Murphysboro High School

Located at 50 Blackwood Dr, in Murphysboro, Illinois, Murphysboro High School is a compact senior high that educates 565 students (grades 9 through 12), overseen by Murphysboro CUSD 186. That puts it 32% smaller than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 834 students.

Murphysboro CUSD 186 runs 5 schools in total, collectively educating 1,877 students. Murphysboro High School is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Murphysboro High School records that 70% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder breaks down as 14% Black, 8% Hispanic, 7% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Jackson County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Murphysboro High School has 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Murphysboro High School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 97% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Jackson County (around 73%), the school's rate is north of typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Murphysboro High School sits in the top 10% of Illinois schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 15.3%; actual is 34.7%, +19.4 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the broader community, Jackson County reports that median household earnings sit near $48,763, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Jackson County runs 32 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,811 students), of which Murphysboro High School is one.

Carruthers Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Murphysboro High School comes 1st of 6 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 28.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Murphysboro High School has decreased 6%, going from 599 students in 2018 to 565 in 2025. Class-load math has narrowed: from 14.0:1 in 2018 to 12.4:1 in 2025.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.