Can I use Jefferson County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Jefferson County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Jefferson County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Jefferson County?

Start with the 176 listed public schools and 17 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Jefferson County Schools & Education

Name: Jefferson County, Alabama Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Jefferson County, Alabama

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

School Score

42/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

89.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,920

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,270

School Score

42/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#33

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Jefferson County

Measured School Summary

Jefferson County performs at an average level with a school score of 42/100 and a solid graduation rate of 89.8%.

Funding Context

At $6,920 per pupil, Jefferson County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 6% above the Alabama average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Jefferson 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

176 public schools and 17 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

42/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #33 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.

Completion

89.8%

0.9 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,920

$650 above the state average

School coverage

176

17 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Jefferson County has 176 public schools across 17 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Jefferson 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.

Large multi-district county

Jefferson County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#33

of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 2 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 99% 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.

Jefferson County

Elementary to high school visible

35,951 students

Elementary 30Middle 11High 13Other 3

57 listed schools in this county slice.

Birmingham City

Elementary to high school visible

21,130 students

Elementary 29Middle 9High 9Other 2

49 listed schools in this county slice.

Hoover City

Elementary to high school visible

8,786 students

Elementary 9Middle 1High 2Other 0

12 listed schools in this county slice.

Vestavia Hills City

Elementary to high school visible

7,069 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 1Other 1

9 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Jefferson County is the largest listed district slice, with 57 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 Jefferson County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Jefferson 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?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Education Overview

About Schools in Jefferson County, Alabama

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.

Alabama's Largest Educational Network

Jefferson County hosts 176 public schools serving 97,562 students across 17 different districts. The massive infrastructure includes 98 elementary, 31 middle, and 38 high schools to meet every student's needs.

A Landscape of Diverse Districts

Jefferson County (35,951 students) and Birmingham City (21,130) are the largest of the 17 districts. Six charter schools operate here, providing specialized options for approximately 3.4% of the student population.

Suburban and Urban Learning Environments

The county features 85 suburban and 63 city schools with an average size of 602 students. Hoover High is the largest in the state with 2,841 students, while Paine Elementary serves 1,350.

School Overview

Total Schools

176

in Jefferson County

Reported Enrollment

97,562

175 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

3% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary98

Middle31

High38

Other9

17 School Districts in Jefferson County

Jefferson County

Birmingham City

Hoover City

Vestavia Hills City

Trussville City

Mountain Brook City

Homewood City

Bessemer City

9 schools

3,246 students

Leeds City

4 schools

2,223 students

Fairfield City

6 schools

1,411 students

176 Public Schools in Jefferson County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 18 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 176 matching schools

Public schools in Jefferson County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Hoover High School	Profile	Hoover City	Hoover, 35244City: Small	9–12	High	2,841
Vestavia Hills High School	Profile	Vestavia Hills City	Vestavia, 35216Suburb: Large	10–12	High	1,578
HewittTrussville High School	Profile	Trussville City	Trussville, 35173Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,573
ClayChalkville High School	Profile	Jefferson County	Pinson, 35126Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,361
Paine Elementary School	Profile	Trussville City	Trussville, 35173Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	1,350
Homewood High School	Profile	Homewood City	Homewood, 35209Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,330
Hueytown High School	Profile	Jefferson County	Hueytown, 35023Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,210
HewittTrussville Middle School	Profile	Trussville City	Trussville, 35173Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,202
Shades Valley High School	Profile	Jefferson County	Irondale, 35210Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,200
McAdory High School	Profile	Jefferson County	McCalla, 35111Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,162
Pizitz Middle School	Profile	Vestavia Hills City	Vestavia, 35216Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,158
Huffman High SchoolMagnet	Profile	Birmingham City	Birmingham, 35215City: Midsize	8–12	High	1,147
Gardendale High School	Profile	Jefferson County	Gardendale, 35071Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,047
ClayChalkville Middle School	Profile	Jefferson County	Trussville, 35173Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,032
Pinson Valley High School	Profile	Jefferson County	Pinson, 35126Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,029
Fultondale Elementary School	Profile	Jefferson County	Fultondale, 35068Suburb: Large	PK–6	Primary	982
Mountain Brook Junior High School	Profile	Mountain Brook City	Mountain Brk, 35213Suburb: Large	7–9	Middle	982
Mountain Brook High School	Profile	Mountain Brook City	Mountain Brk, 35223Suburb: Large	10–12	High	967
Homewood Middle School	Record	Homewood City	Homewood, 35209Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	926
Minor High School	Record	Jefferson County	Adamsville, 35005Suburb: Large	9–12	High	915

Hoover High School

Hoover City

Hoover, 35244 / City: Small

Profile9–12High2,841 students

Vestavia Hills High School

Vestavia Hills City

Vestavia, 35216 / Suburb: Large

Profile10–12High1,578 students

HewittTrussville High School

Trussville City

Trussville, 35173 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,573 students

ClayChalkville High School

Jefferson County

Pinson, 35126 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,361 students

Paine Elementary School

Trussville City

Trussville, 35173 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–5Primary1,350 students

Homewood High School

Homewood City

Homewood, 35209 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,330 students

Hueytown High School

Jefferson County

Hueytown, 35023 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,210 students

HewittTrussville Middle School

Trussville City

Trussville, 35173 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,202 students

Shades Valley High School

Jefferson County

Irondale, 35210 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,200 students

McAdory High School

Jefferson County

McCalla, 35111 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,162 students

Pizitz Middle School

Vestavia Hills City

Vestavia, 35216 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,158 students

Huffman High SchoolMagnet

Birmingham City

Birmingham, 35215 / City: Midsize

Profile8–12High1,147 students

Gardendale High School

Jefferson County

Gardendale, 35071 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,047 students

ClayChalkville Middle School

Jefferson County

Trussville, 35173 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,032 students

Pinson Valley High School

Jefferson County

Pinson, 35126 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,029 students

Fultondale Elementary School

Jefferson County

Fultondale, 35068 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–6Primary982 students

Mountain Brook Junior High School

Mountain Brook City

Mountain Brk, 35213 / Suburb: Large

Profile7–9Middle982 students

Mountain Brook High School

Mountain Brook City

Mountain Brk, 35223 / Suburb: Large

Profile10–12High967 students

Homewood Middle School

Homewood City

Homewood, 35209 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle926 students

Minor High School

Jefferson County

Adamsville, 35005 / Suburb: Large

Record9–12High915 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,920

State avg $6,270

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Jefferson 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 Alabama counties have the highest graduation rates?

Cleburne County (97.0%), Henry County (97.0%), and Pickens County (97.0%) currently lead Alabama 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 Alabama?

Across Alabama counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,270. The highest current county values are Lowndes County ($8,377), Macon County ($7,057), and Jefferson County ($6,920). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Jefferson County?

Jefferson County has a school score of 42/100, which is a midrange 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 Jefferson County?

The high school graduation rate in Jefferson County is 89.8%, which is above 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 Jefferson County spend per student?

Jefferson County spends $6,920 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 Jefferson County, Alabama — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Jefferson County, Alabama?

What are the major school districts in Jefferson County, Alabama?

What is the school experience like in Jefferson County?

The county features 85 suburban and 63 city schools with an average size of 602 students. Hoover High is the largest in the state with 2,841 students, while Paine Elementary serves 1,350.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Tallapoosa County

Alabama

+0 pts

43/100

School score

Dallas County

Alabama

+1 pts

44/100

School score

Houston County

Alabama

+2 pts

44/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed 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.

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