The Volunteer State is exceptionally good at sending kids out into the world with a satisfactory education: U.S. News & World Report ranked Tennessee 9th in the nation in graduation rate in their most latest survey.

Tennessee’s best public school district is Williamson County Schools, a large district comprising 44 schools serving Williamson County, TN. WCS is one of the fastest growing in the state, and plans to open three more schools for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. The expansion hasn’t hurt the district’s academic performance any, as the WCS’s 2017 graduating classes’ ACT composite score of 25.2 is the highest in the district’s history.

At #2 is Maryville City Schools, comprising seven schools serving Maryville, TN. In 2017, the district managed a remarkable graduation rate of 94.3%, with 90% of graduating students going on to some form of secondary education.

Johnson City Schools, a district made of up of eight elementaries, two intermediate/middle schools and one high school, comes in third place.The district’s students’ ACT and SAT scores consistently exceed state and national averages, perhaps owing to the high qualifications of JCS’s teachers, 20 of which have received National Board Certification.

Gibson Special Schools, a well rated district based in Dyer, TN, ranks #4, followed by Rutherford County Schools (#5) of Murfreesboro, TN, a large school district that received AdvancED accreditation in 2010.

Top School Districts in Tennessee, 2018

State RankSchool DistrictState
1Williamson CountyTennessee
2MaryvilleTennessee
3Johnson CityTennessee
4Gibson Co Sp DistTennessee
5Rutherford CountyTennessee
6Wilson CountyTennessee
7Sumner CountyTennessee
8Oak RidgeTennessee
9BradfordTennessee
10KingsportTennessee
11Dickson CountyTennessee
12Lawrence CountyTennessee
13GreenevilleTennessee
14Dyer CountyTennessee
15Knox CountyTennessee
16Washington CountyTennessee
17Loudon CountyTennessee
18Henderson CountyTennessee
19Lincoln CountyTennessee
20AlcoaTennessee
21Trousdale CountyTennessee
22Cheatham CountyTennessee
23BristolTennessee
24Weakley CountyTennessee
25Montgomery CountyTennessee
26Obion CountyTennessee
27Chester CountyTennessee
28MckenzieTennessee
29ElizabethtonTennessee
30Tipton CountyTennessee
31Smith CountyTennessee
32Bradley CountyTennessee
33ClevelandTennessee
34HuntingdonTennessee
35Blount CountyTennessee
36Hamilton CountyTennessee
37Stewart CountyTennessee
38Robertson CountyTennessee
39White CountyTennessee
40MilanTennessee
41Meigs CountyTennessee
42Hamblen CountyTennessee
43Henry CountyTennessee
44Roane CountyTennessee
45Moore CountyTennessee
46Marion CountyTennessee
47Putnam CountyTennessee
48Sullivan CountyTennessee
49Franklin CountyTennessee
50Marshall CountyTennessee
51Bedford CountyTennessee
52TullahomaTennessee
53Cumberland CountyTennessee
54Mcminn CountyTennessee
55Sevier CountyTennessee
56Rhea CountyTennessee
57Humphreys CountyTennessee
58West Carroll Sp DistTennessee
59Dekalb CountyTennessee
60Overton CountyTennessee
61Lewis CountyTennessee
62Maury CountyTennessee
63South CarrollTennessee
64Coffee CountyTennessee
65Anderson CountyTennessee
66Decatur CountyTennessee
67Johnson CountyTennessee
68Hickman CountyTennessee
69Hawkins CountyTennessee
70Polk CountyTennessee
71Macon CountyTennessee
72Hollow Rock - BrucetonTennessee
73TrentonTennessee
74DyersburgTennessee
75Mcnairy CountyTennessee
76Cannon CountyTennessee
77Perry CountyTennessee
78Benton CountyTennessee
79Greene CountyTennessee
80Jefferson CountyTennessee
81Unicoi CountyTennessee
82Houston CountyTennessee
83Davidson CountyTennessee
84Sequatchie CountyTennessee
85Scott CountyTennessee
86Claiborne CountyTennessee
87Pickett CountyTennessee
88Bledsoe CountyTennessee
89Lenoir CityTennessee
90Hardin CountyTennessee
91OneidaTennessee
92Warren CountyTennessee
93Monroe CountyTennessee
94Giles CountyTennessee
95Cocke CountyTennessee
96Wayne CountyTennessee
97Union CityTennessee
98Campbell CountyTennessee
99Crockett CountyTennessee
100Lauderdale CountyTennessee

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

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