121 public K-12 schools in Nashville from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
121 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Nashville's 121 public schools is John Overton High, scoring 28/100, against a city average of 38.3/100. Computed live across every Nashville campus reporting to NCES.
How the Nashville Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Nashville, TN enrolls 56,883 students across 121 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 25 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 17.3:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 38.3/100. 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 most-resourced campus in Nashville on this index is John Overton High, at 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,942 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Nashville spans 2 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Nashville school enrollment varies 4.2× across entities
Nashville school enrollment ranges from 458 students (lowest) to 1,942 students (highest), a spread of 1,484 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. 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.
Nashville student-teacher ratio is 17.3:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — aligned with the U.S. average of approximately 15.7:1
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 Variation between sub-units within Nashville is typically wider than the Nashville-aggregate figure suggests.
Nashville has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 20.7% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options
charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. Eligibility here is approaching the 30% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 10% majority mark. 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.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Nashville
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Nashville is John Overton High with a quality score of 28/100. There are 121 public schools in Nashville with 56,883 total students.
How many schools are in Nashville, TN? ▼
Nashville has 121 public schools with a total enrollment of 56,883 students. 25 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 17.3:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 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.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
