Best Schools in Nashville, Tennessee
167 schools · 83 Elementary · 32 Middle · 33 High · 19 Other
Family Snapshot
At a glance- Avg school rating
- 6.4/10
- Median household income
- $86,328
- Median home value
- $534,447
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 56%
- Avg commute
- 23 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 52%
38% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Nashville compares
Tennessee rank
#89 of 182
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.1
above Tennessee avg (6.3)
Median household income
$86k
133% of Tennessee median
Schools in this city
157
About Schools in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville's public school system spans 118 ranked schools, giving families a wide field to navigate. The citywide average sits at 6.2 out of 10, but that number masks real variation — 43 schools, or 36% of the total, score 7 or higher, meaning strong options exist across multiple neighborhoods and grade levels.
At the top of the rankings, Sylvan Park Elementary leads all Nashville public schools with a 9.7 out of 10, the highest score in the city. Rosebank Elementary and Early College High School both score 9.3, followed closely by John B. Whitsitt Elementary and Waverly-Belmont Elementary School, each at 9.2. Four of the five top-ranked schools are elementaries, which matters for parents in the early-grades search — competition for seats in these schools can be significant.
The spread between the city average and the top tier is notable. A 9.7 score at Sylvan Park against a citywide mean of 6.2 represents a wide performance gap, and parents should expect that school quality varies considerably by zone. Families zoned to lower-scoring schools do have options: Nashville operates magnet and choice programs that allow some students to attend schools outside their home zone, though availability and eligibility rules apply. Researching both your zoned school and accessible choice schools is a practical first step.
For parents comparing Nashville against other Tennessee cities or national benchmarks, the 36% rate of schools scoring 7 or above gives a concrete baseline. When touring schools or reviewing performance data, scores in that 7-to-10 range signal above-average academic outcomes relative to state and national peers. The cluster of high-performing elementaries suggests that younger students, depending on location, may have strong foundational options — while families with high schoolers should look closely at Early College High School as a standout at that level. Start with your assigned school, check its score against the city average, and use the choice system to broaden your options if needed.
Elementary Schools
83 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 439 students · Kindergarten–5th | 9.7 |
| 2 | 440 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.3 |
| 3 | 504 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.2 |
| 4 | 528 students · Kindergarten–5th | 9.2 |
| 5 | 435 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.1 |
| 6 | 499 students · Kindergarten–5th | 9.0 |
| 7 | 604 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.9 |
| 8 | 390 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.7 |
| 9 | 204 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.3 |
| 10 | 322 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.3 |
| 11 | 544 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.2 |
| 12 | 396 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.0 |
| 13 | 438 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.9 |
| 14 | 413 students · Kindergarten–4th | 7.7 |
| 15 | 534 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.6 |
| 16 | 717 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.4 |
| 17 | 317 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.4 |
| 18 | 560 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.4 |
| 19 | 565 students · Pre-K–4th | 7.3 |
| 20 | 419 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.3 |
| 21 | 265 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.2 |
| 22 | 494 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.2 |
| 23 | 450 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.2 |
| 24 | 34 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.1 |
| 25 | 756 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.0 |
Show 58 more elementary schools
| 26 | 714 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.9 | ||
| 27 | 633 students · Pre-K–4th | 6.9 | ||
| 28 | 514 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.8 | ||
| 29 | 222 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.8 | ||
| 30 | 537 students · Kindergarten–8th | 6.8 | ||
| 31 | 617 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.6 | ||
| 32 | 642 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.0 | ||
| 33 | 359 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.9 | ||
| 34 | 295 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.9 | ||
| 35 | 442 students · Pre-K–6th | 5.8 | ||
| 36 | 538 students · Pre-K–4th | 5.7 | ||
| 37 | 289 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.7 | ||
| 38 | 466 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.7 | ||
| 39 | 357 students · Pre-K–4th | 5.6 | ||
| 40 | 360 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.4 | ||
| 41 | 441 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.4 | ||
| 42 | 527 students · Pre-K–4th | 5.4 | ||
| 43 | 242 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.4 | ||
| 44 | 292 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.0 | ||
| 45 | 613 students · Kindergarten–7th | 4.9 | ||
| 46 | 704 students · Pre-K–4th | 4.9 | ||
| 47 | 216 students · Pre-K–5th | 4.8 | ||
| 48 | 263 students · Pre-K–5th | 4.8 | ||
