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Cottonwood High School

Q: Is Cottonwood High School a good school?

Cottonwood High School ranks 141 st of 380 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

141^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 380 Alabama High Schools

Better than 63% of Alabama high schools

Summary

Cottonwood High School is a small public school in Cottonwood, AL, serving 379 students in grades 7-12 as part of the Houston County district, which holds a 4-star rating. The school has shown impressive momentum recently, jumping to a 3-star rating (63rd percentile) in 2025-2026 after a weaker prior year, and its performance has been marked by notable strengths alongside a few persistent challenges.

The most remarkable achievement is the school's perfect 100% graduation rate for 2024-2025, a dramatic improvement from 84% just three years earlier and well above the state average of 91.5%. This outpaces nearby schools like Houston County High School (91.6%) and Ashford High School (94.5%). Cottonwood also excels with students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 80th percentile statewide for this group despite nearly 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch—a sign that the school is effectively supporting its most vulnerable learners. Additionally, 8th grade English proficiency reached 72.73%, well above the state average of 58.53%, and chronic absenteeism has dropped by 42% over three years to 9.7%, now below the state average.

However, 7th grade math remains a significant concern, with only 21.67% of students proficient in 2025-2026—far below the district average of 45.67% and even below the state average of 24.46%. This weakness has persisted for four years and the gap with the district has widened. While Rehobeth High School (ranked 61st) and Slocomb High School (ranked 62nd) outperform Cottonwood in 11th grade subjects, Cottonwood's graduation rate exceeds both, and it outperforms Dothan High School across all 11th grade subjects. Overall, Cottonwood offers a supportive environment with strong graduation outcomes and equity-focused success, though families should be aware of the ongoing math intervention needed in middle school.

379

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,749

Per pupil spending ?

59.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

663 Houston St
Cottonwood, AL 36320

(334) 691-2587

District: Houston County

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.5%

African American:

15.0%

Hispanic:

5.8%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Cottonwood High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 59th percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Alabama average (92%)

✓Above the Alabama median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg49%

Alabama avg39%

Middle school

146^th of 443

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

141^st of 380

Alabama public high schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5High Schools in the Houston County

28^th of 139Houston County among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2021	50.8	335 of 692	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.1	372 of 681	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	77.8	140 of 680	79.4%	★★★★☆
2017	63.9	222 of 688	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.3	318 of 691	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.8	209 of 691	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.0	317 of 695	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.6	324 of 696	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.6	151 of 696	78.3%	★★★★☆
2011	68.4	211 of 709	70.2%	★★★★☆
2010	73.9	141 of 704	80.0%	★★★★☆
2009	65.6	221 of 696	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.9	305 of 698	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	50.5	382 of 698	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	50.6	358 of 689	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	46.8	403 of 688	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	35.3	444 of 623	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	61.0	146 of 443	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.3	156 of 439	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.1	135 of 442	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	134 of 437	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.7	198 of 432	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.1	234 of 440	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.3	160 of 437	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.5	160 of 423	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	57.0	167 of 432	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.9	161 of 432	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.2	124 of 430	71.2%	★★★★☆
2014	54.7	189 of 438	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	68.4	114 of 436	73.9%	★★★★☆
2012	61.2	174 of 436	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.3	134 of 435	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	56.8	198 of 435	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.8	205 of 425	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.9	120 of 417	71.2%	★★★★☆
2007	74.3	77 of 412	81.3%	★★★★☆
2006	62.8	128 of 409	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.0	97 of 415	76.6%	★★★★☆
2004	50.9	192 of 407	52.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	74 of 266	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	33.8	175 of 269	34.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	192 of 422	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.5	151 of 415	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	152 of 426	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.1	169 of 417	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.8	197 of 423	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.0	240 of 415	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.2	125 of 399	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.5	183 of 392	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.2	139 of 380	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	72.0	88 of 432	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	65.9	110 of 428	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.4	75 of 437	82.8%	★★★★☆
2023	56.2	153 of 410	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.1	175 of 421	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	199 of 415	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.0	115 of 396	71.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	108 of 396	72.7%	★★★★☆
2017	59.5	108 of 349	69.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	111 of 421	73.6%	★★★★☆
2025	57.2	152 of 422	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.5	117 of 428	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	64.9	111 of 419	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	49.6	191 of 427	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.0	209 of 418	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.8	155 of 399	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	157 of 397	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.2	157 of 380	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	79.8	28 of 281	90.0%	★★★★★
2019	54.8	87 of 254	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.4	51 of 223	77.1%	★★★★☆
2017	47.3	88 of 195	54.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	47.6	168 of 355	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.4	143 of 377	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.3	172 of 373	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.0	142 of 370	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.0	233 of 376	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	261 of 369	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.3	169 of 343	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.5	181 of 331	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.1	154 of 247	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	57.0	141 of 380	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.2	209 of 374	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.9	144 of 378	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.5	238 of 371	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.6	251 of 367	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.8	213 of 371	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.5	195 of 366	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.1	239 of 356	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	58.6	116 of 353	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.2	143 of 351	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.8	74 of 353	79.0%	★★★★☆
2014	39.0	219 of 358	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	62.3	113 of 358	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.7	80 of 358	77.7%	★★★★☆
2011	55.0	179 of 360	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	52.9	184 of 358	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.1	185 of 357	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.9	155 of 359	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.4	123 of 358	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.7	178 of 357	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	43.1	241 of 359	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2004	31.6	291 of 357	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2023	46.9	95 of 224	57.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	52.3	164 of 372	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.7	199 of 359	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.5	160 of 366	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.5	219 of 358	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.6	183 of 367	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.1	218 of 359	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.3	245 of 354	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.2	218 of 347	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.1	167 of 343	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	76 of 377	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	44.2	189 of 367	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.6	148 of 375	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.4	243 of 349	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.4	184 of 361	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.2	114 of 361	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.3	150 of 358	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.9	227 of 349	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	60.5	89 of 315	71.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	58.3	135 of 375	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.5	215 of 363	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	138 of 368	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.0	255 of 358	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	285 of 366	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.4	198 of 366	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.1	109 of 357	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.2	236 of 350	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	70.4	75 of 339	77.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2021	48.8	90 of 196	54.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	180 of 316	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.8	206 of 325	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.0	154 of 325	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	24.4	238 of 317	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	287 of 326	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.8	236 of 319	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.9	187 of 313	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	19.8	253 of 300	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	45.5	107 of 230	53.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Special Education (2024)90th percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)74th percentile+7 vs school

