Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Tuscaloosa County

This page covers 9 middle schools in Tuscaloosa County. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

9
Schools Ranked
Alabama
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 9 of 9
1
rank
Northport Intermediate School
Grades 05–06439 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
18.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
48%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Northside Middle School
Grades 06–08405 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
19.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
45%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Hillcrest Middle School
Grades 06–08576 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
40
/100
Student:Teacher
18.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
75%
High economic need
4
rank
Duncanville Middle School
Grades 06–08463 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
39
/100
Student:Teacher
21.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
65%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Echols Middle School
Grades 07–08878 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
38
/100
Student:Teacher
20.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
64%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Brookwood Middle School
Grades 06–08796 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
38
/100
Student:Teacher
20.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
65%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Sipsey Valley Middle School
Grades 05–08556 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
38
/100
Student:Teacher
20.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
65%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
DavisEmerson Middle School
Grades 06–08392 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
37
/100
Student:Teacher
17.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
96%
High economic need
9
rank
CollinsRiverside Middle School
Grades 05–06334 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
36
/100
Student:Teacher
19.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,636
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
88%
High economic need
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
9
Middle Schools
36
Total Schools
46
#1 Score
40
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
Compare Tuscaloosa County with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.