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City University School of Independence

Q: Is City University School of Independence a good school?

City University School of Independence ranks 283 rd of 389 Tennessee high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

283^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 389 Tennessee High Schools

Better than 27% of Tennessee high schools

Summary

City University School of Independence is a public charter high school in Memphis, Tennessee that serves grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 14 students. The school is part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district, which is ranked 135 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While City University School of Independence has relatively strong performance in certain subject areas like Biology I, it struggles in others like US History. The school has also experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 18.9% to 33.3% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio has fluctuated significantly, from 2.6 to 10.1, which may impact the consistency of instruction and support for students.

When compared to nearby high schools like Oakhaven High, Westwood High, and Whitehaven High, City University School of Independence generally underperforms in terms of student proficiency, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. However, the school's performance for its African American student population is stronger than the district and state averages, suggesting that the school may be providing targeted support and interventions for this subgroup.

Students ?

10.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,792

Per pupil spending ?

86.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1475 East Shelby DR
Memphis, TN 38116

(901) 775-2219

District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

100.0%

See top rated Tennessee high schools

Compare City University School of Independence to nearby high schools!

At a glance

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (26% vs 45% meeting standards)

!English II scores 26 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg28%

Tennessee avg45%

283^rd of 389

Tennessee public high schools ?

Bottom 27%

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 42High Schools in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools

135^th of 139Memphis-Shelby County Schools among Tennessee 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	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	283 of 389	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	49.9	94 of 233	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.2	39 of 208	81.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2021	33.4	233 of 340	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)60th percentile+32 vs school

Female (2021)31st percentile

By subject vs Tennessee (2024-2025) ?

Biology I29%-17 vs state

English II29%-26 vs state

US History25%-14 vs state

Geometry23%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near City University School of Independence

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				TNReady Mathematics (2025)				TNReady English Language Arts (2025)				TNReady Algebra I (2025)		TNReady Algebra II (2025)				TNReady Biology I (2025)					TNReady US History (2025)				TNReady English I (2025)		TNReady English II (2025)		TNReady Geometry (2025)			TNReady Science (2025)				TNReady Social Studies (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Algebra II 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra II All Grades	TNReady Biology I 9th Grade	TNReady Biology I 10th Grade	TNReady Biology I 11th Grade	TNReady Biology I 12th Grade	TNReady Biology I All Grades	TNReady US History 10th Grade	TNReady US History 11th Grade	TNReady US History 12th Grade	TNReady US History All Grades	TNReady English I 9th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 10th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 10th Grade	TNReady Geometry 11th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
City University School Of Liberal Arts	Public, Charter	9-12	1475 E. Shelby DR	Memphis	38106	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 775-2219	201	15	13.1		1 (0.5%)	183 (91.0%)	11 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	19.1	329^th of 389 public high schools	15.4%		21.1	321^st of 392 public high schools	18.1%	8									20.5	19.1		17.0		16.7		5.0			6.5	12.8	66.7		25.0	11.1	11.1	21.4	21.4	5.1											$17,924	$1,541	$16,016
City University School of Independence	Public, Charter	9-12	1475 East Shelby DR	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 775-2219	14	1	10.1		0 (0.0%)	14 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27.9	283^rd of 389 public high schools	27.2%					(n/a)																28.6			28.6	25.0			25.0			28.6	28.6	23.1		23.1									$8,792	$1,358	$7,068
Whitehaven High	Public, Magnet	9-12	4851 Elvis Presley Blvd	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(901) 416-3000	1,549	82	18.8		4 (0.3%)	1,455 (93.9%)	23 (1.5%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (4.1%)	60	126^th of 389 public high schools	67.6%		62.6	109^th of 392 public high schools	72.2%	17									51.2	50.0	49.6	44.7	28.6	47.3		72.7	40.3	35.0	41.9		77.9	58.8	72.4	20.5	20.3	38.6	38.1	73.5	60.7	68.6									$13,670	$1,339	$11,585
Hillcrest High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4184 Graceland DR	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Achievement School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 730-4098	441	20	22.0		1 (0.2%)	413 (93.7%)	23 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	7	384^th of 389 public high schools	1.3%		10.7	363^rd of 392 public high schools	7.4%	21												9.4		11.4		5.5			5.7					6.6	6.2	21.6	19.8												$18,230	$6,876	$11,354
Freedom Prep Middle - Brownlee	Public, Charter	6-12	817 Brownlee RD	Memphis	38116	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 538-9500	317	16	20.4		1 (0.3%)	244 (77.0%)	65 (20.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)								(n/a)	21.8	32.1	23.3	25.7	30.9	16.0	12.7	20.1																							37.3	42.5	33.0	37.6	47.3	41.5	50.5	46.4	$11,829	$1,446	$10,017
Fairley High School	Public	9-12	4950 Fairley RD	Memphis	38109	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(901) 321-2500	0																		(n/a)																																							$14,303	$1,862	$11,538
Freedom Preparatory Academy Flagship	Public, Charter	6-12	5132 Jonetta ST	Memphis	38109	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(901) 538-9500	723	47	15.3		1 (0.1%)	607 (84.0%)	104 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.5%)	23.6	308^th of 389 public high schools	20.8%		18.5	332^nd of 392 public high schools	15.3%	24	16.5	14.1	27.6	19.2	13.9	8.2		8.8	12.5	12.4	28.6	7.9		11.1	18.0				18.7		33.7		33.3	20.1	20.1	59.2	55.3	6.7		6.1	25.3	15.3	22.4	20.8	49.4	32.9	27.6	36.7	$14,252	$1,495	$12,391
Southwest Career Technology Center	Public	9-12	3746 Horn Lake RD	Memphis	38109	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	No	(901) 416-8186	0	6	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Oakhaven High	Public	9-12	3125 Ladbrook Rd	Memphis	38118	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-2300	373	25	14.7		2 (0.5%)	313 (83.9%)	52 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	24	307^th of 389 public high schools	21.1%		30.3	272^nd of 392 public high schools	30.6%	35									8.2	8.0		16.7		16.1		27.9			27.7					9.4	9.3	42.0	41.5	24.4		23.3									$16,161	$1,534	$13,451
Westwood High	Public	9-12	4480 Westmont Rd	Memphis	38109	Shelby County	Memphis-Shelby County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 416-8000	329	21	15.3		0 (0.0%)	317 (96.4%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	12.6	356^th of 389 public high schools	8.5%		14.5	346^th of 392 public high schools	11.7%	10													9.1	6.7		9.7	7.7		9.8							26.8	26.4	6.7	11.8	7.1									$15,971	$1,889	$13,288

Frequently Asked Questions about City University School of Independence

Is City University School of Independence a good school?

City University School of Independence ranks 283^rd of 389 Tennessee high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is City University School of Independence in?

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

How many students attend City University School of Independence?

In the 2024-25 school year, 13 students attended City University School of Independence.

What is the racial makeup of City University School of Independence?

Students at City University School of Independence are 100% African American.

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