Best Schools in Chattanooga, TEnnessee

There are 63 primary and secondary schools in Chattanooga, TN. The public schools in Tennessee’s fourth largest city belong to Hamilton County School District, which has a total of 44,413 enrolled students – about 26% of Chattanooga’s overall student population of 173,940.

Postsecondary schools in Chattanooga include community and specialty schools, most of which focus on health care, business, and technology. The city is home to public colleges and universities like the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Chattanooga State Community College, as well as several private schools.

For parents who have just moved to Chattanooga, the process of gathering information about all these schools and choosing which ones are the most suitable for their children can be a bit daunting. If you’re looking for the best school to enroll your children, here’s a list of the top schools in Chattanooga, from middle school to college level, to help you in your search.

Best Middle and High Schools in Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts

Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts is a public middle school in Chattanooga that belongs to Hamilton County School District, with 436 students and a student to teacher ratio of 13 to 1. According to state test scores, this school has an average proficiency test score of 81% in Science (state average is 59%), 60% in English (state average is 34%), 80% in Math (state average is 37%), and 62% in Algebra I (state average is 22%). As you can see, there is a significant gap between the school’s average scores and the state averages, which is indicative of the superior overall academic proficiency of its students.

Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences (CSAS) Upper

Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences (CSAS) Upper is a magnet school within the Hamilton County School District that serves K-12. There are 664 students attending this school, with a student to teacher ratio of 17 to 1. CSAS has a 100% 4-year high school graduation rate (state average is 89%). There is 100% American College Testing (ACT) participation rate and an average ACT score of 23 (state average is 20). ACT college readiness rate among the students is 63% (state average is 20%).

Proficiency scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) show CSAS having higher average scores compared to the state average: 61% in English (state average is 34%), 76% in Science (state average is 59%), and 62% in Math (state average is 37%).

Normal Park Museum Magnet School

Normal Park Museum Magnet School takes pride in having received numerous recognitions on both local and national level for its innovative curriculum and success in building an exemplary magnet school program, such as Magnet School of Excellence Award, Magnet Schools of America (2005-2012). It has 828 students, with a student to teacher ratio of 13 to 1. TCAP scores in this school are also significantly higher compared to the state averages: 54% in English (state average is 34%), 77% in Science (state average is 59%), and 60% in Math (state average is 37%).

Chattanooga State Mid College High School

Chattanooga State Mid College High School has been renamed Hamilton County Collegiate High at ChattState in 2014, thereby serving students in grades 9-12 beginning Fall 2014. This public school has 149 students. Its 4-year high school graduation rate is 96% (state average is 89%), with students averaging 27 on the ACT (state average is 20). ACT participation rate is 98%, with an ACT college readiness rate of 87% (state average is 20%). Average proficiency score in English III is 85% (state average is 34%), Algebra II is 83% (state average is 24%), and Geometry is 91% (state average is 27%).

Best Colleges in Chattanooga, TN

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga has nearly a dozen public and private non-profit colleges and universities, including specialty or career-focused institutions. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is one of the largest universities in the city, with 11,670 students enrolled as of Fall 2014.

University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution that was founded in 1886. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 10,176. Best Value Schools lists the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga as one of the 20 Best Value Colleges and Universities in Tennessee for 2019 and is ranked 7 among the state’s 25 colleges, both public and private, according to College Consensus.

Although the university is known for its nationally-ranked business program, which has been featured among BusinessWeek’s top 100 programs in the nation in 2009, UTC offers over 140 undergraduate majors in comprehensive liberal studies, engineering, and pre-professional departments. 75% of its students are granted financial aid, including the prestigious HOPE scholarship for state residents. Median starting salary of UTC alumni is $42,900.

Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga State Community College, formerly called Chattanooga State Technical Institute, is a two-year institution that offers certificates and associate’s degrees in various divisions for its approximately 9,300 students, including health professions, public administration and social service professions, engineering technology, and business.

The school’s Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees are designed for students who would like to transfer to a four-year institution, while its Associate of Applied Science degree programs offer career training in fields such as engineering technology, veterinary medicine, and nursing and health-related professions. Chatt State’s Tennessee Technology Center Division offers 19 one-year diploma programs and 5 certificate programs, which prepare students for careers in air conditioning and refrigeration, automotive technology, massage therapy, medical assisting, applied nursing, and other fields.

The institution provides technical training and workforce development, supporting Chattanooga and the surrounding regions. In 2009, ChattState was selected to operate the training center for Volkswagen’s North American assembly plant in North Chattanooga. Currently, this school is the largest training operation in East Tennessee.