Alabama Schools & Education
Public school metrics and education data for all 67 counties.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataAvg Graduation Rate
90.7%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$6,270
Avg School Score
40/100
Total Schools
1,516
151 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Alabama
This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.
Alabama Exceeds National Graduation Rates with Less Spending
Alabama's 90.7% graduation rate significantly outpaces the national average of 87.0%. However, the state achieves this while spending just $6,270 per pupil, which is less than half of the $13,000 national benchmark.
Broad Performance Gaps Across 67 School Districts
Education quality varies across Alabama's 67 counties, with school scores ranging from a high of 55.9 in Lauderdale to a low of 42.8 in Barbour. While some areas boast graduation rates as high as 97.0%, others like Montgomery County trail behind at 81.8%.
State Score Context
How Alabama Counties Are Distributed
67 of 67 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.
Scored county coverage
Counties with complete enough data for the composite score
100%
Higher measured signal
Score range 70-100
0
Midrange measured signal
Score range 40-69
35
Lower measured signal
Score range 0-39
32
Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.
Best school counties
Best Counties for Public School Research in Alabama
For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in Alabama, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.
Short answer for Alabama
Lauderdale County is the strongest county-level starting point in Alabama by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 62/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.
Ranking methodology
67 of 67 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.
State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $6,270.
Top measured county school signals
Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.
Cleburne County
97.0%
Cleburne County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in Alabama. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.
Lowndes County
$8,377
Lowndes County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.
Barbour County
13/100
Barbour County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in Alabama. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.
District research
Compare Alabama public school districts before narrowing by address
Alabama has 151 public school district records and 1,516 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.
All Alabama Counties
| County | School Score |
|---|---|
Lauderdale County
| 62/100 |
Cleburne County
| 59/100 |
Shelby County
| 59/100 |
Pickens County
| 58/100 |
Franklin County
| 58/100 |
Geneva County
| 57/100 |
Cullman County
| 57/100 |
Washington County
| 57/100 |
Colbert County
| 56/100 |
DeKalb County
| 55/100 |
Henry County
| 54/100 |
Covington County
| 54/100 |
Macon County
| 54/100 |
Etowah County
| 53/100 |
Madison County
| 53/100 |
Morgan County
| 53/100 |
Dale County
| 53/100 |
Lowndes County
| 52/100 |
Marion County
| 49/100 |
Coffee County
| 48/100 |
Blount County
| 48/100 |
Pike County
| 48/100 |
Randolph County
| 46/100 |
Perry County
| 45/100 |
Jackson County
| 45/100 |
Lawrence County
| 45/100 |
Lee County
| 45/100 |
Sumter County
| 44/100 |
Talladega County
| 44/100 |
Houston County
| 44/100 |
Dallas County
| 44/100 |
Tallapoosa County
| 43/100 |
Jefferson County
| 42/100 |
Calhoun County
| 41/100 |
Fayette County
| 40/100 |
Hale County
| 39/100 |
Monroe County
| 39/100 |
Russell County
| 39/100 |
Cherokee County
| 39/100 |
Clarke County
| 39/100 |
Baldwin County
| 38/100 |
Lamar County
| 38/100 |
Choctaw County
| 35/100 |
Winston County
| 35/100 |
Marshall County
| 33/100 |
Marengo County
| 33/100 |
Walker County
| 33/100 |
St. Clair County
| 33/100 |
Greene County
| 31/100 |
Escambia County
| 31/100 |
Chambers County
| 31/100 |
Crenshaw County
| 30/100 |
Conecuh County
| 30/100 |
Elmore County
| 29/100 |
Mobile County
| 28/100 |
Tuscaloosa County
| 26/100 |
Chilton County
| 25/100 |
Clay County
| 23/100 |
Limestone County
| 23/100 |
Wilcox County
| 21/100 |
Autauga County
| 21/100 |
Butler County
| 18/100 |
Bibb County
| 17/100 |
Bullock County
| 17/100 |
Coosa County
| 16/100 |
Montgomery County
| 14/100 |
Barbour County
| 13/100 |
— = data not available for this county.
Compare county school profiles in Alabama
Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alabama Schools
Which Alabama counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Alabama?
What are the best school counties in Alabama?
Which Alabama county has the strongest measured school score?
What is the average graduation rate in Alabama?
Which county in Alabama has the lowest school score?
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.