Enrollment
542
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tuscaloosa, AL
Hillcrest Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010339001280
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in Tuscaloosa · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 63.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Middle School ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Tuscaloosa, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa County · Alabama
NCES ID 010339001280 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Middle School
Hillcrest Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, enrolling 542 students.
At 17.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.0% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 542 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 463 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #195.
Its student body is led by African American (78%) and White (15%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 542 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 194 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 542 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tuscaloosa's middle schools, it stands alongside Northridge Middle School (775 students): Hillcrest Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.5:1 vs 16.5:1).
Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students) and Hillcrest High School (1,434 students) alongside Hillcrest Middle 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 Middle School compares
Hillcrest Middle 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.0% | ▲ 7% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 542 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
542
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 52% in Alabama - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.3%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 542 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
102
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 78.2%
White 14.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 78.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.4, Hillcrest Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa County, which includes Hillcrest Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookwood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake View Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Middle 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
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- 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
Similar middle schools in Tuscaloosa
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~542 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Hillcrest Middle School?
Hillcrest Middle School has 542 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tuscaloosa, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Middle School is 17.5:1, which is 1% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hillcrest Middle School?
63.0% of students at Hillcrest Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Middle School is African American at 78.2% of enrollment, in Tuscaloosa, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Middle School?
Hillcrest Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hillcrest Middle School rank among middle schools in Tuscaloosa?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Middle School ranks #4 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in Tuscaloosa on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Middle School a good school?
Hillcrest Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Middle School, Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students), Hillcrest High School (1,434 students), and Brookwood High School (1,076 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.