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Memphis, Tennessee - 207 schools
An equity score of 35/100 ranks Memphis-Shelby County Schools #74 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,650 per pupil, Memphis-Shelby County Schools ranks #3 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
109,797
Total Enrollment
207
Schools
$13,650
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Memphis-Shelby County Schools operates 207 public schools serving 109,797 students, placing it among the largest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 105 combined, 35 high, 35 elementary, 32 middle schools, giving families in a major system a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a large portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Shelby County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,650 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 15 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 34.5% local, 37.0% state, and 28.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 35/100, ranked #74 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 36 of 207 schools offering Advanced Placement (249 AP courses district-wide), a 358.7:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 74.3% African American, 18.9% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is White Station Middle, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.
Its largest campus is Cordova High School, enrolling 2,251 students (2% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is City University School of Independence, at 13 students, a 173x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools school enrollment varies 173× across entities
Memphis-Shelby County Schools school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 2,251 students (highest), a spread of 2,238 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools student-counselor ratio is 359:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 29.1% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Memphis-Shelby County Schools is typically wider than the Memphis-Shelby County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Memphis-Shelby County Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Tennessee
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools has 207 schools, including 35 high, 105 combined, 32 middle, 35 elementary. Total enrollment is 109,797 students.
How much does Memphis-Shelby County Schools spend per student?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools spends $13,650 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #74 in Tennessee.
What is the demographic composition of Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools students are 74.3% African American, 18.9% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% White, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 207 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
Memphis-Shelby County Schools has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #74 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.