2024 Best High Schools in Tennessee

What High School Paths Does Tennessee Provide?

Tennessee is unique in that it has 41% more high schools than the average state per capita, so it ranks #34 in the nation when it comes to overall high school availability. In total, Tennessee has 685 high schools, the majority of which are public, 395 to be exact, leaving just 240 private schools in the state. As a whole, the state's average school rating is a B– which is right in line with the national average.

In total, 58% of Tennessee's high schools are public and they have an average rating of B–. Of those 395 schools, the majority are traditional public schools (345). Approximately 58% of those traditional public schools sit above the national average, so you can rest assured that there's still 201 such schools that are considered better than normal.

Diving deeper into public high school alternatives, there are also 26 charter schools, which ranks Tennessee in the 31st spot for most charter schools per capita vs the average state. In total, 35% of those charter schools exceed the national average in quality. Also, of the 24 magnet high schools, 16 earned above average marks.

Shifting now to private high schools, there are 240 in total to choose from (roughly 35% of all schools). Again, although the figure may seem relatively small, Tennessee actually has 29% more private school options than the average state per capita, so despite a smaller state population there are still numerous private school options. With a median rating of B+, approximately half (50%) of Tennessee's private schools are rated above the national average. About 79% of private high schools in Tennessee are religiously affiliated, led primarily by Christian schools which total 178. The state ranks 3rd for most religious schools per capita, so it actually sits quite a bit above the average in terms of how much religious influence there is in its school options. There are also 18 all-boys schools in Tennessee, which is a 55% (or 1.55 times) more than the typical state (after normalizing for population size). There are also 9 all-girls options in the state.

Many of the high schools are also beginning to increase their online offerings, with 23 total online schools (just 3% of all schools). This actually ranks Tennessee in the 15th position in terms of online schools per capita vs. the typical state (it's above the average by 112%).