NW Valley Times

Mesa Unified District had the highest enrollment among Maricopa County districts, welcoming 57,311 students during the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 51.5% of them were boys, and 48.5% were girls.

The most represented ethnicity among Mesa Unified District students was Latino, accounting for 47.2% of the student population.

Among the 55 districts in Maricopa County, Chandler Unified District #80 ranked second in enrollment numbers with 42,515 students, while Peoria Unified School District welcomed 35,490 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Mesa Unified District roughly covers schools within Maricopa County and has a main office in Mesa.

In the previous school year, Mesa Unified District also had the highest number of students among Maricopa County districts.

A 2023 study from Scholaroo.com ranked Arizona last out of all U.S. states in terms of educational success, giving the state poor marks for school quality, student success, and teacher-to-student ratio.

Additionally, WalletHub claimed Arizona's school system ranked among the worst across U.S. for class size, performance, funding, safety, and instructors' credentials.

District	City (main office)	Total Enrollment
Mesa Unified District	Mesa	57,311
Chandler Unified District #80	Chandler	42,515
Peoria Unified School District	Peoria	35,490
Deer Valley Unified District	Phoenix	32,795
Gilbert Unified District	Gilbert	32,418
Paradise Valley Unified District	Phoenix	27,060
Phoenix Union High School District	Phoenix	26,753
Dysart Unified District	Surprise	23,138
Scottsdale Unified District	Scottsdale	20,898
Washington Elementary School District	Glendale	18,755
Glendale Union High School District	Glendale	16,318
Queen Creek Unified District	Queen Creek	14,474
Tolleson Union High School District	Tolleson	13,785
Kyrene Elementary District	Tempe	13,759
Cartwright Elementary District	Phoenix	13,468
Higley Unified School District	Gilbert	12,843
Tempe Union High School District	Tempe	12,005
Litchfield Elementary District	Litchfield Park	10,734
Tempe School District	Tempe	10,268
Agua Fria Union High School District	Avondale	9,974
Alhambra Elementary District	Phoenix	9,877
Glendale Elementary District	Glendale	8,853
Pendergast Elementary District	Phoenix	8,239
Laveen Elementary District	Laveen	7,729
Roosevelt Elementary District	Phoenix	7,236
Avondale Elementary District	Avondale	5,959
Littleton Elementary District	Cashion	5,951
Madison Elementary District	Phoenix	5,865
Buckeye Elementary District	Buckeye	5,790
Buckeye Union High School District	Buckeye	5,520
Phoenix Elementary District	Phoenix	5,049
Creighton Elementary District	Phoenix	4,902
Isaac Elementary District	Phoenix	4,837
Liberty Elementary District	Buckeye	4,437
Cave Creek Unified District	Cave Creek	4,216
Fowler Elementary District	Phoenix	3,519
Saddle Mountain Unified School District	Tonopah	3,245
Tolleson Elementary District	Tolleson	2,839
Osborn Elementary District	Phoenix	2,430
Balsz Elementary District	Phoenix	2,091
Union Elementary District	Tolleson	1,663
Nadaburg Unified School District	Wittmann	1,402
Wickenburg Unified District	Wickenburg	1,244
Fountain Hills Unified District	Fountain Hills	1,147
Murphy Elementary District	Phoenix	1,132
Wilson Elementary District	Phoenix	975
Riverside Elementary District	Phoenix	812
Gila Bend Unified District	Gila Bend	521
Palo Verde Elementary District	Palo Verde	480
Arlington Elementary District	Arlington	299
Aguila Elementary District	Aguila	146
Morristown Elementary District	Morristown	144
Paloma School District	Gila Bend	121
Sentinel Elementary District	Dateland	34
Mobile Elementary District	Maricopa	32