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Tupelo High School

Q: Is Tupelo High School a good school?

Tupelo High School ranks 112 th of 224 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

112^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 224 Mississippi High Schools

Better than 50% of Mississippi high schools

Summary

Tupelo High School is a very large public high school in Tupelo, Mississippi, serving 2,123 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Tupelo Public School District. With 61.5% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, the school serves a majority low-income population and maintains a student–teacher ratio of 13.8. The school sits near the middle of Mississippi's high school rankings, currently placing at the 50th percentile statewide.

Parents should be aware of two significant concerns: chronic absenteeism and graduation rates. In 2023–2024, 41.5% of Tupelo students were chronically absent, nearly double the state rate of 23.9%, and this issue has persisted above 36% for three straight years. The graduation rate has also declined steadily, from 90.2% in 2021–2022 to 84.2% in 2024–2025, now well below the state's 89.2%. Academically, Tupelo shows relative strengths in English II (51.8% proficient) and U.S. History (71.1%), but lags in Algebra I (60.1%) and Biology (59.2%), both below state averages.

Compared to nearby schools, Tupelo's large size hasn't translated into stronger outcomes. Smaller schools like Mooreville High School and Pontotoc High School outperform Tupelo across most subjects and hold higher state rankings, despite Pontotoc having a higher poverty rate. Tupelo performs comparably to Saltillo High School in some areas, but better than Shannon High School and Nettleton High School, which have weaker outcomes. The school's state ranking has slipped from the 72nd percentile in 2020–2021 to the 50th percentile in 2025–2026, suggesting that addressing attendance and student engagement will be critical to reversing the school's trajectory.

2,123

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,106

Per pupil spending ?

61.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4125 Golden Wave Drive
Tupelo, MS 38801

(662) 841-8970

District: Tupelo Public School District

Feeder schools for Tupelo High School:

Elementary:	Carver Elementary School
	Joyner Elementary School
	Lawhon Elementary School
	Lawndale Elementary School
	More...
	Parkway Elementary School
	Pierce Street Elementary School
	Rankin Elementary School
	Thomas Street Elementary School
Middle:	Milam Elementary School
	Tupelo Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.6%

White:

32.8%

Hispanic:

11.4%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

Compare Tupelo High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 50th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Mississippi median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (42% vs 26% Mississippi)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg59%

Mississippi avg60%

112^th of 224

Mississippi public high schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to top 50% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

59^th of 133Tupelo Public School District among Mississippi 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	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	112 of 224	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.5	111 of 232	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	116 of 228	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.1	81 of 223	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.8	75 of 223	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.0	65 of 224	71.0%	★★★★☆
2019	62.5	77 of 221	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	94 of 214	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.2	103 of 237	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	62.3	85 of 231	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	67.8	51 of 226	77.4%	★★★★☆
2014	57.2	95 of 236	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	75.9	44 of 238	81.5%	★★★★☆
2012	39.3	153 of 241	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	33.0	182 of 244	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.0	165 of 235	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	51.4	123 of 235	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	61.9	98 of 235	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.9	79 of 232	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.2	93 of 232	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.0	67 of 232	71.1%	★★★★☆
2004	57.9	106 of 232	54.3%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I60%-6 vs state

Biology59%-4 vs state

English II52%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Tupelo 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)				MAAP Algebra I (2026)	MAAP English II (2026)	MAAP Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Tupelo High School	Public	9-12	4125 Golden Wave Drive	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 841-8970	2,123	153	13.8	61.5%	696 (32.8%)	1,075 (50.6%)	241 (11.4%)	42 (2.0%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (3.2%)	50.8	112^th of 224 public high schools	50.0%		56.5	111^th of 232 public high schools	52.2%	1	60.1	51.8	59.2	$12,106
Tupelo Lee County Vocational Technical School	Public	8-12	4125 Golden Wave Drive	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 841-8990	0	0	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lee County Career & Technical School	Public	8-12	221 Honeycomb Way	Tupelo	38803	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	No	(662) 432-1090	0	0	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Shannon High School	Public	9-12	218 Cherry St.	Shannon	38868	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 767-9566	529	51	10.3	79.6%	89 (16.8%)	402 (76.0%)	28 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	14.5	200^th of 224 public high schools	10.7%		12.6	202^nd of 232 public high schools	12.9%	2	33.3	39.8	27.5	$13,707
Mooreville High School	Public	9-12	115 Road 1429	Mooreville	38857	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	No	(662) 842-6859	445	38	11.6	43.8%	376 (84.5%)	24 (5.4%)	27 (6.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	75.4	41^st of 224 public high schools	81.7%		71.9	67^th of 232 public high schools	71.1%	26	71.8	67.3	72.3	$12,841
Saltillo High School	Public	9-12	146 Tiger Dr.	Saltillo	38866	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	No	(662) 869-5466	939	67	13.9	44.5%	683 (72.7%)	191 (20.3%)	23 (2.4%)	10 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.3%)	49.5	114^th of 224 public high schools	49.1%		53.2	114^th of 232 public high schools	50.9%		58.6	51.1	59.6	$9,871
Nettleton High School	Public	9-12	165 Mullen Avenue	Nettleton	38858	Itawamba County	Nettleton School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 963-2306	316	25	12.5	80.4%	208 (65.8%)	96 (30.4%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	44	125^th of 224 public high schools	44.2%		34.4	150^th of 232 public high schools	35.3%	25	58.5	39.1	74.4	$11,655
Pontotoc High School	Public	9-12	123 North Main Street	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-1275	712	52	13.6	70.6%	334 (46.9%)	193 (27.1%)	168 (23.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.1%)	64.2	78^th of 224 public high schools	65.2%		73.5	64^th of 232 public high schools	72.4%	14	79.6	55.1	62.4	$10,053
Pontotoc Ridge Career & Technical County	Public	8-12	354 Center Ridge Drive	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-1826	0	0	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Okolona Vocational Complex	Public	8-12	605 North Church St	Okolona	38860	Chickasaw County	Okolona School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 447-3331	0	0	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Tupelo High School

What district is Tupelo High School in?

Tupelo Public School District

How many students attend Tupelo High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,123 students attended Tupelo High School.

Is Tupelo High School a good school?

Tupelo High School ranks 112^th of 224 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Tupelo High School?

Students at Tupelo High School are 51% African American, 33% White, 11% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Tupelo High School?

Tupelo High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Carver Elementary School
Elementary : Joyner Elementary School
Elementary : Lawhon Elementary School
Elementary : Lawndale Elementary School
Elementary : Parkway Elementary School
Elementary : Pierce Street Elementary School
Elementary : Rankin Elementary School
Elementary : Thomas Street Elementary School
Middle : Milam Elementary School
Middle : Tupelo Middle School

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Schools in Tupelo, MS

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

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