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Bearden High School

Q: Is Bearden High School a good school?

Bearden High School ranks 92 nd of 400 Tennessee high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Bearden High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,963 students attended Bearden High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Bearden High School?

Students at Bearden High School are 68% White, 14% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Bearden High School?

Bearden High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : A L Lotts Elementary School Elementary : Blue Grass Elementary School Elementary : West Hills Elementary School Middle : West Valley Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

92^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 400 Tennessee High Schools

Better than 77% of Tennessee high schools

Summary

Bearden High School is a large public high school in Knoxville, TN, serving about 1,963 students in grades 9-12 as part of Knox County Schools. The school earns a solid 4-star rating and ranks 92nd out of 400 high schools statewide, placing it in the upper-middle tier of Tennessee schools. While it trails top nearby options like Farragut High School and L N STEM Academy, it outperforms most other local schools, including West High School, Powell High School, and South Doyle High School. Bearden is a reliable, comprehensive option for families seeking a stable large high school.

Bearden’s biggest strengths are its graduation and dropout outcomes. The graduation rate is 94.3%, well above the district and state averages of around 90.5%, and the dropout rate of 2.3% is dramatically lower than the 6.7% state average. This is especially notable when compared to nearby schools like Fulton High School (87.1% graduation) or Karns High School (86.6% graduation). Bearden also spends less per student than many peers, at $11,936, while still achieving strong results. One standout is its English Language Learner program, which ranks 4th statewide and earns a 5-star rating for that subgroup. In subjects like English II, Biology I, and Algebra II, Bearden consistently beats district and state proficiency rates.

Despite these positives, Bearden has clear areas for growth. Algebra I is a major weak spot, with only 20.5% proficiency—far below the state average of 32.3%—even though the school excels in higher math like Geometry and Algebra II. The school has also declined from an elite 5-star status a decade ago to a strong but not top-tier school. Performance is uneven across student groups; low-income, special education, and some minority subgroups show lower outcomes than the school average, while White and male students perform better. Bearden remains a good school with exceptional graduation and ELL results, but families should be aware of the math challenge and the need for more equitable support across all learners.

1,963

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,936

Per pupil spending ?

20.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8352 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919

(865) 539-7800

District: Knox County Schools

Feeder schools for Bearden High School:

Elementary:	A L Lotts Elementary School
	Blue Grass Elementary School
	West Hills Elementary School
Middle:	West Valley Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.8%

Hispanic:

14.0%

African American:

10.0%

See top rated Tennessee high schools

Compare Bearden High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Tennessee average (51% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Tennessee high schools

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Tennessee average (90%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Algebra I scores 12 pts below the Tennessee average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg45%

Tennessee avg43%

92^nd of 400

Tennessee public high schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 6% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 17High Schools in the Knox County Schools

78^th of 141Knox 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
2026	68.5	92 of 400	77.0%	★★★★☆
2025	69.4	81 of 389	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	92 of 392	76.5%	★★★★☆
2023	65.3	80 of 384	79.2%	★★★★☆
2022	68.3	61 of 358	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	53 of 347	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	72.4	50 of 342	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	74.5	40 of 341	88.3%	★★★★☆
2017	80.1	16 of 273	94.1%	★★★★★
2016	82.0	22 of 351	93.7%	★★★★★
2015	68.6	83 of 300	72.3%	★★★★☆
2014	61.2	96 of 296	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	85.1	15 of 285	94.7%	★★★★★
2012	93.6	5 of 269	98.1%	★★★★★
2011	94.6	5 of 273	98.2%	★★★★★
2010	93.1	7 of 267	97.4%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	135 of 230	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	105 of 233	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.4	133 of 240	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	89 of 239	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	107 of 222	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.7	79 of 208	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.3	71 of 187	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	41 of 199	79.4%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	30 of 48	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.2	31 of 49	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.2	33 of 47	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	28 of 45	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.7	28 of 47	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.4	21 of 48	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.0	8 of 45	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	18 of 47	61.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	70.2	4 of 50	92.0%	★★★★★
2021	13.2	7 of 7	0.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	63.2	99 of 365	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.3	94 of 365	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.0	78 of 366	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	68.4	63 of 350	82.0%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	58 of 340	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	69.8	52 of 337	84.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	96 of 229	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.7	69 of 213	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.7	103 of 209	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.0	64 of 202	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	90 of 189	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.2	84 of 180	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.1	76 of 153	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.2	49 of 159	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	39.4	184 of 308	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.0	144 of 324	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	182 of 337	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.6	111 of 330	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.4	138 of 322	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.0	164 of 317	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.9	144 of 302	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.9	101 of 308	67.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	69 of 368	81.3%	★★★★☆
2024	62.2	99 of 366	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	64.3	79 of 359	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	67.0	68 of 349	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	57 of 332	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	75.8	39 of 329	88.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	34.3	141 of 210	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.5	118 of 198	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	83 of 183	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.1	110 of 154	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	56.6	35 of 151	76.8%	★★★★☆
2021	66.2	18 of 125	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	66.1	19 of 127	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.6	8 of 159	95.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	68.8	71 of 330	78.5%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	69 of 323	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	67.8	68 of 326	79.1%	★★★★☆
2023	66.4	63 of 325	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	69.2	54 of 312	82.7%	★★★★☆
2021	67.4	53 of 306	82.7%	★★★★☆
2019	74.8	51 of 301	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	44 of 307	85.7%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)92nd percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)81st percentile~ school

