NCES CCD 2024-25 42 schools MI

Best-Resourced Schools in Lansing, MI

42 public K-12 schools in Lansing from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

42
Schools
16,216
Students
28/100
Avg Resource Index
18:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Lansing has more public-school enrollment than 90% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Lansing is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 10 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

Combined-grade campuses shape the local portfolio

24 of Lansing's 42 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.

High measured need meets a thin staffing ratio

Lansing's reporting schools show 76.5% free-lunch eligibility across measured enrollment, alongside an average 18.0:1 student-teacher ratio. These are separate constraints: one describes the economic context of enrolled students and the other compares student and teacher headcounts. The 52-point gap between Lansing Learning Hub and Attwood School is therefore more useful than the city mean alone. A school with a similar ratio may still report different counselor access, attendance, or gifted-program availability, so open the campus records before drawing conclusions about student support.

City enrollment
Top 10%
School count
Top 5%
Resource Index average
8th percentile
Teacher staffing
25th percentile

Lansing school enrollment varies 85× across entities

Lansing school enrollment ranges from 12 students (lowest) to 1,017 students (highest), a spread of 1,005 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Lansing reports 76.5% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Lansing operates 10 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Lansing student-teacher ratio is 18.0:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Lansing is typically wider than the Lansing-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

6 of Lansing's 42 listed schools are charters

14% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Lansing Learning Hub 62
2. Ingham Academyfamily Center 59
3. Jw Sexton High School 56
4. Dwight Rich School of the Arts 55
5. Eastern High School 48
6. Everett High School 45
7. Ingham County Youth Center 44
8. Riddle Elementary 41
9. Capital Area K12 Online 39
10. Cavanaugh School 38
11. Kendon School 38
12. Lewton School 33
13. Beekman Center 33
14. Gardner International School 31
15. Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center 30
16. Winans Elementary School 26
17. Post Oak School 25
18. Midmichigan Leadership Academy 25
19. Reo School 25
20. