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High Schools in Shelby County

At a glance

DistrictShelby County29^th of 140 Alabama districtsFull district overview →

Schools

6,788

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedOak Mountain High School14^th of 386 Alabama high schools

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Biggest riser

Vincent Middle High School up 68 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Vincent Middle High School 11.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

2★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Alabama districts →See the top-ranked Alabama schools →

Summary:

Shelby County, Alabama, is home to seven public high schools serving grades 9-12 (with one exception), offering families a wide range of educational environments from top-tier academic powerhouses to schools facing significant challenges. The Shelby County district itself ranks in the 79th percentile statewide, but this average masks a dramatic divide between its wealthiest and highest-poverty schools.

For parents seeking top academic performance, Oak Mountain High School is the clear standout, ranking 13th in the state with 5-star ratings and test scores that dwarf district averages—58% math proficiency versus 27% statewide. Chelsea High School offers remarkable consistency with three consecutive 5-star years and the district's highest graduation rate at 96.8%, while Helena High School also performs well above state averages. These three schools all have free/reduced lunch rates below 27%, while the remaining four schools—Calera High, Shelby County High School, Montevallo High School, and Vincent Middle High School—serve populations with 56-78% economic disadvantage and post significantly lower test scores. Notably, higher per-student spending does not predict success: Vincent spends the most ($14,092 per student) yet ranks 108th, while Oak Mountain spends the least ($9,326) and achieves the best outcomes.

There are bright spots worth watching. Vincent Middle High School made the district's largest improvement, jumping 69 ranking positions to earn 4 stars, and Montevallo High School has steadily climbed from the 26th to 54th percentile. However, Calera High has declined for three straight years to a 2-star rating, and chronic absenteeism exceeds 16% at four schools, including top-performing Oak Mountain. Parents should also note that Shelby County High School shows volatile year-to-year rankings, suggesting cohort variability. Ultimately, the data reveals that socioeconomic factors strongly correlate with academic outcomes, though Vincent's improvement proves progress is possible even in high-poverty schools.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)				Summative Assessment Science (2026)		Summative Assessment English (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Calera High	Public	9-12	100 Calera Eagle Drive	Calera	35040	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-5956	1,018	57	17.8	56.9%	396 (38.9%)	451 (44.3%)	132 (13.0%)	11 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (2.8%)	42.8	211^th of 386 public high schools	45.3%		43.7	196^th of 374 public high schools	47.6%	15				17.7		31.9				24.5	$9,178	$947	$8,212
Chelsea High School	Public	9-12	10510 Highway 11	Chelsea	35043	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-7200	1,235	73	17.0	23.5%	968 (78.4%)	136 (11.0%)	77 (6.2%)	26 (2.1%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (1.8%)	93.6	21^st of 386 public high schools	94.6%		94.6	18^th of 374 public high schools	95.2%	3				51.1		56.1				50.0	$9,012	$589	$8,406
Shelby County High School	Public	9-12	101 Washington St	Columbiana	35051	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-6600	572	41	14.1	57.0%	417 (72.9%)	73 (12.8%)	67 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	60.1	128^th of 386 public high schools	66.8%		68.3	100^th of 374 public high schools	73.3%	28				18.7		43.9				33.6	$11,966	$1,110	$10,834
Montevallo High School	Public	9-12	980 Oak St	Montevallo	35115	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-6400	485	35	13.8	77.7%	195 (40.2%)	110 (22.7%)	168 (34.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	50.2	177^th of 386 public high schools	54.1%		39.6	212^th of 374 public high schools	43.3%	35				22.2		35.0				25.7	$12,913	$952	$11,940
Vincent Middle High School	Public	6-12	42505 Highway 25	Vincent	35178	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-7344	447	39	11.4	70.0%	296 (66.2%)	103 (23.0%)	26 (5.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.3%)	64.8	109^th of 386 public high schools	71.8%		50.3	177^th of 374 public high schools	52.7%	68	29.0	24.5	29.0	26.8	63.5	46.4	51.6	54.7	62.9	29.1	$14,092	$1,744	$12,327
Oak Mountain High School	Public	9-12	5476 Caldwell Mill Rd	Birmingham	35242	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-5200	1,648	89	18.5	23.3%	1,197 (72.6%)	172 (10.4%)	161 (9.8%)	90 (5.5%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	21 (1.3%)	97.9	14^th of 386 public high schools	96.4%		96.2	11^th of 374 public high schools	97.1%	3				58.3		66.2				58.3	$9,326	$516	$8,795
Career Technical Education Center	Public	9-12	701 Highway 70	Columbiana	35051	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-6650	0	11	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
New Direction	Public	6-12	701 Hwy 70	Columbiana	35007	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-5910	0	6	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Helena High School	Public	9-12	1310 Hillsboro Parkway	Helena	35080	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-3650	1,383	79	17.6	26.4%	961 (69.5%)	228 (16.5%)	127 (9.2%)	24 (1.7%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (2.7%)	93.4	22^nd of 386 public high schools	94.3%		85.5	49^th of 374 public high schools	86.9%	27				46.3		57.3				51.7	$8,579	$631	$7,932
SUCCESS Program	Public	9-12	701 Highway 70	Columbiana	35051	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(205) 682-6650	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hoover City	5.62 mi	18	12^th
Independence Preparatory Academy	7.72 mi	1
Pelham City	9.03 mi	4	42^nd
Vestavia Hills City	10.01 mi	9	2^nd
Mountain Brook City	11.24 mi	6	1^st

See the top AL Alabama districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.