| 49 | 552 students · Pre-K–4th | 4.7 | ||
| 50 | 737 students · Pre-K–5th | 4.7 | ||
| 51 | 199 students · Pre-K–5th | 4.5 | ||
| 52 | 282 students · Pre-K–5th | 4.4 | ||
| 53 | 330 students · Kindergarten–4th | 4.4 | ||
| 54 | 330 students · Pre-K–5th | 4.2 | ||
| 55 | 499 students · Kindergarten–4th | 3.3 | ||
| 56 | 204 students · Kindergarten–8th | 3.3 | ||
| 57 | 510 students · Kindergarten–5th | 1.3 | ||
| 58 | 29 students · Pre-K–5th | — | ||
| Private Schools 25 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | EPISCOPAL SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE
Private
107 students · Pre-K–7th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | ST PIUS X CLASSICAL ACADEMY
Private
47 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | ST ANN SCHOOL
Private
146 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | ABINTRA MONTESSORI SCHOOL
Private
76 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 5 | HARDING ACADEMY
Private
496 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 6 | ST BERNARD ACADEMY
Private
362 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 7 | ST PAUL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Private
316 students · Kindergarten–6th | Not Rated | ||
| 8 | ST. EDWARD SCHOOL
Private
154 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 9 | LINDEN WALDORF SCHOOL
Private
119 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 10 | HOLY ROSARY ACADEMY
Private
286 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 11 | HOLY TRINITY MONTESSORI
Private
110 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 12 | MONTESSORI EAST
Private
30 students · Pre-K–5th | Not Rated | ||
| 13 | 128 students · Kindergarten–6th | Not Rated | ||
| 14 | CHRIST THE KING SCHOOL
Private
236 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 15 | THE OAK HILL SCHOOL
Private
473 students · Pre-K–6th | Not Rated | ||
| 16 | THE COVENANT SCHOOL
Private
144 students · Kindergarten–6th | Not Rated | ||
| 17 | OVERBROOK SCHOOL
Private
282 students · Pre-K–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 18 | AKIVA SCHOOL
Private
94 students · Kindergarten–6th | Not Rated | ||
| 19 | GROW ACADEMY
Private
10 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten | Not Rated | ||
| 20 | 24 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten | Not Rated | ||
| 21 | CLARA MOHAMMED SCHOOL
Private
14 students · Kindergarten–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 22 | BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Private
24 students · Kindergarten–4th | Not Rated | ||
| 23 | CHILDREN'S HOUSE OF NASHVILLE
Private
11 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten | Not Rated | ||
| 24 | MONTESSORI CENTRE
Private
10 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten | Not Rated | ||
| 25 | SCHRADER LANE CHILD CARE CENTER
Private
7 students · Pre-K–T1 | Not Rated | ||
Middle Schools
32 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 409 students · 6th–8th | 7.7 |
| 2 | 229 students · 6th–8th | 7.6 |
| 3 | 332 students · 6th–8th | 7.5 |
| 4 | 551 students · 5th–8th | 7.3 |
| 5 | 302 students · 5th–8th | 6.9 |
| 6 | 513 students · 5th–8th | 6.5 |
| 7 | 387 students · 5th–8th | 6.4 |
| 8 | 382 students · 6th–8th | 6.1 |
| 9 | 286 students · 6th–8th | 6.0 |
| 10 | 467 students · 6th–8th | 5.8 |
| 11 | 496 students · 5th–8th | 5.7 |
| 12 | 430 students · 6th–8th | 5.4 |
| 13 | 433 students · 6th–8th | 5.4 |
| 14 | 244 students · 6th–8th | 5.4 |
| 15 | 122 students · 6th–8th | 5.3 |
| 16 | 391 students · 5th–8th | 5.3 |
| 17 | 506 students · 5th–8th | 5.3 |
| 18 | 294 students · 6th–8th | 5.1 |
| 19 | 658 students · 5th–8th | 5.1 |
| 20 | 379 students · 6th–8th | 5.0 |
| 21 | 614 students · 5th–8th | 4.8 |
| 22 | 693 students · 5th–8th | 4.7 |
| 23 | 285 students · 5th–8th | 4.7 |
| 24 | 686 students · 5th–8th | 4.6 |
| 25 | 169 students · 6th–8th | 4.4 |
Show 7 more middle schools
| 26 | 252 students · 6th–8th | 4.2 | ||
| 27 | 249 students · 5th–8th | 3.5 | ||
| 28 | 348 students · 5th–8th | 3.2 | ||
| 29 | 267 students · 5th–8th | 2.8 | ||
| 30 | 211 students · 5th–8th | 1.5 | ||
| Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 37 students · 5th–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | 37 students · 5th–8th | Not Rated | ||
High Schools
33 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 160 students · 9th–12th | 9.3 |
| 2 | 893 students · 9th–12th | 8.6 |
| 3 | 547 students · 9th–12th | 8.2 |
| 4 | 1,219 students · 7th–12th | 8.0 |
| 5 | 110 students · 9th–12th | 7.7 |
| 6 | 31 students · 9th–12th | 7.7 |
| 7 | 31 students · 9th–12th | 7.7 |
| 8 | 467 students · 9th–12th | 7.6 |
| 9 | 1,394 students · 9th–12th | 7.5 |
| 10 | 117 students · 5th–12th | 7.5 |
| 11 | 569 students · 9th–12th | 7.4 |
| 12 | 486 students · 9th–12th | 7.1 |
| 13 | 1,244 students · 9th–12th | 6.9 |
| 14 | 1,403 students · 5th–12th | 6.6 |
| 15 | 150 students · 9th–12th | 6.5 |
| 16 | 756 students · 6th–12th | 6.1 |
| 17 | 502 students · 9th–12th | 5.8 |
| 18 | 1,969 students · 9th–12th | 5.7 |
| 19 | 545 students · 9th–12th | 5.7 |
| 20 | 850 students · 5th–12th | 5.7 |
| 21 | 624 students · 9th–12th | 5.5 |
| 22 | 1,077 students · 9th–12th | 4.9 |
| 23 | 1,907 students · 9th–12th | 4.8 |
| 24 | 686 students · 9th–12th | 4.0 |
| 25 | 283 students · 9th–12th | — |
Show 8 more high schools
| 26 | 20 students · 9th–12th | — | ||
| Private Schools 7 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | TEMPLETON ACADEMY
Private
122 students · 5th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | ST CECILIA ACADEMY
Private
243 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | HARPETH HALL SCHOOL
Private
720 students · 5th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | FATHER RYAN HIGH SCHOOL
