Enrollment
1,134
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cottondale, AL
Paul W Bryant High School
Federal NCES profile for Paul W Bryant High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010336002101
👥 S:T ratio 11
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul W Bryant High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Cottondale · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.2:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 46.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul W Bryant High School has class sizes larger than 94% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul W Bryant High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Cottondale, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa City · Alabama
NCES ID 010336002101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul W Bryant High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul W Bryant High School
Paul W Bryant High School is a large high school in Cottondale, Alabama, enrolling 1,134 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.2:1 is larger than about 94% of Alabama schools and 25% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,134 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 151 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #80.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 284 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,134 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Tuscaloosa City also operates Northridge High School (1,153 students) and Central High School (796 students) alongside Paul W Bryant 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 Paul W Bryant High School compares
Paul W Bryant 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 | 22.2:1 | ▲ 25% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.0% | ▼ 22% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,134 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.2:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,134
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
22.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 94% in Alabama - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$12,947
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 274 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 86.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
White 4.5%
Two or More 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 86.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.8, Paul W Bryant High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa City, which includes Paul W Bryant High School.
$12,947
Per student
+4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 42.3%
Federal 18.0%
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 Paul W Bryant High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northridge High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northridge Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastwood Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rock Quarry Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul W Bryant High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~1,134 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul W Bryant High School's federal record.
- Compare Paul W Bryant High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa 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 Paul W Bryant High School
How many students attend Paul W Bryant High School?
Paul W Bryant High School has 1,134 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cottondale, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul W Bryant High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul W Bryant High School is 22.2:1, which is 25% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Paul W Bryant High School?
46.0% of students at Paul W Bryant High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul W Bryant High School?
The largest demographic group at Paul W Bryant High School is African American at 86.3% of enrollment, in Cottondale, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul W Bryant High School?
Paul W Bryant High School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Paul W Bryant High School rank among public schools in Cottondale?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul W Bryant High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Cottondale, 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 Cottondale on the city page.
Is Paul W Bryant High School a good school?
Paul W Bryant High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 City?
Besides Paul W Bryant High School, Tuscaloosa City also operates Northridge High School (1,153 students), Central High School (796 students), and Northridge Middle School (775 students). See the Tuscaloosa 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.