Best School Districts in Alabama

Top 50 districts ranked by average school quality score. Based on student-teacher ratios, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

50
Districts Ranked
195,664
Students
46/100
Avg Quality Score
AL
State
# District Avg Quality Grade
1. Conecuh County Evergreen 54.1 C-
2. Mountain Brook City Mountain Brook 53.8 C-
3. Vestavia Hills City Vestavia Hills 53.3 C-
4. Thomasville City Thomasville 50.3 C-
5. Macon County Tuskegee 49.3 D
6. Elba City Elba 49 D
7. Homewood City Homewood 48.8 D
8. Lawrence County Moulton 48.8 D
9. Choctaw County Butler 48.3 D
10. Hartselle City Hartselle 48 D
11. Pickens County Carrollton 48 D
12. Marengo County Linden 48 D
13. Eufaula City Eufaula 47.8 D
14. Crenshaw County Luverne 47.7 D
15. Blount County Oneonta 47.4 D
16. Trussville City Trussville 46.6 D
17. MAEF Public Charter Schools MOBILE 46 D
18. Clarke County Grove Hill 45.9 D
19. Calhoun County Anniston 45.8 D
20. Colbert County Tuscumbia 45.6 D
21. Satsuma City Satsuma 45.5 D
22. Lowndes County Hayneville 45.3 D
23. Fayette County Fayette 45.2 D
24. Geneva City Geneva 45 D
25. Cleburne County Heflin 44.9 D
26. Haleyville City Haleyville 44.7 D
27. Scottsboro City Scottsboro 44.4 D
28. Pelham City Pelham 44 D
29. Covington County Andalusia 44 D
30. Washington County Chatom 44 D
31. Decatur City Decatur 43.8 D
32. Florence City Florence 43.8 D
33. Pike Road City Montgomery 43.8 D
34. Winston County Double Springs 43.7 D
35. Madison City Madison 43.6 D
36. Chickasaw City Chickasaw 43.5 D
37. Cullman County Cullman 43.4 D
38. Monroe County Monroeville 43.3 D
39. Tuscaloosa City Tuscaloosa 43.2 D
40. Athens City Athens 43 D
41. Henry County Abbeville 43 D
42. Tuscumbia City Tuscumbia 43 D
43. Oneonta City Oneonta 42.7 D
44. Brewton City Brewton 42.7 D
45. Wilcox County Camden 42.6 D
46. Jacksonville City Jacksonville 42.5 D
47. Shelby County Columbiana 42.5 D
48. Alabaster City Alabaster 42.2 D
49. Chambers County Lafayette 42.1 D
50. Russellville City Russellville 42 D

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best school districts in Alabama?

The top-ranked district in Alabama is Conecuh County in Evergreen with 1,487 students across 7 schools. Average quality score: 54.1/100. Rankings are based on average school quality scores from NCES data.

How are district rankings calculated?

Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be ranked.

How many school districts are in Alabama?

Alabama has 50+ school districts serving 746,604 students. The statewide average student-teacher ratio is 17.8:1.

Methodology

Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be included. This measures school-level resources, not test scores. Higher average scores indicate districts where schools generally have smaller classes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.