Private
863 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 5 | WAYNE ACADEMY DAVIDSON COUNTY
Private
49 students · 8th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 6 | MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY
Private
822 students · 7th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 7 | THE ENSWORTH SCHOOL-HS CAMPUS
Private
437 students · 9th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
19 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 114 students · Pre-K–12th | 7.7 | ||
| 2 | 486 students · Pre-K–12th | 7.5 | ||
| 3 | 77 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.9 | ||
| 4 | 229 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 6.4 | ||
| 5 | 154 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 6.3 | ||
| 6 | 152 students · 4th–12th | 5.8 | ||
| 7 | 92 students · Pre-K–Pre-K | 5.5 | ||
| Private Schools 12 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
Private
129 students · Pre-K–11th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | 40 students · UG–UG | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | BENTON HALL ACADEMY
Private
54 students · 3rd–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE
Private
1,071 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 5 | DONELSON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Private
583 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 6 | GENESIS ACADEMY
Private
71 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 7 | CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN ACADEMY
Private
1,213 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 8 | F H JENKINS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Private
79 students · Kindergarten–10th | Not Rated | ||
| 9 | 1,184 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 10 | HERMITAGE HALL
Private
88 students · 3rd–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 11 | NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Private
641 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 12 | FRANKLIN ROAD ACADEMY
Private
927 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee · 167 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 18 ZIP codes
Median Income
$86,328
Median Home Value
$534,447
Median Rent
$1,542/mo
Population
471,500
College Educated
56%
Homeownership
52%
Avg Commute
23 min
Poverty Rate
13.8%
Community Profile
Nashville has a median household income of $86,328. It is a well-educated community where 56% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $534,447, with a median rent of $1,542/month. The area has a poverty rate of 13.8%. The average commute for residents is 23 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Quick Facts
- State
- Tennessee
- Total Schools
- 167
- Elementary
- 83
- Middle
- 32
- High
- 33
- Districts
- 5
- Avg Rating
- 6.4/10
Resources
School Districts (5)
Nearby Cities
Other Major Cities in Tennessee
Top metros statewide by school count.
Featured Rankings
See our in-depth rankings with interactive maps, score breakdowns, and school spotlights.
How We Rate Schools
Every school receives a composite score from 1 to 10 based on four pillars: Academic Performance (50%), Student Growth (20%), Equity (15%), and Learning Environment (15%). Scores are built from publicly available data including standardized test results, enrollment figures, and school climate indicators.
Read our full methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Nashville, Tennessee
How many schools are in Nashville, Tennessee?
Nashville has 167 schools, including 121 public and 46 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Nashville, Tennessee?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Nashville is 6.4 out of 10, based on academic achievement, student growth, equity, and school environment.
What is the top-ranked school in Nashville, Tennessee?
The top-ranked school in Nashville on MySchoolScout is Sylvan Park Elementary with a composite score of 9.7/10.
What is the best elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee?
The top-ranked elementary school in Nashville on MySchoolScout is Sylvan Park Elementary with a composite score of 9.7/10.
What is the best middle school in Nashville, Tennessee?
The top-ranked middle school in Nashville on MySchoolScout is John Trotwood Moore Middle with a composite score of 7.7/10.
What is the best high school in Nashville, Tennessee?
The top-ranked high school in Nashville on MySchoolScout is Early College High School with a composite score of 9.3/10.
How many school districts serve Nashville, Tennessee?
Nashville is served by 5 school districts: Tennessee School for Blind, Tennessee Schools for the Deaf, Achievement School District, Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, Davidson County.
What is the education level in Nashville, Tennessee?
According to Census data, 56% of adults in Nashville have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Nashville, Tennessee?
The median household income in Nashville is approximately $86,328 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Nashville, Tennessee?
Yes, Nashville has 46 private schools alongside 121 public schools. The top-rated private school is Nashville International Academy with a score of 8.5/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Nashville, Tennessee?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Nashville is 15.2:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Nashville, Tennessee?
MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score based on four components: Academic Achievement, Student Growth, Equity, and School Environment.
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Tennessee Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.