
Poudre School District R-1, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 29,381 students in 52 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Fort Collins are served by Thompson School District R-2J.
Where do Fort Collins kids go to high school?
One of 4 high schools, depending on your address: Rocky Mountain High School, Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins High School and Poudre High School.
What is Fort Collins’s graduation rate?
87% of the class of 2023 in Poudre School District R-1 graduated in four years, against 83% across Colorado.
How much does Fort Collins spend per student?
$15,698 in Poudre School District R-1 (FY2024), against $15,889 across Colorado. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Fort Collins?
Yes: St. Joseph Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 219 students), Rivendell School of Northern Colorado (nonsectarian, grades PK–5, 175 students), Front Range Baptist Academy (religious, grades PK–12, 142 students), Christian Core Academy (religious, grades PK–8, 67 students), Fort Collins Christian School (religious, grades K–6, 29 students) and Cornerstone Ministries DBA Grace Academy (religious, grades 6–12, 12 students). Fort Collins also has 9 charter schools, free and open by application.
Parents talk
What Fort Collins families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Fort Collins → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Colorado. Stars are from neighbors.