Public Schools in Tennessee
School enrollment and performance for Tennessee. Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2021-22
NCES Common Core of Data · School year 2021-22 · Updated annually each fall
🏫
1,873
Total Public Schools
🎓
1,013,000
Total Students Enrolled
📊
90.5%
Graduation Rate
👩🏫
15:1
Student/Teacher Ratio
Education Indicators
Average school size541 students
Graduation rate performance90.5% — Excellent
Student/teacher ratio vs national avg (16:1)Better than average ✓
Public Education in Tennessee
Tennessee has 1,873 public schools serving 1,013,000 students, with an average of 541 students per school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, compared to the national average of approximately 16:1.
The graduation rate of 90.5% is considered excellent compared to the national average of approximately 87%. Higher graduation rates generally indicate better student outcomes and school effectiveness.
Major Cities in Tennessee
- Nashville
- Memphis
- Knoxville
- Chattanooga
Data Source
Data from the NCES Common Core of Data, a comprehensive annual survey of all public elementary and secondary schools and school districts in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the student-teacher ratio?▾
The student-teacher ratio divides total student enrollment by the number of full-time-equivalent teachers. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is about 16:1, though this varies widely. Private schools average around 12:1. This metric counts all teachers including specialists.
What is a good graduation rate?▾
The national public school graduation rate is approximately 87%. Rates above 90% are considered excellent, 80-90% good, and below 80% below average. Tennessee's graduation rate of 90.5% is excellent. Rates can be affected by poverty rates, student demographics, and state accountability policies.
Where can I find individual school data?▾
Individual school performance data is available from the NCES School Search at nces.ed.gov, your state's Department of Education website, and the US News & World Report K-12 school rankings. Many states also publish annual school report cards with detailed performance metrics.
What does NCES data include?▾
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data collects annual enrollment, staffing, finance, and school characteristics data from all public K-12 schools and districts. It covers all 50 states plus DC and territories. Data is collected each fall for the previous school year.