Summary:
Lafayette County, Mississippi, has just one high school—Lafayette High School—which serves grades 9 through 12 in Oxford with an enrollment of 855 students, and since it is the county's only high school, the Lafayette County district earns a 5-star rating and ranks #6 out of 134 Mississippi districts (96th percentile).
Lafayette High School ranks #21 out of 224 Mississippi high schools for 2025–2026, placing it in the top 10% of the state—a remarkable improvement from 86th place the previous year. Academically, the school outperforms state averages in every reported subject area. In 2025–2026, Algebra I proficiency reached 86.0% compared to 66.0% statewide, Biology reached 80.9% versus 63.1%, and English II reached 59.1% versus 49.3%. English II remains the relative weakness but improved by more than 8 points from the prior year and still beats the state. The graduation rate is strong at 93.1%, nearly 4 points above the state average of 89.2%, and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 12.3 to 1, supporting individualized instruction.
Families should note one concern: chronic absenteeism. In 2023–2024, 28.5% of students were chronically absent, well above the district rate of 20.1% and the state rate of 23.9%. This is surprising given the school's strong test results, and improving attendance could lift performance even higher. About 46% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, so the school serves a diverse economic population while still achieving top-tier results. Overall, Lafayette High School is a high-performing, upwardly mobile school with excellent math and science outcomes, a solid graduation rate, and a supportive environment. The main opportunity for growth is reducing chronic absenteeism, which would likely push this already strong school even higher in state rankings.
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