Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Hillcrest Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

346^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 449 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 23% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Hillcrest Middle School in Tuscaloosa, AL, serves 542 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Tuscaloosa County school district. The school has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, dropping from the 65th percentile in 2015-2016 to the 23rd percentile for the 2025-2026 school year.

One of the most notable findings is the school's exceptional performance with special education students, ranking in the top 10% statewide (91st percentile) for this subgroup. This is a remarkable achievement, especially given that the school's overall performance is in the bottom quarter of Alabama schools. However, this success does not extend to students from low-income backgrounds, where the school ranks in the 12th percentile. With nearly 59% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, this is a critical concern. Additionally, 6th grade math proficiency has dropped dramatically to just 5.42%, far below the district average of 23.1% and the state average of 35.22%. This represents a steep decline from 13.87% just two years earlier and is the lowest among nearby schools, including Westlawn Middle School (15.97%) and Davis-Emerson Middle School (14.89%).

On a positive note, the school has made significant strides in reducing chronic absenteeism, dropping from 13.5% to 7.3% over two years—now well below both district and state averages. English scores also show improvement as students progress, rising from 34.34% proficiency in 6th grade to 46.55% in 8th grade, though still below the state average of 58.53%. When compared to nearby schools, Hillcrest trails all of its immediate peers, including Duncanville Middle School, which has a similar poverty rate but achieves significantly better results across all subjects. The school spends $8,185 per student, less than most neighboring schools, which may be a factor worth exploring as the community looks for ways to improve outcomes.

542

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,776

Per pupil spending ?

58.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 Hillcrest School Rd
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405

(205) 342-2820

District: Tuscaloosa County

Feeder schools for Hillcrest Middle School:

Elementary:	Englewood Elementary School
	Taylorville Primary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.2%

White:

14.8%

Hispanic:

4.4%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Hillcrest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 23rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (26% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 42 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg36%

Alabama avg44%

346^th of 449

Alabama public middle schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 42 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to bottom 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Middle Schools in the Tuscaloosa County

90^th of 140Tuscaloosa 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	23.0	346 of 449	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.6	342 of 439	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	334 of 442	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.1	307 of 437	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.6	263 of 432	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.0	156 of 440	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.7	245 of 437	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.8	258 of 423	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.1	166 of 432	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	60.0	150 of 432	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.5	122 of 430	71.6%	★★★★☆
2014	56.7	171 of 438	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.3	222 of 436	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	62.5	160 of 436	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.0	165 of 435	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.1	150 of 435	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.8	112 of 425	73.6%	★★★★☆
2008	48.9	226 of 417	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	62.1	152 of 412	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.2	146 of 409	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	47.1	228 of 415	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	47.4	209 of 407	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	35.2	165 of 269	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.2	172 of 259	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	150 of 269	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.3	143 of 263	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	110 of 271	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	67 of 266	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	51.2	100 of 252	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.8	121 of 247	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.8	85 of 205	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	325 of 427	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	332 of 415	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.6	325 of 426	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	292 of 417	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	242 of 423	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.4	142 of 415	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.5	229 of 399	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.1	209 of 392	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	61.5	119 of 380	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	17.8	386 of 438	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.7	384 of 428	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.1	365 of 437	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.4	285 of 410	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.6	275 of 421	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.0	182 of 415	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.3	300 of 396	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	281 of 396	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	36.7	233 of 349	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	333 of 426	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.4	336 of 422	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	313 of 428	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	304 of 419	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.5	280 of 427	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	170 of 418	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	226 of 399	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.1	276 of 397	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.1	195 of 380	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	76.8	23 of 269	91.4%	★★★★★
2025	75.4	34 of 271	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	68.5	42 of 281	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	71.6	38 of 281	86.5%	★★★★☆
2022	61.0	57 of 256	77.7%	★★★★☆
2021	35.8	186 of 274	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	115 of 254	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.7	40 of 223	82.1%	★★★★☆
2017	45.9	94 of 195	51.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	123 of 359	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.2	144 of 377	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	122 of 373	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	93 of 370	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	102 of 376	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.1	51 of 369	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.9	67 of 343	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	81 of 331	75.5%	★★★★☆
2017	81.4	30 of 247	87.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2026)91st percentile+69 vs school

White (2026)66th percentile+43 vs school

African American (2026)39th percentile+16 vs school

Female (2026)24th percentile~ school

Male (2026)22nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English42%-15 vs state