African American (2026)72nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile-13 vs school

White (2026)53rd percentile-14 vs school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile~ school

African American (2023)58th percentile+22 vs school

Female (2026)56th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2021)54th percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English51%~ state avg

Science43%-3 vs state

Mathematics28%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Cottonwood High School

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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	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 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 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
Cottonwood High School	Public	7-12	663 Houston St	Cottonwood	36320	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 691-2587	379	23	16.7	59.6%	286 (75.5%)	57 (15.0%)	22 (5.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	57	141^st of 380 public high schools	62.9%		40.2	209^th of 374 public high schools	44.1%	68	21.7	39.0	24.0	53.3	32.0	44.1	72.7	36.0	$9,749	$1,786	$7,950
Ashford High School	Public	9-12	607 Church St	Ashford	36312	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 899-5411	413	25	16.5	60.5%	255 (61.7%)	123 (29.8%)	23 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	53.4	157^th of 380 public high schools	58.7%		53.4	163^rd of 374 public high schools	56.4%	6			26.3		29.5			31.6	$9,332	$1,092	$8,227
Rehobeth High School	Public	9-12	373 Malvern Road	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(334) 677-7002	786	38	20.6	48.0%	584 (74.3%)	95 (12.1%)	79 (10.1%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.7%)	79.4	61^st of 380 public high schools	83.9%		55.9	152^nd of 374 public high schools	59.4%	91			33.1		40.7			51.8	$7,799	$707	$7,080
PASS Academy	Public	7-12	323 W Selma Street	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	No	(334) 671-1474																			(n/a)
Dothan City Virtual School	Public, Virtual	7-12	323 W Selma Street	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	Yes	Yes	(334) 794-7444	226	16	14.1	54.0%	84 (37.2%)	117 (51.8%)	20 (8.8%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	20.1	311^th of 380 public high schools	18.2%		34.1	231^st of 374 public high schools	38.2%	80	22.2	16.1	7.3	48.4	17.4	77.8	54.8	18.2
Houston County Area Vocational Center	Public	9-12	662 West Main	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(334) 899-3308																			(n/a)
Dothan High School	Public	10-12	3209 Reeves St	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1410	1,588	84	18.9	61.5%	472 (29.7%)	920 (57.9%)	144 (9.1%)	30 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (1.3%)	37.9	239^th of 380 public high schools	37.1%		55	155^th of 374 public high schools	58.6%	84			16.7		23.2			28.4	$9,793	$1,107	$8,448
Dothan Technology Center	Public	10-12	3165 Reeves St	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	No	(334) 794-1436																			(n/a)
Slocomb High School	Public	9-12	Esto Hwy	Slocomb	36375	Geneva County	Geneva County	No	No	No	No	(334) 886-2008	354	21	16.9	56.2%	265 (74.9%)	28 (7.9%)	49 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	10 (2.8%)	79.3	62^nd of 380 public high schools	83.7%		57.6	142^nd of 374 public high schools	62.0%	80			31.5		61.6			37.0	$9,511	$1,604	$7,823
Houston County High School	Public	7-12	200 W Church St	Columbia	36319	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 696-2221	322	20	16.1	74.2%	140 (43.5%)	142 (44.1%)	27 (8.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.5%)	49.6	177^th of 380 public high schools	53.4%		35	228^th of 374 public high schools	39.0%	51	40.4	45.2	16.2	66.7	27.0	63.5	61.9	40.5	$10,708	$1,765	$8,929

Frequently Asked Questions about Cottonwood High School

How many students attend Cottonwood High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 379 students attended Cottonwood High School.

What district is Cottonwood High School in?

Houston County

What is the racial makeup of Cottonwood High School?

Students at Cottonwood High School are 75% White, 15% African American, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Cottonwood High School a good school?

Cottonwood High School ranks 141^st of 380 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Cottonwood High School!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresNewAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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.