New Bedford Public Schools had the largest enrollment among Bristol County school districts, with 12,505 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Of the students enrolled in the 2024-25 school year, 52.4% were boys, 47.6% were girls, and 0.1% identified themselves as non-binary or did not specify their gender.
The most represented ethnic group among New Bedford Public Schools students was Hispanic, accounting for 45.8% of the student body.
Among the 27 school districts in Bristol County, Fall River Public Schools ranked second in enrollment with 11,089 students, while Taunton Public Schools ranked third with 8,311.
New Bedford Public Schools roughly covers schools within Bristol County with its main office in New Bedford.
In the previous school year, New Bedford Public Schools also had the highest enrollment among Bristol County school districts.
Massachusetts ranks sixth in the nation in per-pupil spending, allocating nearly $25,000 per student, according to a 2026 Education Data Initiative report.
A 2026 analysis from WalletHub ranked the Massachusetts education system as the best in the nation, based on factors such as student performance, class size, funding, school safety, and teacher qualifications.
| District | City (main office) | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| New Bedford Public Schools | New Bedford | 12,505 |
| Fall River Public Schools | Fall River | 11,089 |
| Taunton Public Schools | Taunton | 8,311 |
| Attleboro Public Schools | Attleboro | 6,239 |
| North Attleborough Public Schools | North Attleborough | 3,877 |
| Easton Public Schools | North Easton | 3,360 |
| Dartmouth Public Schools | Dartmouth | 3,297 |
| Mansfield School District | Mansfield | 3,283 |
| Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District | North Dighton | 2,541 |
| Norton School District | Norton | 2,346 |
| Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical School District | New Bedford | 2,151 |
| Seekonk Public Schools | Seekonk | 2,032 |
| Swansea Public Schools | Swansea | 1,991 |
| Fairhaven Public Schools | Fairhaven | 1,727 |
| Somerset Public Schools | Somerset | 1,620 |
| Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School District | South Easton | 1,618 |
| Westport Community Schools | Westport | 1,515 |
| Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical School District | Fall River | 1,463 |
| Bristol-Plymouth Regional Vocational Technical School District | Taunton | 1,335 |
| Atlantis Charter District | Fall River | 1,246 |
| Alma del Mar Charter School District | New Bedford | 1,042 |
| Acushnet Public Schools | Acushnet | 920 |
| Somerset Berkley Regional School District | Somerset | 896 |
| Berkley Public Schools | Berkley | 833 |
| Bristol County Agricultural School District | Dighton | 631 |
| Argosy Collegiate Charter School District | Fall River | 587 |
| Global Learning Charter Public District | New Bedford | 508 |
