SW Valley Times

Mesa Unified District had the highest enrollment among Maricopa County districts, welcoming 57,909 students during the 2022-23 academic year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Out of the total students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 51.3% of them were boys, and 48.7% were girls.

The most represented ethnicity among Mesa Unified District students was Latino, accounting for 46.6% of the student population.

Among the 55 districts in Maricopa County, Chandler Unified District #80 ranked second in enrollment numbers with 43,521 students, while Peoria Unified School District welcomed 36,506 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 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.

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	57,909
Chandler Unified District #80	Chandler	43,521
Peoria Unified School District	Peoria	36,506
Gilbert Unified District	Gilbert	33,210
Deer Valley Unified District	Phoenix	33,185
Paradise Valley Unified District	Phoenix	27,913
Phoenix Union High School District	Phoenix	27,898
Dysart Unified District	Surprise	23,134
Scottsdale Unified District	Scottsdale	21,136
Washington Elementary School District	Glendale	19,278
Glendale Union High School District	Glendale	16,533
Kyrene Elementary District	Tempe	14,366
Cartwright Elementary District	Phoenix	14,092
Queen Creek Unified District	Queen Creek	13,771
Tolleson Union High School District	Tolleson	13,741
Higley Unified School District	Gilbert	12,851
Tempe Union High School District	Tempe	12,639
Litchfield Elementary District	Litchfield Park	10,855
Tempe School District	Tempe	10,724
Alhambra Elementary District	Phoenix	9,967
Agua Fria Union High School District	Avondale	9,631
Glendale Elementary District	Glendale	9,239
Pendergast Elementary District	Phoenix	8,245
Laveen Elementary District	Laveen	7,766
Roosevelt Elementary District	Phoenix	7,149
Avondale Elementary District	Avondale	5,889
Littleton Elementary District	Cashion	5,873
Madison Elementary District	Phoenix	5,832
Buckeye Elementary District	Buckeye	5,708
Buckeye Union High School District	Buckeye	5,414
Phoenix Elementary District	Phoenix	5,148
Creighton Elementary District	Phoenix	5,076
Isaac Elementary District	Phoenix	4,914
Cave Creek Unified District	Cave Creek	4,488
Liberty Elementary District	Buckeye	4,448
Fowler Elementary District	Phoenix	3,811
Saddle Mountain Unified School District	Tonopah	3,140
Tolleson Elementary District	Tolleson	2,853
Osborn Elementary District	Phoenix	2,520
Balsz Elementary District	Phoenix	2,139
Union Elementary District	Tolleson	1,684
Wickenburg Unified District	Wickenburg	1,314
Murphy Elementary District	Phoenix	1,231
Nadaburg Unified School District	Wittmann	1,219
Fountain Hills Unified District	Fountain Hills	1,189
Wilson Elementary District	Phoenix	1,077
Riverside Elementary District	Phoenix	820
Gila Bend Unified District	Gila Bend	469
Palo Verde Elementary District	Palo Verde	446
Arlington Elementary District	Arlington	279
Morristown Elementary District	Morristown	143
Aguila Elementary District	Aguila	123
Paloma School District	Gila Bend	112
Sentinel Elementary District	Dateland	38
Mobile Elementary District	Maricopa	30