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University Place Elementary School

Q: Is University Place Elementary School a good school?

University Place Elementary School ranks 412 th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

412^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

University Place Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, AL, serves 570 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Tuscaloosa City school district. The school has shown remarkable momentum in recent years, climbing from a 1-star rating to a solid 2-star rating and jumping over 100 positions in statewide rankings since 2023.

This is a school in the midst of a genuine turnaround, and the numbers back it up. Most impressive is the dramatic reduction in chronic absenteeism, which fell from 27.5% in 2021-2022 to just 5.2% in 2024-2025—now less than half the district and state averages. Math scores have more than doubled in just two years, with 3rd grade proficiency rising from 21.79% to 49.23%, now exceeding both district and state averages. The school also stands out for its work with students from low-income backgrounds (69.3% qualify for free/reduced lunch), ranking in the top 30% of Alabama schools for African American students and showing strong gains for economically disadvantaged students. Class sizes have improved to a 15:1 student-teacher ratio, better than most nearby schools.

Compared to other elementary schools within a 3.5-mile radius, University Place sits in the middle tier—outperforming Oakdale Elementary School, Southview Elementary School, Skyland Elementary School, Central Elementary School, and Martin L King Junior Elementary School, while trailing Verner Elementary School and Tuscaloosa Magnet School Elementary—though those two schools serve far wealthier populations. The main area needing attention is 4th grade science, where proficiency (25.32%) still trails the state average significantly. For parents, this is a school that is clearly heading in the right direction, with effective attendance initiatives and targeted academic interventions making a real difference.

570

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,854

Per pupil spending ?

69.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2000 First Avenue
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401-3922

(205) 759-3664

District: Tuscaloosa City

Students who attend University Place Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Westlawn Middle School
High:	Central High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.6%

Hispanic:

11.1%

White:

4.2%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare University Place Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 24th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (46% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Science scores 25 pts below the Alabama average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg52%

Alabama avg53%

412^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Tuscaloosa City

75^th of 140Tuscaloosa City 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	412 of 686	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.6	405 of 680	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.6	527 of 684	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	480 of 680	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	510 of 687	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.4	488 of 692	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	519 of 681	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.1	454 of 680	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	26.7	519 of 688	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.7	527 of 691	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.1	564 of 691	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.8	508 of 695	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.8	523 of 696	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.4	489 of 696	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	30.9	571 of 709	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	13.6	667 of 704	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	32.8	550 of 696	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.6	546 of 698	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	19.2	627 of 698	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.4	628 of 689	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	14.4	645 of 688	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	39.7	406 of 623	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	130 of 428	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.7	124 of 427	71.0%	★★★★☆
2024	33.1	291 of 420	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	219 of 427	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	234 of 426	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.6	172 of 426	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.5	182 of 426	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.0	130 of 423	69.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2023	54.0	43 of 123	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	39.4	421 of 651	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.2	358 of 649	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.9	516 of 650	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.7	498 of 645	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.6	563 of 656	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.1	521 of 656	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.1	527 of 646	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.1	465 of 640	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.7	499 of 639	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2023	32.2	132 of 184	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	54.0	298 of 667	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.5	365 of 660	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.5	527 of 670	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	437 of 623	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.9	522 of 651	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.1	495 of 653	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.7	521 of 649	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.9	450 of 651	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.9	396 of 567	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	45.6	375 of 659	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	411 of 651	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.3	506 of 655	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.5	417 of 649	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.8	438 of 669	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.3	427 of 669	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.2	489 of 650	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.8	422 of 650	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.5	457 of 639	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2023	41.9	31 of 57	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	45.6	196 of 403	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.7	124 of 403	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	204 of 395	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	160 of 373	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.0	140 of 398	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.3	191 of 392	51.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2026)70th percentile+30 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)65th percentile+36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2026)51st percentile+11 vs school

Native American (2023)46th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2023)28th percentile~ school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English59%-6 vs state

Mathematics41%~ state avg

Science25%-25 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, August 22, 2015

