Public + private high schools, every state.
669
high schools (public + private)
525
public (144 districts)
144
private (NCES PSS)
52,581
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

AL public HS enrollment trend

Across the 206,931 students enrolled in AL brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state grew +1.5% by 2024 (209,960 students, +3,029 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 0.5% (1,059 of 209,960 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does AL compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math
263
-10 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
257
-3 vs national avg (260)
national avg AL Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. AL is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

Birmingham 10 HS 7,853
Mobile 10 HS 7,053
Montgomery 9 HS 6,922
Huntsville 6 HS 6,671
Hoover 3 HS 4,395
Madison 2 HS 4,207
Tuscaloosa 4 HS 3,839
Decatur 5 HS 2,726
Cullman 5 HS 2,654
Pinson 2 HS 2,402

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Carver Senior High School
Montgomery County
942→1,553 +64.9%
Pike Road High School
Pike Road City
542→833 +53.7%
Acceleration Day and Evening Academy
MAEF Public Charter Schools
349→513 +47.0%
Hatton High School
Lawrence County
263→364 +38.4%
Winterboro High School
Talladega County
170→221 +30.0%
New Brockton High School
Coffee County
354→455 +28.5%
Booker T Washington Magnet High School
Montgomery County
389→492 +26.5%
Thorsby High School
Chilton County
210→263 +25.2%
Gulf Shores High School
Gulf Shores City
744→927 +24.6%
Parker High School
Birmingham City
773→942 +21.9%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Sumter Central High School
Sumter County
370→275 -25.7%
Albertville High School
Albertville City
1,665→1,244 -25.3%
Section High School
Jackson County
273→204 -25.3%
Wilcox Central High School
Wilcox County
431→340 -21.1%
Phil Campbell High School
Franklin County
324→256 -21.0%
Francis Marion School
Perry County
200→158 -21.0%
Handley High School
Roanoke City
459→366 -20.3%
Augusta Evans School
Mobile County
158→127 -19.6%
Fayetteville High School
Talladega County
204→165 -19.1%
Elba High School
Elba City
172→142 -17.4%

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