Tennessee · NCES CCD 2024-25

Best-Resourced Public Schools in Tennessee

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score, based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance.

73/100
Top score
B
Top grade
63/100
Avg score (top 50)
50
Schools ranked

The ranking in one line

Pelham Elementary in Pelham is Tennessee's top-resourced public school, scoring 73/100 on the NCES resource index.

73/100
top score (grade B)
4
schools at the top grade (B)
63/100
average across the top 50
# School GradeScore
1 Pelham Elementary Pelham B 73
2 Poplar Grove K-4 Franklin B 72
3 Poplar Grove 5-8 Franklin B 72
4 Lookout Mountain Elementary Lookout Mtn B 70
5 University Middle Memphis B- 69
6 Chattanooga Preparatory School Chattanooga B- 68
7 Freedom Intermediate Franklin B- 68
8 Central Elementary Bruceton B- 67
9 Grassy Fork Elementary Hartford B- 67
10 Freedom Middle School Franklin B- 66
11 Johnson Elementary Franklin B- 66
12 Liberty Elementary Franklin B- 65
13 Barret's Chapel Elementary/Middle Arlington C+ 64
14 Little Milligan Butler C+ 64
15 Sycamore Elementary School Collierville C+ 63
16 J. P. Freeman Elementary/Middle Memphis C+ 63
17 E.E. Jeter Elementary/Middle Millington C+ 63
18 Cassville Elementary Sparta C+ 63
19 Medical District High School Memphis C+ 63
20 Collierville Elementary School Collierville C+ 62
21 Smith County High School Carthage C+ 62
22 Centerview Elementary Newport C+ 62
23 Yorkville Elementary Yorkville C+ 62
24 Tara Oaks Elementary School Collierville C+ 61
25 Heritage Middle School Maryville C+ 61
26 Robert E Ellis Middle Hendersonville C+ 61
27 Oakhaven High Memphis C+ 61
28 New Union Elementary Manchester C+ 61
29 West Carroll Elementary School Trezevant C+ 61
30 Black Oak Elementary Hornbeak C+ 61
31 Midway Middle School Ten Mile C+ 61
32 Crosswind Elementary School Collierville C+ 60
33 Dyersburg Intermediate School Dyersburg C+ 60
34 Thompson's Station Middle School Thompson's Station C+ 60
35 T. W. Hunter Middle School Hendersonville C+ 60
36 Soddy Elementary Soddy Daisy C+ 60
37 Ripley Elementary Ripley C+ 60
38 Grassland Elementary Brentwood C+ 60
39 Mckenzie High School McKenzie C+ 60
40 Central Elementary Johnson City C+ 60
41 Lexington Middle School Lexington C+ 60
42 Renaissance High School Franklin C+ 60
43 Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State Chattanooga C+ 60
44 Smyrna Elementary Smyrna C 59
45 Scales Elementary Brentwood C 59
46 Lonsdale Elementary Knoxville C 59
47 Madison Academic Magnet High School Jackson C 59
48 Hillsboro Elementary/ Middle School Franklin C 59
49 Hunters Bend Elementary Franklin C 59
50 Kittrell Elementary Readyville C 59

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in Tennessee?

The highest-ranked school in Tennessee is Pelham Elementary in Pelham with a quality score of 73/100 (grade B). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated?

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.