schoolsbycounty

Davidson County Schools & Education

School Score

28/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

78.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

78.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 93.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,324

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,215

School Score

28/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 47/100

State Score Position

#88

of 95 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Davidson County

Measured School Summary

Davidson County faces educational challenges with a school score of 28/100 and a graduation rate of 78.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,324 per pupil, Davidson County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 41% below the Tennessee average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 15.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 18% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Davidson County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

169 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

28/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #88 of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data.

Completion

78.1%

15.2 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,324

$1,109 above the state average

School coverage

169

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Davidson County has 169 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Davidson County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Davidson County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 161 of 169 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#88

of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data. The county score is 19 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Davidson County

Elementary to high school visible

80,651 students

Elementary 81Middle 37High 33Other 10

161 listed schools in this county slice.

Tennessee School for Blind

Other grade structure

127 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Davidson County is the largest listed district slice, with 161 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Davidson County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Davidson County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Comparison context

Compare Davidson County With Nearby School Markets

Davidson County appears in curated regional school comparisons where parents commonly weigh county lines, housing tradeoffs, commute, and district boundaries before narrowing to individual schools.

Nashville area

Davidson County vs Williamson County vs Rutherford County Schools

This comparison is built for families weighing Nashville proper against high-growth suburban county choices.

Compared with

Williamson County, TN and Rutherford County, TN

Current leader

Williamson County, TN at 66/100

Graduation-rate leader: Williamson County, TN at 96.0%

Education Overview

About Schools in Davidson County, Tennessee

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Tennessee's Vast Urban Education Network

Davidson County features a massive educational infrastructure with 169 total schools serving 83,331 students. This complex system includes 85 elementary, 40 middle, and 33 high schools, along with 11 specialized campuses. It is one of the state's most diverse and expansive school landscapes.

A Leader in Charter School Integration

Davidson County is the dominant district with 161 schools and over 80,000 students, though it is also home to the Tennessee School for the Blind. Charter schools play a major role here, with 32 schools representing nearly 19% of the total public school options. This provides families with a wide array of specialized educational pathways and alternative models.

Urban Campuses with Large-Scale Enrollments

The vast majority of schools—155 in total—are located in city settings, giving the district a true urban character. McGavock High is the county's largest school with 2,098 students, nearly quadruple the county's average school size of 502 students. Attending school here typically involves being part of a large, diverse campus with a wide range of extracurricular and academic programs.

School Overview

Total Schools

169

in Davidson County

Reported Enrollment

83,331

169 schools reporting

School Districts

2

districts

Charter Schools

32

19% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary85
Middle40
High33
Other11

2 School Districts in Davidson County

Davidson County

Guide
161 schools
80,651 students
Open district guide

Tennessee School for Blind

1 school
127 students

169 Public Schools in Davidson County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 10 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 20 of 169 matching schools

McGavock High

Davidson County

Nashville, 37214 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,098 students

Antioch High School

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,083 students

John Overton High

Davidson County

Nashville, 37220 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,016 students

Cane Ridge High School

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,948 students

Hunters Lane High

Davidson County

Nashville, 37207 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,466 students

Valor Flagship Academy

Davidson County

Nashville, 37211 / City: Large

Profile5–12Charter1,400 students

Hillsboro High

Davidson County

Nashville, 37215 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,227 students

Martin Luther King Jr School

Davidson County

Nashville, 37203 / City: Large

Profile7–12High1,211 students

Glencliff High School

Davidson County

Nashville, 37211 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,177 students

Hillwood High

Davidson County

Nashville, 37205 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,123 students

Hume - Fogg High

Davidson County

Nashville, 37203 / City: Large

Record9–12High898 students

Intrepid College Preparatory Charter School

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / City: Large

Record5–12Charter867 students

John F. Kennedy Middle

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / City: Large

Record5–8Middle827 students

LEAD Southeast

Davidson County

Nashville, 37211 / City: Large

Record5–12Charter825 students

Stratford STEM Magnet School

Davidson County

Nashville, 37216 / City: Large

Record6–12High787 students

Cole Elementary

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary786 students

East End Preparatory School

Davidson County

Nashville, 37216 / City: Large

RecordKG–8Charter756 students

Thurgood Marshall Middle

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / City: Large

Record5–8Middle753 students

Una Elementary

Davidson County

Nashville, 37214 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary749 students

Cane Ridge Elementary

Davidson County

Antioch, 37013 / City: Large

RecordPK–5Primary744 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,324

State avg $6,215

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Davidson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Tennessee counties have the highest graduation rates?
Morgan County (99.0%), Henry County (98.0%), and Benton County (97.0%) currently lead Tennessee among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Tennessee?
Across Tennessee counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,215. The highest current county values are Davidson County ($7,324), Williamson County ($7,061), and Benton County ($7,058). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Davidson County?
Davidson County has a school score of 28/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Davidson County?
The high school graduation rate in Davidson County is 78.1%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Davidson County spend per student?
Davidson County spends $7,324 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Davidson County, Tennessee — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Davidson County, Tennessee?

Davidson County features a massive educational infrastructure with 169 total schools serving 83,331 students. This complex system includes 85 elementary, 40 middle, and 33 high schools, along with 11 specialized campuses. It is one of the state's most diverse and expansive school landscapes.

What are the major school districts in Davidson County, Tennessee?

Davidson County is the dominant district with 161 schools and over 80,000 students, though it is also home to the Tennessee School for the Blind. Charter schools play a major role here, with 32 schools representing nearly 19% of the total public school options. This provides families with a wide array of specialized educational pathways and alternative models.

What is the school experience like in Davidson County?

The vast majority of schools—155 in total—are located in city settings, giving the district a true urban character. McGavock High is the county's largest school with 2,098 students, nearly quadruple the county's average school size of 502 students. Attending school here typically involves being part of a large, diverse campus with a wide range of extracurricular and academic programs.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.