Public schools in Alabama

The NCES directory lists 1,532 public schools operating in Alabama in 2024-25; 1,357 of them reported 743,917 students, averaging 17.2 students per teacher, the 9th highest of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Mobile County Public Schools, with 50,049 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools1,357693 elementary, 260 middle, 319 high, 85 other
Students743,9171.5% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher17.2U.S. 15.3

Alabama has more students per teacher than the U.S. average

Alabama ranks 9th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Arizona17.5
  2. Ohio17.4
  3. Oregon17.3
  4. Alabama17.2
  5. Idaho16.9
  6. Michigan16.9
  7. North Carolina16.2

Eight in ten larger Alabama districts spent between $11,284 and $15,226 per student

Among the 130 Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $11,284 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $15,226; the median was $12,720. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Alabama districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23130 values from $9,240 to $23,179; ; state median $12,720.$11,284$15,226the middle eight in ten1 more above $20,000 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,720
Current spending per student, Alabama districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23130 values from $9,240 to $23,179; ; state median $12,720.$11,284$15,226the middle eight in ten1 more above $20,000 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,720
Current spending per student, Alabama districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23130 values from $9,240 to $23,179; ; state median $12,720.$11,284$15,226the middle eight in ten1 more above $20,000 →$8k$13k$18k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,720
Current spending per student, Alabama districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23130 values from $9,240 to $23,179; ; state median $12,720.$11,284$15,226the middle eight in ten1 more above $20,000 →$8k$13k$18k$20kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,720

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 49.5% of the Alabama students tested met the state's reading standard and 29.9% its math standard. Alabama writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Alabama's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90% of 52,928 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Alabama almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Alabama Connections Academy, 7,822 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Augusta Evans School, 7.1 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Lowndes County, $23,179 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Muscle Shoals City Schools, $98,218 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Alabama Destinations Career Academy, 0.1% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Mount Hope, 68 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Mountain Brook City, 54.2 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Alabama

  1. Mobile County Public Schools50,049
  2. Jefferson County Schools35,636
  3. Baldwin County Public Schools31,437
  4. Montgomery County26,395
  5. Huntsville City23,884
  6. Birmingham City20,954
  7. Madison County Schools20,691
  8. Shelby County20,638

Every Alabama school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Birmingham30,722 students59 schools
  2. Mobile30,586 students57 schools
  3. Montgomery27,576 students51 schools
  4. Huntsville26,270 students47 schools
  5. Tuscaloosa13,365 students23 schools
  6. Decatur9,622 students20 schools
  7. Dothan9,006 students17 schools
  8. Hoover13,632 students16 schools
  9. Gadsden5,827 students16 schools
  10. Cullman7,779 students16 schools
  11. Selma3,436 students14 schools
  12. Northport7,446 students14 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Alabama's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Alabama?
    The NCES directory lists 1,532 operating in 2024-25; 1,357 of them reported students: 693 elementary, 260 middle, 319 high and 85 other, enrolling 743,917 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Alabama?
    17.2 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Alabama?
    Mobile County Public Schools, with 50,049 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Alabama spend per public-school student?
    $12,772 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .