Tuscaloosa County Schools & Education
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
26/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
86.9%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
86.9%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 90.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,265
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,270
School Score
26/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#56
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Tuscaloosa County
Measured School Summary
Tuscaloosa County faces educational challenges with a school score of 26/100 and a graduation rate of 86.9%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,265 per pupil, Tuscaloosa County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 35% below the Alabama average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 3.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 0% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Tuscaloosa 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
56 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
26/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #56 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.
Completion
86.9%
3.8 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,265
roughly matches the state average
School coverage
56
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
Tuscaloosa County has 56 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.
What Tuscaloosa 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
Tuscaloosa County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 36 of 56 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#56
of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 14 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.
Tuscaloosa County
Elementary to high school visible
19,377 students
36 listed schools in this county slice.
Tuscaloosa City
Elementary to high school visible
11,186 students
20 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Tuscaloosa County is the largest listed district slice, with 36 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 Tuscaloosa County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Tuscaloosa County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Tuscaloosa County reports 25.9 composite school score
Education data brief for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
The composite school score for Tuscaloosa County is 25.9, which is notably lower than the Alabama state average of 40.0 and the national median of 50.0. The county's graduation rate of 86.9% is also slightly lower than both the state average of 90.7% and the national average of 87.0%. Education is managed through two districts, with the Tuscaloosa County district serving 19,377 students and Tuscaloosa City serving 11,186. The largest school is Tuscaloosa County High School, with 1,545 students. Per-pupil spending is $6,265, which is essentially equal to the state average of $6,270 but less than half the national average of $13,000. The county maintains 56 schools with a diverse locale mix: 19 city, 19 rural, and 18 suburban schools. No charter schools are currently operating in the county. For school-level records, see the NCES Common Core of Data.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
56
in Tuscaloosa County
Reported Enrollment
30,563
56 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Tuscaloosa County
56 Public Schools in Tuscaloosa County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 5 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 56 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Profile | Tuscaloosa County | Northport, 35475Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,545 |
| Hillcrest High School | Profile | Tuscaloosa County | Tuscaloosa, 35405Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,356 |
| Northridge High School | Profile | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35406City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,145 |
| Brookwood High School | Profile | Tuscaloosa County | Brookwood, 35444Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 1,078 |
| Paul W Bryant High School | Profile | Tuscaloosa City | Cottondale, 35453City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,042 |
| Echols Middle School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Northport, 35476Suburb: Midsize | 7–8 | Middle | 878 |
| Brookwood Middle School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Vance, 35490Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 796 |
| Central High School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35401City: Small | 9–12 | High | 783 |
| Lake View Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Mc Calla, 35111Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 769 |
| Walker Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Northport, 35475Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 760 |
| Eastwood Middle School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Cottondale, 35453Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 758 |
| Northridge Middle School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35406City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 740 |
| Southview Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35405Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 713 |
| The Alberta School of Performing Arts | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35404City: Small | PK–8 | Primary | 671 |
| Verner Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35406City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 629 |
| Northport Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Northport, 35475Suburb: Midsize | PK–2 | Primary | 607 |
| Rock Quarry Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35406City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 605 |
| Brookwood Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Brookwood, 35444Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 604 |
| University Place Elementary School | Record | Tuscaloosa City | Tuscaloosa, 35401City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 599 |
| Taylorville Primary School | Record | Tuscaloosa County | Tuscaloosa, 35405Suburb: Midsize | PK–2 | Primary | 579 |
Tuscaloosa County High School
Tuscaloosa County
Northport, 35475 / Suburb: Midsize
Hillcrest High School
Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa, 35405 / Suburb: Midsize
Northridge High School
Tuscaloosa City
Tuscaloosa, 35406 / City: Small
Brookwood High School
Tuscaloosa County
Brookwood, 35444 / Rural: Distant
Paul W Bryant High School
Tuscaloosa City
Cottondale, 35453 / City: Small
Lake View Elementary School
Tuscaloosa County
Mc Calla, 35111 / Rural: Fringe
Walker Elementary School
Tuscaloosa County
Northport, 35475 / Rural: Distant
Southview Elementary School
Tuscaloosa City
Tuscaloosa, 35405 / Rural: Fringe
The Alberta School of Performing Arts
Tuscaloosa City
Tuscaloosa, 35404 / City: Small
Northport Elementary School
Tuscaloosa County
Northport, 35475 / Suburb: Midsize
Rock Quarry Elementary School
Tuscaloosa City
Tuscaloosa, 35406 / City: Small
Brookwood Elementary School
Tuscaloosa County
Brookwood, 35444 / Rural: Distant
University Place Elementary School
Tuscaloosa City
Tuscaloosa, 35401 / City: Small
Taylorville Primary School
Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa, 35405 / Suburb: Midsize
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,265
State avg $6,270
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Tuscaloosa County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
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What is per-pupil spending like in Alabama?
How should I read the school score in Tuscaloosa County?
What is the graduation rate in Tuscaloosa County?
How much does Tuscaloosa County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.