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

No. Use the Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby County?

Start with the 274 listed public schools and 9 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Shelby County Schools & Education

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

Shelby County, Tennessee

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

School Score

19/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

82.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

82.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 93.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,387

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,215

School Score

19/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 47/100

State Score Position

#94

of 95 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Shelby County

Measured School Summary

Shelby County faces educational challenges with a school score of 19/100 and a graduation rate of 82.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,387 per pupil, Shelby County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 60% below the Tennessee average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 11.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Shelby 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

274 public schools and 9 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

19/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #94 of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data.

Completion

82.0%

11.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,387

$172 above the state average

School coverage

274

9 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

Shelby County has 274 public schools across 9 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 Shelby 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

Memphis-Shelby County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 222 of 274 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#94

of 95 Tennessee counties with school score data. The county score is 28 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.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

109,797 students

Elementary 120Middle 35High 50Other 17

222 listed schools in this county slice.

Collierville

Elementary to high school visible

9,259 students

Elementary 6Middle 2High 1Other 1

10 listed schools in this county slice.

Bartlett

Elementary to high school visible

8,946 students

Elementary 6Middle 3High 1Other 0

10 listed schools in this county slice.

Germantown

Elementary to high school visible

6,026 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Memphis-Shelby County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 222 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 Shelby County?

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

Education Overview

About Schools in Shelby 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 Largest and Most Diverse System

Shelby County oversees a massive network of 274 public schools serving nearly 150,000 students. The landscape is deeply varied, including 147 elementary schools and 59 high schools distributed across nine separate districts. This system is the primary educational engine for the Memphis metropolitan area.

A Hub for Charter Schools and Multiple Districts

Memphis-Shelby County Schools is the dominant district with 109,797 students, but the county also features 70 charter schools, representing 25.5% of all campuses. Suburban districts like Collierville and Bartlett operate independently and host the county's largest schools, such as Bartlett High with 2,851 students. This multi-district approach provides residents with a wide array of educational choices and governance models.

Urban Centers and Large-Scale High Schools

With 217 schools located in city settings, the educational experience is predominantly urban and fast-paced. The average school size is 577, but flagship suburban high schools like Collierville and Houston High serve thousands of students each. This mix offers everything from small specialized city charters to massive, resource-heavy suburban campuses.

School Overview

Total Schools

274

in Shelby County

Reported Enrollment

149,462

274 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

26% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary147

Middle49

High59

Other19

9 School Districts in Shelby County

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Collierville

Bartlett

Germantown

Achievement School District

Arlington

Millington Municipal Schools

3 schools

2,602 students

Tennessee Public Charter School Commission

6 schools

2,457 students

Lakeland

2 schools

2,132 students

274 Public Schools in Shelby County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 28 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 274 matching schools

Public schools in Shelby County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Bartlett High School	Profile	Bartlett	Bartlett, 38134Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,851
Collierville High School	Profile	Collierville	Collierville, 38017Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,836
Cordova High School	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Cordova, 38016City: Large	9–12	High	2,110
Arlington High	Profile	Arlington	Arlington, 38002Town: Fringe	9–12	High	2,063
Houston High School	Profile	Germantown	Germantown, 38139Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,938
White Station High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38117City: Large	9–12	High	1,840
Germantown High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Germantown, 38138Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,806
Whitehaven High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38116City: Large	9–12	High	1,587
Dexter School	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Cordova, 38016Suburb: Large	PK–8	Primary	1,513
Southwind High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38125Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,507
Overton High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38117City: Large	9–12	High	1,422
Snowden Elementary/Middle	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38112City: Large	PK–8	Primary	1,373
Central High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38104City: Large	9–12	High	1,312
West Collierville Middle School	Profile	Collierville	Collierville, 38017Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,309
Kingsbury High	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38122City: Large	9–12	High	1,295
Millington Central Middle High School	Profile	Millington Municipal Schools	Millington, 38053Suburb: Large	7–12	High	1,191
Riverdale Elementary School	Profile	Germantown	Germantown, 38138Suburb: Large	PK–8	Primary	1,171
Early Childhood Programs	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38112City: Large	PK–KG	Primary	1,152
Macon-Hall Elementary	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Cordova, 38016Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	1,141
White Station Middle	Profile	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Memphis, 38120City: Large	6–8	Middle	1,099

Bartlett High School

Bartlett

Bartlett, 38134 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,851 students

Collierville High School

Collierville

Collierville, 38017 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,836 students

Cordova High School

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Cordova, 38016 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,110 students

Arlington High

Arlington

Arlington, 38002 / Town: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,063 students

Houston High School

Germantown

Germantown, 38139 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,938 students

White Station High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38117 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,840 students

Germantown High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Germantown, 38138 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,806 students

Whitehaven High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38116 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,587 students

Dexter School

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Cordova, 38016 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–8Primary1,513 students

Southwind High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38125 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,507 students

Overton High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38117 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,422 students

Snowden Elementary/Middle

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38112 / City: Large

ProfilePK–8Primary1,373 students

Central High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38104 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,312 students

West Collierville Middle School

Collierville

Collierville, 38017 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,309 students

Kingsbury High

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38122 / City: Large

Profile9–12High1,295 students

Millington Central Middle High School

Millington Municipal Schools

Millington, 38053 / Suburb: Large

Profile7–12High1,191 students

Riverdale Elementary School

Germantown

Germantown, 38138 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–8Primary1,171 students

Early Childhood Programs

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38112 / City: Large

ProfilePK–KGPrimary1,152 students

Macon-Hall Elementary

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Cordova, 38016 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–5Primary1,141 students

White Station Middle

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Memphis, 38120 / City: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,099 students

Additional School Profiles

Dedicated profile pages are generated for a subset of public schools with broad enrollment coverage. All other schools remain listed in the county table.

8 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,387

State avg $6,215

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Shelby 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 Shelby County?

Shelby County has a school score of 19/100, 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 Shelby County?

The high school graduation rate in Shelby County is 82.0%, 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 Shelby County spend per student?

Shelby County spends $6,387 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 Shelby County, Tennessee — FAQ

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

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

What is the school experience like in Shelby County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Macon County

Tennessee

+5 pts

24/100

School score

Jackson County

Tennessee

-6 pts

13/100

School score

Madison County

Tennessee

+8 pts

26/100

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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