Enrollment
1,434
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tuscaloosa, AL
Hillcrest High School
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010339000052
👥 S:T ratio 19
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Tuscaloosa · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 56.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest High School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Tuscaloosa, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa County · Alabama
NCES ID 010339000052 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest High School
Hillcrest High School is a higher-need, large high school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, enrolling 1,434 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.3% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,434 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 78 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and White (33%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 478 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tuscaloosa's high schools, it stands alongside Northridge High School (1,153 students): Hillcrest High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.2:1 vs 22.6:1).
Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students) and Brookwood High School (1,076 students) alongside Hillcrest High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Hillcrest High School compares
Hillcrest High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.2:1 | ▲ 14% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.3% | ▼ 4% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,434 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,434
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 85% in Alabama - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,186
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 478 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
156
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 57.0%
White 33.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Hillcrest High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa County, which includes Hillcrest High School.
$11,186
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 58.1%
Federal 14.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Hillcrest High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brookwood High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake View Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Echols Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Tuscaloosa
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,434 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest High School's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Hillcrest High School
How many students attend Hillcrest High School?
Hillcrest High School has 1,434 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tuscaloosa, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest High School is 20.2:1, which is 14% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hillcrest High School?
56.3% of students at Hillcrest High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest High School?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest High School is African American at 57.0% of enrollment, in Tuscaloosa, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest High School?
Hillcrest High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hillcrest High School rank among high schools in Tuscaloosa?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest High School ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Tuscaloosa, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Tuscaloosa on the city page.
Is Hillcrest High School a good school?
Hillcrest High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Tuscaloosa County?
Besides Hillcrest High School, Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students), Brookwood High School (1,076 students), and Lake View Elementary School (744 students). See the Tuscaloosa County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.