Akins vs Crockett High School: TEA Scores and South Austin Value

South Austin’s Two Most Underestimated High Schools

Akins Early College High School scored an 81 on its 2025 TEA accountability rating, earning a B and a perfect 7 of 7 distinctions. Crockett High School came in at 74, a C rating, but also earned all 7 distinctions. So both schools are hitting specific academic benchmarks at a high level even if their overall scores tell slightly different stories. That is a nuance most people miss when they look at ratings and nothing else.

I have been working with buyers in south Austin since 2007, and these two schools get overlooked constantly. People see the scores and immediately start asking about Bowie or Westlake or Anderson. But the reality is that Akins and Crockett serve distinct communities with genuinely different approaches to education, and the price points in both zones are significantly more accessible than what you will find in the “name brand” school zones north and west of town.

Akins sits within Austin ISD and runs an early college model in partnership with Austin Community College. Crockett is also Austin ISD but takes a more traditional approach with strong extracurriculars and a smaller student body. Both schools are less than four miles apart in south Austin, and the median home prices in their zones differ by over $100,000. Lets look at where the numbers diverge and what that means for your search.

Akins vs Crockett: Quick Comparison

TEA School Performance Comparison (2025)

The Texas Education Agency evaluates every public school annually across multiple performance domains. Here is how both campuses performed in the 2025 accountability cycle.

Both schools earned every single TEA distinction available, which is actually rare for any high school in the state. That 7 of 7 figure means they are excelling in ELA/Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Academic Progress, Closing the Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness at the distinction level. So while the overall scores have a seven point gap, both campuses are delivering strong results in every individual subject area. That tells me the overall rating is being pulled down by the composite formula rather than any single weakness.

Akins leads Crockett by six points in both School Progress and Academic Growth, which reflects its early college model. When students are taking college level coursework through ACC, the growth metrics tend to reflect that additional rigor. Crockett’s Closing the Gaps score of 70 is the lowest number on its card, but that is still a passing score, and the 7 of 7 distinctions suggest the school is making meaningful progress across student groups even if the overall number does not look flashy.

For the full TEA breakdown on each campus, including rating history and all distinctions, visit the Akins Early College HS school page or the Crockett High School school page.

Akins Early College: A College Degree Before You Graduate

The headline feature at Akins is the early college partnership with Austin Community College. Students can earn up to 60 college credit hours while completing their high school diploma. Some graduates leave with an associate degree in hand. In a city where the cost of a four year university keeps climbing, that head start is genuinely meaningful. The school’s Career and Technical Education pathways cover healthcare, IT, business, and skilled trades, so students are not just accumulating credits, they are building toward something specific.

Akins serves a heavily south Austin population, and the campus takes its role as a college access point seriously. The counseling and academic support infrastructure is designed around helping students succeed in college level work, which is a different challenge than what most traditional high schools face. I have had buyers tell me that the early college model was the reason they chose the Akins zone over other options in south Austin, and I understand why. It is a tangible, measurable benefit that most high schools simply do not offer.

Crockett High School: Smaller, Traditional, Community Focused

Crockett is one of the smaller high schools in Austin ISD with just 376 students, and that size creates a campus culture that feels more personal than what you typically find at a large comprehensive high school. The school offers a full athletics program, fine arts, and student organizations, but the smaller enrollment means students are more likely to know their teachers, get playing time on a team, and find their place without getting lost in the crowd.

The median home price in the Crockett zone runs about $108,000 higher than Akins, which reflects the mix of south Austin neighborhoods that feed into the school. The Crockett zone includes areas with updated homes and established subdivisions that have appreciated steadily over the last decade. And for what it is worth, Crockett’s 7 of 7 distinctions at a C overall rating is genuinely impressive. That disconnect between the letter grade and the distinction count tells you the school is performing well in ways the headline number does not fully capture.

The Neighborhoods

The Akins zone covers a broad swath of far south Austin, including neighborhoods along Slaughter Lane and south of William Cannon. Home prices here are among the most accessible in all of Austin ISD, with a median around $390,000. Buyers who need to stay under $400K and still want an Austin ISD address consistently end up looking in this zone. The trade off is a longer commute to central Austin, but for people who work in south Austin or along the I-35 south corridor, the location works well.

Crockett’s zone sits closer to the core of south Austin, pulling from neighborhoods around Stassney Lane, William Cannon, and the Westgate area. The median of $498,625 reflects more established and updated housing stock, and the proximity to central Austin is noticeably better. Buyers in the Crockett zone tend to care about walkability, access to South Lamar, and being closer to the things that make Austin, Austin.

Browse all homes zoned to Akins High School or homes zoned to Crockett High School.

Which School Fits You?

This is less about which school is “better” and more about what you want out of the next four years and the next ten years of homeownership.

You might lean toward Akins if:

• The early college model appeals to you and you want students to graduate with college credits or an associate degree
• You need to stay under $400K and want to maximize square footage for the price
• Career and technical education pathways are a priority

You might lean toward Crockett if:

• You prefer a smaller high school environment where students are more than a number
• Proximity to central Austin matters more than the absolute lowest price point
• You value a traditional high school experience with strong extracurriculars and a tight community feel
• The 7 of 7 distinctions give you confidence the school is performing at a high level despite the C rating

I will say this. Both schools deserve more credit than they get. The 7 of 7 distinctions at both campuses is something that plenty of “name brand” schools in Austin cannot claim. South Austin buyers who do their homework on the actual data, not just the letter grade, tend to feel a lot better about these options than they expected to.

Ready to Find Your Home?

South Austin has more going on than most people realize, and I would love to show you what is available in both of these school zones. I have been helping buyers find the right fit in Austin for over 19 years, and sometimes the best value is in the places that do not get the most attention. Lets connect and figure out what works for you.

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