Washington, D.C. Education Guide

Education in Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia educates roughly 96,000 public K–12 students — and, because it's a federal district rather than a state, its governance is unusual. Instead of a single state department, the District has the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) (which performs "state-level" functions), DC Public Schools (DCPS) (the traditional district, led by a Chancellor under the Mayor), the DC Public Charter School Board (which oversees charters), and an elected State Board of Education.

The District is one of the most choice-rich places in the country: roughly 45% of public-school students attend charter schools (among the highest shares anywhere), and DC is home to the nation's only federally funded private-school voucher. DC also offers universal pre-K, a distinctive DCTAG college grant, and a famous set of independent schools. This guide walks through it all — for the student, the family, the school, and the educator.

Who must attend school

The District requires children ages 5 to 18 to attend school — an early start (5), among the earliest in the country. Attendance can be met through a DCPS school, a public charter school, a private school, or home instruction.

• Start age5
• End of compulsory age18
• SystemDCPS + independent public charter LEAs
• Satisfying itDCPS, charter, private, or home instruction

Universal pre-K

Washington, D.C. is a national leader in early education, offering free universal prekindergarten to all 3- and 4-year-olds — one of the highest pre-K enrollment rates in the country. Pre-K is delivered through DCPS schools, public charter schools, and community-based organizations (with Head Start integrated into the mix).

Because pre-K is universal and offered across many settings, most District families can access it — but seats are assigned through the common lottery (below), so apply early. See our Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood toolkits.

DCPS & charter schools

The District's public schools come in two forms. DC Public Schools (DCPS) is the traditional district — about 115 schools led by a Chancellor under the Mayor. Alongside it, the District has one of the country's largest public charter sectors: roughly 130 charter campuses educating about 45% of all public-school students — one of the highest charter shares in the nation — overseen by the DC Public Charter School Board. Most DCPS and charter schools participate in a single enrollment lottery (below).

Find DC public and charter schools in our schools directory.

Private & independent schools in D.C.

Washington, D.C. is home to some of the nation's most prominent private and independent schools — a hallmark of the region. They include:

• Independent schoolsNonprofit, board-governed, tuition-funded schools such as Sidwell Friends, St. Albans, National Cathedral School, Georgetown Day School, and Maret — several with long national reputations
• Catholic & parochial schoolsArchdiocese of Washington schools, including Gonzaga College High School
• Other religious & Friends schoolsQuaker, Jewish, and other faith-based options
• Specialty schoolsMontessori and schools for specific learning needs

Many of the District's independent schools belong to the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW) and are accredited through the Association of Independent Maryland & D.C. Schools (AIMS) or Middle States. Because the District provides limited oversight of private schools, families should ask about a school's accreditation, curriculum, and outcomes directly.

How choice works in D.C.

The District offers exceptionally broad school choice:

• Public charter schoolsAbout 45% of public students attend charters — one of the highest shares in the country
• My School DC lotteryA common enrollment lottery that lets families apply to most DCPS (out-of-boundary) schools and public charter schools through a single application
• DC Opportunity ScholarshipThe only federally funded private-school voucher in the nation — created by Congress in 2004 for low-income District students to attend participating private schools (awards run into the low-to-mid five figures)
• In-boundary DCPSEvery student is guaranteed a spot at their neighborhood DCPS school

So District families can choose among their neighborhood DCPS school, other DCPS and charter schools (via My School DC), private schools (including with the Opportunity Scholarship, if eligible), and homeschooling. See our School Types toolkit for how these compare.

Homeschooling in D.C.

The District takes a moderate approach to home instruction, overseen by OSSE:

• Notify OSSEFile a notice of intent to homeschool with OSSE (and renew annually)
• Required subjectsProvide instruction in the required subject areas (language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education)
• RecordsMaintain a portfolio of the child's work and materials
• OSSE oversightOSSE may review the homeschool program (including a portfolio review) to confirm instruction is taking place

District homeschool parents set their own curriculum and graduation approach and issue their own diplomas. See our Homeschooling toolkit, and file your notice of intent with the OSSE.

