Enrollment
864
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Muscle Shoals, AL
Muscle Shoals High School
Federal NCES profile for Muscle Shoals High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010252001062
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Muscle Shoals High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Alabama schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Muscle Shoals · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.1:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 33.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Muscle Shoals High School has class sizes larger than 84% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Muscle Shoals High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Muscle Shoals, AL.
School address
District: Muscle Shoals City · Alabama
NCES ID 010252001062 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Muscle Shoals High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Muscle Shoals High School
Muscle Shoals High School is a large high school in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, enrolling 864 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 33.6% free-meal eligibility runs 43% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 864 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 184 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #161, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 432 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Muscle Shoals City also operates Mcbride Elementary School (647 students) and Muscle Shoals Middle School (642 students) alongside Muscle Shoals 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 Muscle Shoals High School compares
Muscle Shoals 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 | 20.1:1 | ▲ 14% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.6% | ▼ 43% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 864 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
864
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 84% in Alabama - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,914
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 432 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 63.5%
African American 16.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: White at 63.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.7, Muscle Shoals High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscle Shoals City, which includes Muscle Shoals High School.
$11,914
Per student
-5%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.9%
State 53.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Muscle Shoals High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcbride Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Muscle Shoals Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Howell Graves Preschool | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland Park Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Muscle Shoals High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~864 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Muscle Shoals High School's federal record.
- Compare Muscle Shoals High School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscle Shoals City'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 Muscle Shoals High School
How many students attend Muscle Shoals High School?
Muscle Shoals High School has 864 students enrolled. It is a high school in Muscle Shoals, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Muscle Shoals High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Muscle Shoals High School is 20.1:1, which is 14% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Muscle Shoals High School?
33.6% of students at Muscle Shoals High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Muscle Shoals High School?
The largest demographic group at Muscle Shoals High School is White at 63.5% of enrollment, in Muscle Shoals, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Muscle Shoals High School?
Muscle Shoals High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Muscle Shoals High School rank among public schools in Muscle Shoals?
By Resource Investment Index, Muscle Shoals High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Muscle Shoals, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Muscle Shoals on the city page.
Is Muscle Shoals High School a good school?
Muscle Shoals High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Alabama schools. 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 Muscle Shoals City?
Besides Muscle Shoals High School, Muscle Shoals City also operates Mcbride Elementary School (647 students), Muscle Shoals Middle School (642 students), and Howell Graves Preschool (356 students). See the Muscle Shoals City 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.