Putnam County runs 22 public schools serving just over 12,000 students. Seven schools are listed below, from elementary through Tennessee Tech.
1. Cookeville High School
Cookeville High School has about 2,200 students in grades 9-12 and a GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10. The school runs Advanced Placement courses across multiple subjects. Dual enrollment through Tennessee Tech is available for juniors and seniors, including a path into Tennessee Tech's College of Engineering.
The graduation rate across Putnam County is about 80 percent. Cookeville High is likely above that county figure because of its size and student population. The published figure in this section is the county rate.
Athletics include football, basketball, baseball, soccer, cross-country, tennis, wrestling, and swimming. The basketball program has had stretches of state-level competition. Facilities have been updated in recent years. The school also has a band program, a theater program, academic clubs, and a robotics club. Tennessee Tech is nearby and supplies some instructional resources and dual enrollment that smaller county schools do not have.
2. Prescott South Middle School
Prescott South serves grades 5-8 with about 812 students and a GreatSchools rating of 7 out of 10. Prescott North is the other middle school and serves the other side of the city. Prescott South draws from residential areas on the south and east sides of Cookeville.
Extracurriculars include band, which feeds Cookeville High School's music program. Sports include basketball, baseball, softball, and track. Eighth graders get more playing time here than they will against upperclassmen at Cookeville High. Staff turnover has been lower here than at some of the district's smaller campuses.
3. Capshaw Elementary School
Capshaw Elementary has a GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10 and 521 students in grades PreK-4. It draws from Capshaw Estates and surrounding areas on the city's south side, an area with more owner-occupied homes.
School ratings track with the income mix of the attendance zone. Households in this part of Cookeville are more often two-income professional households, which shows up in PTA activity and fundraising. The rating also reflects the teachers and administration. Families who are choosing a neighborhood partly by elementary assignment use the Capshaw zone as one of the zones to check.
4. Northeast Elementary School
Northeast Elementary has a GreatSchools rating of 7 out of 10 and 435 students in grades PreK-4. It serves the northeast part of the city, a mix of longer-tenured residents and newer subdivisions.
The school has early literacy programming. Parent reviews note teachers who stay for years. Northeast feeds into Prescott North Middle School and then Cookeville High School.
5. Upperman High School (Baxter)
Upperman High School is in Baxter, about 15 miles west of Cookeville. It is part of Putnam County Schools and serves the western part of the county. Enrollment is about 900 students in grades 9-12.
Families buying between Cookeville and Baxter, or elsewhere in that western corridor, are zoned here. The AP list is smaller than at Cookeville High. The football program has competed at the state level. The FFA chapter is one of the stronger chapters in the region.
6. Cornerstone Christian Academy
GreatSchools lists 46 private schools in the broader Cookeville area. Many of those listings are small faith-based programs or preschools.
Cornerstone Christian Academy is a private school in Putnam County. The curriculum is Christ-centered and classical. Class sizes are often in the single digits to the low teens. Tuition varies by grade and is lower than private-school tuition in Nashville. Extracurricular options are fewer than at Cookeville High. The school does not have 12 varsity sports or a full AP catalog.
7. Tennessee Tech University
Tennessee Tech University had 10,701 students as of fall 2025. About 92 percent are from Tennessee. The university is the largest employer in Cookeville.
The strongest programs are engineering and applied sciences. The College of Engineering has 40-plus academic programs and research centers, including a Center for Manufacturing Research and a Cybersecurity Education and Research center. Mechanical engineering and computer science are the main undergraduate programs. The school runs 15 NCAA Division I athletic programs through the Ohio Valley Conference and is moving to the Southern Conference in 2026.
The university runs cultural events, performances, and public programs. Cookeville High School has a dual enrollment path into Tennessee Tech for college coursework during high school. The six-year graduation rate is 56 percent. The first-year retention rate is 80 percent. In-state tuition is available to Tennessee families.
What Parents Here Actually Say
Schools in higher-income attendance zones have higher ratings. Schools that draw from higher-poverty areas have lower ratings. Cookeville High has about 2,200 students, which is enough to run AP chemistry, a swim team, a drama program, and a robotics club at the same time. A smaller county high school in this comparison has about 400 students.
Talk with parents in the attendance zone you are considering. Drive the route. Visit on a school day. Ask teachers how long they have been at the school.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best schools in Cookeville TN?
Cookeville High School has a GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10 and about 2,200 students. Capshaw Elementary has a rating of 8 out of 10 and 521 students in grades PreK-4. Prescott South Middle School has a rating of 7 out of 10 and 812 students in grades 5-8. Tennessee Tech University has over 10,700 students, with engineering and applied sciences as its strongest programs.
How are the schools in Cookeville Tennessee?
Putnam County Schools serves about 12,000 students across 22 public schools. Cookeville High School, Capshaw Elementary, and Northeast Elementary are the highest-rated campuses named here. The district graduation rate is about 80 percent. The district is working to raise that rate. Teacher retention is higher at Capshaw and Northeast Elementary than at lower-rated campuses.
Is Cookeville High School good?
Cookeville High School has a GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10. It runs Advanced Placement courses across multiple subjects and dual enrollment through Tennessee Tech University. Athletics include football, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, tennis, wrestling, and cross-country. Enrollment is about 2,200. The school also has performing arts, a competitive band, and a robotics program.
Best public schools in Cookeville TN
Capshaw Elementary (PreK-4) and Cookeville High School (grades 9-12) are both rated 8 out of 10 on GreatSchools. Northeast Elementary is rated 7 out of 10 and has an early literacy program and longer staff tenure. Capshaw Estates, on the south side, is zoned for Capshaw Elementary.
What is Tennessee Tech University?
Tennessee Tech University is a public research university in Cookeville with about 10,700 students as of fall 2025. It is the city's largest employer. The strongest fields are engineering and applied sciences. The College of Engineering has 40-plus academic programs, including mechanical engineering, computer science, and a Center for Manufacturing Research. Tennessee Tech competes in NCAA Division I through the Ohio Valley Conference and is moving to the Southern Conference in 2026.