Best Public Schools in Birmingham, AL

The city of Birmingham, Alabama is home to 63 schools, including 40 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 11 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. The schools in this area serve a diverse student population and demonstrate a wide range of academic performance, with some standout schools achieving exceptional results while others struggle.

Among the top-performing schools in Birmingham are Oak Mountain High School, which is ranked 8th out of 378 Alabama high schools and has consistently earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. This school boasts significantly higher test scores than the state and county averages, with over 50% of 11th graders proficient or better in math, science, and English. In contrast, many schools in the Birmingham City district struggle, with some high schools seeing only 0-5% of 11th graders proficient in math. The stark performance gap likely reflects broader socioeconomic and resource disparities between the districts.

Other standout schools include EPIC Alternative Elementary School and Mt Laurel Elementary School, both of which are ranked among the top elementary schools in Alabama and have exceptional test scores. These high-performing schools, including the public charter Magic City Acceptance Academy, demonstrate that with the right approach, even high-poverty student populations can achieve exceptional results. However, the wide variation in racial diversity across the schools highlights the continued school segregation issues in the Birmingham area.