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Bellingham School District

1306 Dupont St
Bellingham, WA 98225-3118
(District boundaries shown in map)
8/
10
Top 30%

Top Rankings

Bellingham School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Washington for:

Category
Attribute
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 7 public high schools serving 4,109 students in Bellingham School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public high schools in Washington.
Public High Schools in Bellingham School District have an average math proficiency score of 37% (versus the Washington public high school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 81% (versus the 65% statewide average).
Public High School in Bellingham School District have a Graduation Rate of 79%, which is less than the Washington average of 84%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Sehome High School, with 88% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Washington or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 36% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Washington public high school average of 51% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (WA)
# Schools
25 Schools
859 Schools
# Students
11,337 Students
388,551 Students
# Teachers
639 Teachers
18,642 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
18:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Bellingham School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 306 school districts in Washington (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 79% has decreased from 85% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (WA)
#68 out of 307 school districts
(Top 30%)
45%
41%
57%
53%
57%
49%
79%
84%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.56
0.68
% American Indian
1%
2%
% Asian
5%
8%
% Hispanic
20%
26%
% Black
2%
5%
% White
63%
49%
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
% Two or more races
9%
9%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $19,071 is higher than the state median of $18,891. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $22,527 is higher than the state median of $19,344. The school district spending/student has grown by 25% over four school years.
This School District
This State (WA)
Total Revenue
$216 MM
$20,715 MM
Spending
$255 MM
$21,212 MM
Revenue / Student
$19,071
$18,891
Spending / Student
$22,527
$19,344

Best Bellingham School District Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Bellingham High School
(Math: 44% | Reading: 79%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2020 Cornwall Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6575
Gr: 9-12 | 1,165 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 32%
Rank: #22.
Sehome High School
(Math: 40% | Reading: 89%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2700 Bill Mcdonald Pkwy
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6481
Gr: 9-12 | 1,116 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 30%
Rank: #33.
Squalicum High School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 78%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
3773 E Mcleod Rd
Bellingham, WA 98226
(360) 676-6471
Gr: 9-12 | 1,273 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #44.
Bellingham Family Partnership Program
Alternative School
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: ≥50% )
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1409 18th St
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6424
Gr: K-12 | 258 students Student-teacher ratio: 26:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #55.
Visions (Seamar Youth Center)
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: ≥50% )
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1603 E Illinois St
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 647-6871
Gr: 6-12 | 11 students Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #66.
Options High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: 40-59%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
2015 Franklin St
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 647-6871
Gr: 9-12 | 176 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 29%
Rank: n/an/a
Bellingham Re-engagement Program
Alternative School
1985 Barkley Blvd
Bellingham, WA 98226
(360) 676-6400
Gr: 9-12 | 110 students Minority enrollment: 36%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 25 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 11,337 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 18:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 37%
  • : 79% (Top 50% in WA)
  • : Top 30%
  • : 45% (Top 30%)
  • : 57% (Top 30%)
  • : 57% (Top 20%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), WA Dept. of Education

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