Children’s development and educational success hinges upon a myriad of factors, including prekindergarten participation, the adequacy of school funding, and the challenges and needs of the student and youth population. Educational attainment levels are associated with greater earnings and standard of living, and the rate of students pursuing further education also provides an indirect measure of the strength of the high schools. In Lancaster County, pre-kindergarten enrollment and school spending have both increased, while the number of youth pursuing higher education has decreased. 

Prekindergarten helps prepare children both socially and academically for school and can be especially important for low-income children who tend to be exposed to a less rich vocabulary and have access to fewer resources than their peers. In Lancaster County in 2025, 12% of 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in prekindergarten programs, up one percentage point from 2010, but a decrease from a high of 17% in 2019 and below the state rate of 24%.  

School spending across public school districts in Lancaster County was $23,700 per student in 2025, an increase of 29% since 2010.

In 2025, 51% of students in Lancaster County scored as proficient or advanced on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Grade 3 English Language Arts exam, slightly higher than the state rate of 49%. In contrast, 36% of economically disadvantaged students and 12% of English Language Learners in Lancaster County passed the exam. Among racial and ethnic groups, 71% of Asian and 61% of White students passed compared to 26% of Hispanic students and 21% of Black or African American students.

Just over a third (35%) of students in Lancaster County passed the PSSA Grade 8 Math exam in 2025, slightly higher than the state rate of 31%. In comparison, 20% of economically disadvantaged students in Lancaster County and 2% of English Language Learners passed the exam. Among racial and ethnic groups, 55% of Asian students and 43% of White students passed compared to 17% of Hispanic and 13% of African American students.

Student population challenges include those needing special education services and the number of disengaged youth. In Lancaster County, 21% of Lancaster County students received special education services in 2023. About 5% of youth ages 16 to 19 in Lancaster County were disengaged in 2020-24 – not working or attending school.

In 2025, 91% of the 2024-25 high school student cohort in Lancaster County graduated, compared to 89% statewide. Lancaster City School District’s graduation rate was 78% in 2025, an increase of 9 percentage points from 2011.

In 2025, 55% of high school graduates in Lancaster County planned to attend a 2- or 4-year college or university, a decrease of 8 percentage points from 2008.

Young adults provide a regional economy with a supply of young workers starting out in careers. Lancaster County had over 26,000 young adults with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2020-24, making up 6.1% of the total population, slightly below the state and national rates.

The rates of higher education attainment in Lancaster County by race/ethnicity were generally below the state and national rates for almost every group. The percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher were highest for Asian Americans (41%), followed by Whites (34%). African Americans and Hispanics in Lancaster had lower rates – 25% and 20% respectively.

Enrollment in local colleges in Lancaster County has decreased 8% since 2002, a 28% decline from the peak of 29,080 enrollments in 2008.