SchoolDigger API Examples

Code examples for the SchoolDigger K-12 School Data API — the most comprehensive source of U.S. school data available via API.

What is SchoolDigger?

SchoolDigger provides data on 130,000+ U.S. public, charter, and private schools and 18,500+ districts across all 50 states. Since 2006, SchoolDigger has been trusted by Harvard, Money Magazine, Century 21, IXL, Precisely, Coldwell Banker, and Franklin Covey.

Data Available

Category	Details	History
School Directory	Name, address, phone, lat/long, grades served, charter/magnet/virtual flags	Current
Demographics	Enrollment, racial breakdown, free/reduced lunch %, student/teacher ratio	20 years
Test Scores	20M+ records — proficiency rates by school/district/state, grade, subject	10 years
Rankings	SchoolDigger 0-5 star rankings for schools and districts	10+ years
Finance	Per-pupil expenditures (federal vs state/local split)	5 years
Outcomes	Graduation rates, dropout rates, chronic absenteeism	5 years
Boundaries	District attendance boundary polygons (Pro/Enterprise)	Current
Reviews	Parent/community ratings and comments	Ongoing

API at a Glance

Base URL	https://api.schooldigger.com/v2.3
Format	JSON
Auth	appID + appKey query parameters
Free Tier	DEV/TEST — Enterprise-level data, 20 calls/day, no credit card
Docs	Interactive docs · Swagger spec · LLM reference
Pricing	Free → $19.90/mo → $89/mo → $189/mo

Endpoints

Endpoint	Description
GET /v2.3/schools	Search schools by state, city, zip, name, location, type
GET /v2.3/schools/{id}	Full school record with test scores, finance, reviews, rank history
GET /v2.3/districts	Search districts by state, city, zip, name, location
GET /v2.3/districts/{id}	Full district record with boundaries, test scores, finance
GET /v2.3/rankings/schools/{st}	Statewide school ranking list
GET /v2.3/rankings/districts/{st}	Statewide district ranking list
GET /v2.3/autocomplete/schools	Fast typeahead school search
GET /v2.3/autocomplete/districts	Fast typeahead district search

Quick Start

1. Get a free API key at developer.schooldigger.com (no credit card required)
2. Set environment variables:

   export SCHOOLDIGGER_APP_ID=your_app_id
   export SCHOOLDIGGER_APP_KEY=your_app_key

3. Run an example:

   # Python
   cd python && pip install -r requirements.txt && python search_schools.py
   
   # JavaScript
   cd javascript && npm install && node search_schools.mjs
   
   # curl
   curl "https://api.schooldigger.com/v2.3/schools?st=WA&q=Lincoln&appID=$SCHOOLDIGGER_APP_ID&appKey=$SCHOOLDIGGER_APP_KEY"

Examples

Python

File	Description
search_schools.py	Search schools by state and keyword, display results
get_school_detail.py	Fetch full school profile including test scores and demographics
compare_schools.py	Compare two schools side-by-side (rankings, test scores, demographics)
find_nearby_schools.py	Find schools near a latitude/longitude (Pro/Enterprise)
export_rankings_csv.py	Export a state's school rankings to CSV

JavaScript

File	Description
search_schools.mjs	Search schools and display results
get_school_detail.mjs	Fetch and display a full school profile
autocomplete_demo.mjs	Demonstrate the autocomplete endpoint for typeahead UIs
express_school_lookup.mjs	Express.js server with a school search endpoint

R

File	Description
search_schools.R	Search schools and create a data frame
plot_school_demographics.R	Fetch a state's rankings and plot demographic breakdowns with ggplot2

C#

File	Description
Program.cs	.NET console app demonstrating school search and detail retrieval

curl

File	Description
examples.sh	Annotated curl commands for every endpoint

Common Use Cases

• Real estate apps — Display nearby school ratings on property listings
• School choice tools — Help parents compare schools by test scores, demographics, and rankings
• Education research — Analyze performance trends across schools, districts, or states
• EdTech platforms — Enrich your product with school directory and performance data
• Data journalism — Investigate school spending, achievement gaps, or demographic shifts

Other Ways to Access SchoolDigger Data

Method	Best For	Link
API	Real-time integration into apps and websites	developer.schooldigger.com
Widgets	No-code embeds for any website	widgets.schooldigger.com
AWS Marketplace	Bulk data download (CSV/tab-delimited)	AWS Seller Profile
Snowflake Marketplace	Query in your Snowflake warehouse	Snowflake Listing
RapidAPI	Alternative API gateway	RapidAPI Listing

Support

• Email: api@schooldigger.com
• Documentation: developer.schooldigger.com/docs
• LLM Integration: llms.txt · Full LLM reference

License

These examples are MIT licensed. The SchoolDigger API itself requires an API key — get one free.