White (2026)78th percentile~ school

Female (2025)73rd percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)58th percentile-19 vs school

African American (2026)41st percentile-36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile-37 vs school

Asian (2026)38th percentile-40 vs school

Special Education (2026)33rd percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

English II71%+13 vs state

Biology I61%+11 vs state

Geometry51%+9 vs state

Algebra II50%+13 vs state

English I47%+10 vs state

US History42%~ state avg

Algebra I20%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bearden 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)				TNReady Algebra I (2026)					TNReady Algebra II (2026)					TNReady Biology I (2026)					TNReady US History (2026)				TNReady English I (2026)					TNReady English II (2026)					TNReady Geometry (2026)						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 (2020)	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	TNReady Algebra I 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Algebra II 9th Grade	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 10th Grade	TNReady English I 11th Grade	TNReady English I 12th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 9th Grade	TNReady English II 10th Grade	TNReady English II 11th Grade	TNReady English II 12th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 8th Grade	TNReady Geometry 9th Grade	TNReady Geometry 10th Grade	TNReady Geometry 11th Grade	TNReady Geometry 12th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bearden High School	Public	9-12	8352 Kingston Pike	Knoxville	37919	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-7800	2,008	114	17.5	20.8%	1,421 (70.8%)	172 (8.6%)	247 (12.3%)	61 (3.0%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	102 (5.1%)	68.5	92^nd of 400 public high schools	77.0%		69.4	81^st of 389 public high schools	79.2%	11	21.7	5.0			20.5	≥ 95%	94.8	32.3	< 5%	50.0	92.8	53.3	46.8	28.6	61.1		42.6		42.3	48.1				47.4		74.1	12.5		71.2		93.4	39.8	20.0		51.1	$11,936	$819	$10,844
West High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3300 Sutherland Avenue	Knoxville	37919	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(865) 594-4477	1,509	88	17.0	34.3%	876 (58.1%)	312 (20.7%)	196 (13.0%)	34 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.3%)	86 (5.7%)	60.2	125^th of 400 public high schools	68.8%		62.6	108^th of 389 public high schools	72.2%	17	11.7	< 5%			10.7		89.0	17.1	9.1	44.7	83.8	70.4	29.4	10.0	61.7		49.3		49.1	56.0				54.8		67.9			65.9		≥ 95%	26.4	7.7		48.4	$12,616	$827	$11,481
Karns High School	Public	9-12	2710 Byington Solway Road	Knoxville	37931	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 539-8670	1,341	90	14.9	36.3%	906 (67.6%)	111 (8.3%)	235 (17.5%)	10 (0.7%)	6 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	72 (5.4%)	47.9	199^th of 400 public high schools	50.3%		46.4	191^st of 389 public high schools	50.9%	8	10.5	6.7			10.2		74.1	17.4	< 5%	27.3		77.9	49.2		57.2		47.1		46.9	31.7				31.7		58.6			57.5		93.1	29.4	36.4		35.6	$12,677	$897	$11,349
Farragut High School	Public	9-12	11237 Kingston Pike	Knoxville	37922	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 966-9775	2,091	113	18.5	8.2%	1,601 (76.6%)	58 (2.8%)	145 (6.9%)	208 (9.9%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (3.7%)	89	21^st of 400 public high schools	94.8%		92.4	13^th of 389 public high schools	96.7%	8	43.6				42.3	≥ 95%	≥ 95%	54.3		70.7	75.5	31.3	45.6	20.0	66.5		71.5		71.5	64.5				64.3		86.2			85.0	≥ 95%	≥ 95%	59.6			72.7	$10,955	$759	$10,036
Hardin Valley Academy	Public	9-12	11345 Hardin Valley Road	Knoxville	37932	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 690-9690	2,043	123	16.6	21.2%	1,441 (70.5%)	118 (5.8%)	288 (14.1%)	82 (4.0%)	3 (0.1%)	9 (0.4%)	102 (5.0%)	68	94^th of 400 public high schools	76.5%		67.2	85^th of 389 public high schools	78.1%	9	27.1	< 5%			25.6		92.6	21.6		40.9		79.4	48.0		61.3		44.4	58.3	44.8	50.8				50.5		69.6	6.7		67.1		≥ 95%	39.9	10.7		54.1	$11,388	$708	$10,399
Powell High School	Public	9-12	2136 West Emory Road	Powell	37849	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	No	(865) 938-2171	1,292	80	16.1	40.1%	868 (67.2%)	111 (8.6%)	223 (17.3%)	23 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (5.0%)	48	198^th of 400 public high schools	50.5%		51.2	171^st of 389 public high schools	56.0%	27	17.0	7.7			16.5		83.8	27.8	< 5%	34.2		71.9	45.8		51.7		44.0		44.0	30.3				30.3		53.7			51.5		85.3	23.4		9.1	30.3	$13,352	$906	$11,906
L N STEM Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	800 World's Fair Park Drive	Knoxville	37902	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(865) 329-8440	581	33	17.4	13.9%	457 (78.7%)	28 (4.8%)	39 (6.7%)	27 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.2%)	98.2	3^rd of 400 public high schools	99.3%		89.2	23^rd of 389 public high schools	94.1%	20	54.0				54.7		≥ 95%	56.2		77.5		≥ 95%	85.9		92.6		88.6		88.6	83.4				83.6		93.0			93.1		≥ 95%	64.1			83.4	$12,335	$744	$11,269
Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy	Public	9-12	535 Chickamauga Avenue Avenue	Knoxville	37917	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 525-0069	72	10	7.2		39 (54.2%)	20 (27.8%)	10 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.2%)	6.9	391^st of 400 public high schools	2.3%					(n/a)								< 5%	< 5%	< 5%			< 5%	10.0	6.1		5.9		< 5%			< 5%		< 5%									< 5%		< 5%	$34,515	$1,011	$33,156
Fulton High School	Public	9-12	2509 North Broadway	Knoxville	37917	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 594-1240	927	74	12.6		217 (23.4%)	289 (31.2%)	355 (38.3%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.7%)	12.4	363^rd of 400 public high schools	9.3%		13.4	352^nd of 389 public high schools	9.5%	11	5.5	< 5%			5.1		30.0	< 5%	5.6	5.1			21.4		11.1		13.3		13.2	15.7				15.5		38.8	< 5%		31.8		76.9	9.0	< 5%		11.6	$15,766	$1,492	$13,732
South Doyle High School	Public	9-12	2020 Tipton Station Road	Knoxville	37920	Knox County	Knox County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(865) 577-4475	955	66	14.4		670 (70.2%)	125 (13.1%)	96 (10.1%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (6.2%)	35.2	263^rd of 400 public high schools	34.3%		43.8	203^rd of 389 public high schools	47.8%	60	< 5%	< 5%			< 5%		46.7	9.4	< 5%	14.4		92.9	45.8		54.3		46.2		45.5	28.8	< 5%			27.5		45.2			44.0		64.7	9.9	< 5%		17.3	$14,965	$1,352	$13,011

Frequently Asked Questions about Bearden High School

What district is Bearden High School in?

Knox County Schools

How many students attend Bearden High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,963 students attended Bearden High School.

What is the racial makeup of Bearden High School?

Students at Bearden High School are 68% White, 14% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Bearden High School a good school?

Bearden High School ranks 92^nd of 400 Tennessee high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Bearden High School?

Bearden High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : A L Lotts Elementary School
Elementary : Blue Grass Elementary School
Elementary : West Hills Elementary School
Middle : West Valley Middle School

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

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.