2026 data 47 schools AL

Best Schools in Huntsville, AL

47 public K-12 schools in Huntsville from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

47 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2022-23 data.

Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions families make. This page ranks every public school in Huntsville, AL using a composite quality score based on student-teacher ratios, counselor access, gifted program availability, and attendance rates. All data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data for the 2022-23 school year.

47
Schools
26,270
Students
Avg Quality
18.2:1
Avg Class Size

How the Huntsville Public-School Landscape Breaks Down

Huntsville, AL enrolls 26,270 students across 47 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 18.2:1, Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.

The highest-ranked campus in Huntsville is Virgil Grissom High School, scoring 33/100 (F) with 1,847 enrolled students at the high level. Families should treat any single ranking as a starting point rather than a verdict — a school serving fewer at-risk students or offering more AP classes will score higher on resource-based composites even if individual teachers or programs elsewhere are stronger. The quality score framework is transparent and rebuilt from raw NCES and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) inputs, so each component can be inspected on the individual school pages linked in the table below.

Huntsville schools sit within multiple district boundaries, which matters for property taxes, redistricting votes, and bond measures. Each district files its own NCES F-33 financial return, meaning per-pupil spending can vary noticeably even between neighbouring campuses in the same city. Use the table to sort by enrollment, level, or district, then click any school name for campus-level demographics, Title I status, counselor and nurse staffing, AP courses, chronic-absenteeism rates, and district per-pupil spending. The sidebar links also connect Huntsville housing costs, wage data, and crime statistics — context many parents weigh alongside test-adjacent school signals when relocating.

Huntsville school enrollment varies 11× across entities

Huntsville school enrollment ranges from 167 students (lowest) to 1,847 students (highest), a spread of 1,680 students. That spread reflects typical urban portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape — a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Huntsville has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.7% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Huntsville student-teacher ratio is 18.2:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment — push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data — Public School Universe NCES Common Core of Data — Public School Universe

# School Score
1. Virgil Grissom High School 33 F
2. Huntsville High School 38 F
3. Providence Elementary 39 F
4. Monrovia Middle School 30 F
5. Columbia High School 27 F
6. Lee High School 37 F
7. Riverton Intermediate School 45 D
8. Jemison High School 44 D
9. Williams Middle School 32 F
10. Mt Carmel Elementary School 44 D
11. Central School 47 D
12. Monrovia Elementary School 45 D
13. Blossomwood Elementary School 52 C-
14. Riverton Elementary School 41 D
15. Sonnie Hereford Elementary School 23 F
16. Whitesburg Middle School 37 F
17. Morris Elementary School 39 F
18. Huntsville Junior High School 28 F
19. Madison County Virtual Academy 38 F
20. Mcdonnell Elementary School 29 F
21. Challenger Elementary School 39 F
22. Williams Elementary School 33 F
23. Rolling Hills Elementary School 25 F
24. Weatherly Heights Elementary School 47 D
25. Jones Valley Elementary School 43 D
26. Ridgecrest Elementary School 32 F
27. Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School 35 F
28. James Dawson Elementary 28 F
29. Challenger Middle School 52 C-
30. Academy for Academics Arts Elementary School 54 C-
31. Lakewood Elementary School 32 F
32. Morris Middle School 30 F
33. Roger B Chaffee Elementary School 42 D
34. Ronald Mcnair 78 25 F
35. Whitesburg Elementary School 49 D
36. Highlands Elementary School 37 F
37. New Century Technology High School 53 C-
38. Mountain Gap Middle School 46 D
39. Mountain Gap Elementary School 57 C
40. Farley Elementary School 42 D
41. Chapman Middle School 35 F
42. Academy for Science Foreign Language 54 C-
43. Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School 61 C+
44. Monte Sano Elementary School 66 B-
45. Montview Elementary School 51 C-
46. Academy for Science Foreign Language Middle School 60 C+
47. Chapman Elementary School 62 C+

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best schools in Huntsville, AL?

The top-rated school in Huntsville is Virgil Grissom High School with a quality score of 33/100. There are 47 public schools in Huntsville with 26,270 total students.

How many schools are in Huntsville, AL?

Huntsville has 47 public schools with a total enrollment of 26,270 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 18.2:1.

Other Cities in Alabama

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Alabama →

Explore PlainSchools

Related Guides

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.