Enrollment
1,212
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mobile, AL
Murphy High School
Federal NCES profile for Murphy High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010237000942
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Murphy High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #6 of 7
- high schools in Mobile · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.5:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Murphy High School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Murphy High School ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Mobile, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Murphy High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Murphy High School
Murphy High School is a higher-need, large high school in Mobile, Alabama, enrolling 1,212 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.5% 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 96% of state schools at 1,212 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 132 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #115, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and White (14%) (diversity index 39/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 71.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 641 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,212 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 27 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Mobile's high schools, it stands alongside Baker High School (2,271 students): Murphy High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 16.6:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Murphy 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 Murphy High School compares
Murphy 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 | 15.5:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 5% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,212 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,212
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 22% in Alabama - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
71.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,163
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 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
343
in-school suspensions + 298 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 52.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 27 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 76.3%
White 14.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.4, Murphy High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mobile County, which includes Murphy High School.
$12,163
Per student
-3%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 49.5%
Federal 24.2%
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 Murphy High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Murphy High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar high schools in Mobile
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Baker High School
Standard public school
2,271 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Wp Davidson High School
Standard public school
1,470 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Ben C Rain High School
Standard public school
587 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
John L Leflore Magnet School
Standard public school
582 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Continuous Learning Center
Alternative education program
259 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Evening Educational Options
Alternative education program
41 students
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 (~1,212 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Murphy High School's federal record.
- Compare Murphy High School against another school. Compare schools
- Mobile 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 Murphy High School
How many students attend Murphy High School?
Murphy High School has 1,212 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mobile, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Murphy High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Murphy High School is 15.5:1, which is 12% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% lower 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 Murphy High School?
61.5% of students at Murphy High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Murphy High School?
The largest demographic group at Murphy High School is African American at 76.3% of enrollment, in Mobile, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Murphy High School?
Murphy High School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower 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 Murphy High School rank among high schools in Mobile?
By Resource Investment Index, Murphy High School ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Mobile, 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 Mobile on the city page.
Is Murphy High School a good school?
Murphy High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Mobile County?
Besides Murphy High School, Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students), Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students), and Alma Bryant High School (1,624 students). See the Mobile 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.