The DC CAPE

District public schools (both DCPS and charters) use the DC CAPE (DC Comprehensive Assessment Program) — testing English language arts and mathematics (grades 3–8 and high school) and science (grades 5, 8, and high school). (The District previously used the PARCC assessment before transitioning to DC CAPE.)

Homeschooled students are not part of DC CAPE. See the OSSE assessment pages for current details.

Earning a D.C. high school diploma

For DCPS, graduation requires 24 credits (Carnegie units) — across English, mathematics, science, social studies, world language, the arts, health/physical education, and electives — plus 100 hours of community service. Public charter schools are their own local education agencies and set their own graduation requirements (which must meet District standards), so requirements can vary by school.

• DCPS diploma24 credits
• Community service100 hours required (DCPS)
• Charter schoolsSet their own requirements
• Dual enrollmentCollege credit options available

Special education & gifted

The District serves students with disabilities under the federal IDEA, providing eligible students a free appropriate public education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with full procedural safeguards overseen by OSSE (and delivered by DCPS and charter LEAs).

On gifted education, the District does not have a single District-wide gifted mandate; advanced and gifted programming is offered at the school level (through DCPS programs and individual charter schools) and varies. See our Special Education and Gifted & Talented toolkits, and verify with OSSE.

The DC School Report Card & STAR ratings

The District rates each public school with a 1–5 star rating through its STAR (School Transparency and Reporting) Framework, published on the DC School Report Card. Ratings are based on measures such as academic achievement and growth, English-learner progress, attendance, and (for high schools) graduation and college/career readiness — applied to both DCPS and charter schools.

As always, a star rating is a starting point, not the whole story — look at the underlying metrics and visit schools (see our Choosing the Right School toolkit). Explore the DC School Report Card, and find schools in our directory.

Immunizations & school entry

To enroll in a District school, students must show proof of required immunizations per the schedule set by DC Health, or a valid exemption. The District's requirements are relatively comprehensive — notably, DC requires the HPV vaccine in addition to the standard schedule.

The District allows medical exemptions and religious exemptions — it does not offer a broad personal-belief/philosophical exemption. Confirm current requirements with DC Health and your school before enrolling.

DCTAG & college access

Because the District has only one public university, it created a distinctive program: the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) pays the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition (up to an annual cap) at public universities across the country — effectively giving District students in-state rates at public colleges nationwide. DC also offers strong college-access support through the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP) and programs like the Mayor's Scholars, which help fund tuition at UDC and other institutions.

Students apply by filing the FAFSA and the DCTAG application by the deadlines. Use our Net Price, SAI Estimator, and Award Letter tools to plan costs, and see programs via the OSSE (DCTAG).

Colleges & universities in D.C.

The District's public university is the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) — an HBCU and land-grant institution that also includes a community college (UDC-CC), serving as the District's public option from certificates through graduate degrees. Beyond UDC, Washington, D.C. is one of the country's great university towns, home to renowned private institutions — Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University, Howard University (a leading HBCU), Catholic University, and Gallaudet University.

DCTAG and DC-CAP (above) help District students afford both UDC and colleges nationwide. Explore D.C. colleges and universities in our directory.

Becoming a teacher in D.C.

The District licenses educators through OSSE, and candidates must pass the required Praxis examinations after completing an approved preparation program. OSSE issues District teaching credentials and offers alternative routes for career changers (DCPS and charter schools also recruit through programs such as teaching residencies and fellowships).

The District provides reciprocity for many educators licensed elsewhere. See our Teacher Certification, Praxis, and Job & Interview Tips for Educators toolkits, and the OSSE educator licensure pages for specifics.

Where to get the authoritative details

Requirements change — this guide is a well-organized starting point, not the final authority. For the current, official word, go straight to the source:

Also essential: DCPS (dcps.dc.gov) and the DC Public Charter School Board (for school-specific enrollment), your school counselor, and the K12 Academics toolkits linked throughout this page.