Educational success hinges upon myriad factors, but important ones include prekindergarten participation, the availability of high-quality early childhood education, the challenges and needs of the student population, and the adequacy of school funding. 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 Berks County in 2019, 20% of 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in prekindergarten programs, up from 10% in 2007, though still below the state rate of 23%. 

School spending in Berks County across public school districts was $18,100 per student in 2020, about 5% less than the statewide level of $19,100. The county level has increased 49% since 2001, less than the 50% increase the state saw as a whole. Per-student spending was the lowest in the Reading district at $15,000 and the highest in the Kutztown district at $28,700.  

Pennsylvania defines students as historically underperforming if they are eligible for free or reduced priced lunch, English Language Learners, or receive special education services. The size and concentration of these groups of students can pose additional challenges to schools as they seek to education children who have fewer resources at home, require special or modified instruction as they gain English proficiency, or require intensive and often expensive special education services in order to support their educational outcomes. In Berks County, 53% of students were eligible for free or reduced price lunch, 9% of students were English language learners, and 23% received special education services. Reading School District had the highest proportion of students eligible for free or reduced priced lunch (100%) and the highest share of English language learners (26%). Berks County as a whole also had a higher proportion of these student groups than its neighboring counties.

High school graduation rates in Berks County have been rising, with 87% of the 2020 high school cohort graduating on time, up 3 percentage points from 2011 and similar to the state graduation rate and increase over this time period. Some of the lowest 2020 graduation rates were in districts with high rates of students who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a rough measure of low-income backgrounds. These included Reading, with a graduation rate of 71%. The highest graduation rates were in districts where between a quarter and one-third of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (for example, Wyomissing which had a graduation rate of 92%).

High school graduates’ post-graduation plans has declined, with 59% of the 2020 high school graduates in Berks County planning on attending college at a 2- or 4- year institution, lower than the 65% in 2008, and lower than the current state rate (which declined by 9 percentage points over this time period). Several school districts had 70% or more of their graduates plan to attend a 2- or 4-year institution, these were: Wyomissing, Fleetwood and Daniel Boone. Reading had the lowest rate, with only 34% of its graduates planning to go on to a 2- or 4- year institution, followed by Tulpehocken (55%). Berks’ rate ranked it in the middle of neighboring counties, whose college-bound rates ranged from 56% to 74%.

Berks County’s adult education levels are highest for Asian Americans (47% with a bachelor’s degree or higher) followed by whites (26%). African Americans and Hispanics in Berks had lower rates of higher education (15% and 11% respectively held a bachelor’s degree or above). These rates of higher education by race/ethnicity are generally below the state and national rates for almost every group. Additionally, the share of Berks County residents without a high school degree has declined since 2000 for all racial and ethnic groups.

Enrollment in local colleges in Berks County has increased 9% since 2002, although this is a 22% decline from the peak of 32,450 enrollments in 2011.

Young adults provide a regional economy with a supply of young workers starting out in careers. Berks County had a little more than 13,000 young adults in 2015-19 with a bachelor's degree or higher, making up 4.0% of the total population, below the state and nation.