Science28%-26 vs state

Mathematics10%-18 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Hillcrest Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Hillcrest Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2023)
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 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th 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
Hillcrest Middle School	Public	6-8	401 Hillcrest School Rd	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2820	542	28	19.3	58.7%	80 (14.8%)	424 (78.2%)	24 (4.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	23	346^th of 449 public middle schools	22.9%		22.6	342^nd of 439 public middle schools	22.1%	4		5.4	14.3	11.4	27.9		34.3	44.8	46.6	$9,776	$1,078	$8,665
Duncanville Middle School	Public	6-8	11205 Eagle Parkway	Duncanville	35456	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2830	460	21	21.9	48.9%	238 (51.7%)	176 (38.3%)	34 (7.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	50.3	219^th of 449 public middle schools	51.2%		49.7	210^th of 439 public middle schools	52.2%	9		31.3	17.6	25.4	51.5		52.5	55.8	55.8	$9,716	$1,037	$8,646
Westlawn Middle School	Public	6-8	1715 Martin L King Jr Blvd	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3673	568	38	14.9	87.9%	7 (1.2%)	488 (85.9%)	61 (10.7%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	14.1	399^th of 449 public middle schools	11.1%		14.7	382^nd of 439 public middle schools	13.0%	17		16.0	4.4	9.9	28.6		25.0	25.7	35.2	$16,045	$3,919	$12,079
Eastwood Middle School	Public	6-8	6314 Mary Harmon Bryant Drive	Cottondale	35453	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3613	711	38	18.9	71.4%	36 (5.1%)	590 (83.0%)	60 (8.4%)	9 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.7%)	22.9	347^th of 449 public middle schools	22.7%		16.4	377^th of 439 public middle schools	14.1%	30		16.1	12.0	9.4	36.8		40.0	36.3	41.7	$11,545	$2,797	$8,702
Tuscaloosa Magnet School Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	315 Mcfarland Blvd E	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	Yes	No	No	(205) 759-3653	173	11	16.4	30.1%	66 (38.2%)	89 (51.4%)	4 (2.3%)	12 (6.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	98	5^th of 449 public middle schools	98.9%		96.6	9^th of 439 public middle schools	97.9%	4		80.0	50.0	66.1	89.8		90.0	89.7	94.9	$18,111	$801	$17,263
CollinsRiverside Middle School	Public	5-6	1400 3rd St	Northport	35476	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2680	318	18	17.4	74.5%	75 (23.6%)	156 (49.1%)	80 (25.2%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)	21.3	23.8				67.7	47.6			$14,044	$2,882	$11,128
DavisEmerson Middle School	Public	6-8	1500 Bulldog Blvd	Cottondale	35453	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 342-2750	397	21	18.9	79.3%	87 (21.9%)	165 (41.6%)	137 (34.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	14.2	397^th of 449 public middle schools	11.6%		19.2	361^st of 439 public middle schools	17.8%	36		14.9	6.0	5.7	25.4		33.0	23.3	38.5	$12,190	$3,053	$9,103
Echols Middle School	Public	7-8	2701 Echols Ave	Northport	35476	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2884	738	42	17.5	55.1%	350 (47.4%)	212 (28.7%)	151 (20.5%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.8%)	59	161^st of 449 public middle schools	64.1%		51.5	199^th of 439 public middle schools	54.7%	38			24.2	23.1	54.4			60.3	60.4	$8,564	$982	$7,548
Northridge Middle School	Public	6-8	3811 Northridge Road	Tuscaloosa	35406	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	No	(205) 759-3578	775	49	15.8	39.1%	381 (49.2%)	281 (36.3%)	67 (8.6%)	28 (3.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.9%)	77.5	73^rd of 449 public middle schools	83.7%		72.1	95^th of 439 public middle schools	78.4%	22		50.2	40.1	36.5	62.2		66.1	62.0	70.0	$11,664	$1,439	$10,177
Hale County Middle School	Public	6-8	120 Wildcat Way	Moundville	35474	Hale County	Hale County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 371-7000	243	13	18.6	53.5%	96 (39.5%)	134 (55.1%)	10 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	56.3	185^th of 449 public middle schools	58.8%		48.5	221^st of 439 public middle schools	49.7%	36		55.1	18.1	24.1	50.0		61.5	48.6	58.0	$10,588	$1,268	$9,303

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillcrest Middle School

Is Hillcrest Middle School a good school?

Hillcrest Middle School ranks in the bottom 22.9% of Alabama middle schools.

What district is Hillcrest Middle School in?

Tuscaloosa County

What is the racial makeup of Hillcrest Middle School?

Students at Hillcrest Middle School are 78% African American, 15% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Hillcrest Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 542 students attended Hillcrest Middle School.

Rate Hillcrest Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ALAlabama Middle School Rankings

ALAlabama District Rankings

Schools in Tuscaloosa, AL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hillcrest Middle School!

Latest Alabama data All new data »

2019–20 through 2022–23 school spending dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

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.