Great little school with wonderful teachers! Close Quote

Schools Near University Place Elementary 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 (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 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Place Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 First Avenue	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3664	570	38	15.0	69.3%	24 (4.2%)	448 (78.6%)	63 (11.1%)	22 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.1%)	42.2	412^th of 686 public elementary schools	39.9%		42.6	405^th of 680 public elementary schools	40.4%	7	49.2	35.4	38.8				25.3		61.5	54.4	59.7				$11,854	$1,683	$10,153
Tuscaloosa Magnet School Elementary	Public, Magnet	1-5	315 Mcfarland Blvd E	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	Yes	No	No	(205) 759-3655	324	22	15.0	27.8%	132 (40.7%)	145 (44.8%)	18 (5.6%)	20 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	91.6	41^st of 686 public elementary schools	94.0%		94.1	20^th of 680 public elementary schools	97.1%	21	55.7	78.3	78.7				71.7		93.4	90.0	98.4				$11,429	$974	$10,435
Skyland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	408 Skyland Boulevard East	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3638	459	28	16.5	76.5%	7 (1.5%)	364 (79.3%)	73 (15.9%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	29.4	491^st of 686 public elementary schools	28.4%		22	529^th of 680 public elementary schools	22.2%	38	28.0	29.8	33.3				28.1		55.4	36.8	63.6				$11,558	$2,241	$9,145
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1510 Dinah Washington Ave	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3570	291	20	14.4	78.7%	1 (0.3%)	234 (80.4%)	50 (17.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	31.5	481^st of 686 public elementary schools	29.9%		26.5	501^st of 680 public elementary schools	26.3%	20	37.0	35.7	38.9				14.3		53.7	43.9	55.6				$11,176	$2,407	$8,750
The Alberta School of Performing Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	2700 University Blvd E	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	Yes	No	Yes	(205) 759-3564	632	47	13.5	71.2%	40 (6.3%)	529 (83.7%)	40 (6.3%)	3 (0.5%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (1.9%)	50.7	351^st of 686 public elementary schools	48.8%		39	432^nd of 680 public elementary schools	36.5%	81	52.8	40.2	33.3	76.9	19.4	19.5	25.0	53.7	63.9	46.2	48.7	76.9	58.3	78.1	$11,242	$1,995	$9,228
Martin L King Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2430 Martin L King Jr Blvd	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3619	467	28	16.6	79.2%	1 (0.2%)	413 (88.4%)	49 (10.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	23.2	531^st of 686 public elementary schools	22.6%		19.8	544^th of 680 public elementary schools	20.0%	13	25.7	27.1	29.8				13.6		44.3	49.2	54.4				$12,095	$2,487	$9,589
Matthews Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1225 Rice Mine Road	Northport	35476	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 342-2654	401	26	15.2	86.8%	25 (6.2%)	231 (57.6%)	139 (34.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	12.8	615^th of 686 public elementary schools	10.3%		13.5	604^th of 680 public elementary schools	11.2%	11	14.7	24.0					21.3		32.4	40.0					$9,484	$2,129	$7,332
Arcadia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3740 Arcadia Drive	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3567	418	26	16.0	60.5%	46 (11.0%)	295 (70.6%)	60 (14.4%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	30.4	485^th of 686 public elementary schools	29.3%		38.5	438^th of 680 public elementary schools	35.6%	47	43.8	36.0	26.2				36.0		43.8	38.0	57.1				$11,471	$1,696	$9,755
Southview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 Southview Drive	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 345-1325	644	36	17.7	66.5%	11 (1.7%)	597 (92.7%)	19 (3.0%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.7%)	25.1	519^th of 686 public elementary schools	24.3%		24	513^th of 680 public elementary schools	24.6%	6	25.0	21.5	28.9				23.7		61.1	46.2	50.0				$11,621	$2,079	$9,524
Verner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2701 Northridge Rd	Tuscaloosa	35406	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	No	(205) 759-3667	608	34	17.9	19.7%	425 (69.9%)	123 (20.2%)	29 (4.8%)	18 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)	85	90^th of 686 public elementary schools	86.9%		86.3	76^th of 680 public elementary schools	88.8%	14	65.7	66.0	69.9				60.2		86.7	71.8	85.0				$10,118	$575	$9,524

Frequently Asked Questions about University Place Elementary School

Is University Place Elementary School a good school?

University Place Elementary School ranks 412^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend University Place Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 570 students attended University Place Elementary School.

What district is University Place Elementary School in?

Tuscaloosa City

What is the racial makeup of University Place Elementary School?

Students at University Place Elementary School are 79% African American, 11% Hispanic, 4% White, 4% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of University Place Elementary School attend?

Students who attend University Place Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Westlawn Middle School
High : Central High School

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 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.