Best High Schools in Zip Code 37040

Zip code 37040 in Clarksville, TN is served by three high schools in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, serving approximately 1,539 students across grades 9-12. The three schools are quite different in mission and structure: Northeast High School is the only traditional, comprehensive 9-12 high school, Middle College @ Austin Peay State University is a small early-college program serving only 11th and 12th graders, and CMCSS Adult High School serves adult learners.

Middle College @ APSU is the clear academic standout, ranked #1 in Tennessee for the 2025-2026 school year with a 5-star rating. Its test scores are extraordinary: 81.3% proficient in Algebra II vs. 37.3% statewide, and 93.9% proficient in US History vs. 42.4% statewide. Its chronic absenteeism rate is remarkably low at 5.7%. Northeast High School, the only traditional high school, is on an upward trajectory, improving from the 45th percentile (2024-2025) to the 73rd percentile (2025-2026), with double-digit gains in Geometry (+26.8 points), English II (+15.5), and Algebra I (+13.2). CMCSS Adult High School has no state ranking or test scores, but its chronic absenteeism rate of 34.5% signals significant engagement challenges among the adult population it serves.

Northeast High School exceeded state proficiency averages in four of seven subjects in 2025-2026, including Biology I (58.3% vs. 49.8% statewide) and Geometry (52.8% vs. 42.3%), but remains below state averages in Algebra I (30% vs. 32.3%) and English I (29% vs. 37.3%). Its graduation rate of 89.9% is slightly below the district rate of 91.1%, though its dropout rate of 3.3% is lower than both the district (3.5%) and state (6.7%). Spending is similar between Northeast ($12,315 per student) and Middle College ($11,970), though Middle College achieves dramatically better results. Data limitations are significant — no free/reduced-price lunch data, student-teacher ratios, or current graduation rate for Middle College are available, and several key metrics are missing for CMCSS Adult High School. The same zip code contains both Tennessee's #1-ranked high school and a school with significant attendance challenges, illustrating just how much school model and student population can vary within a small geographic area.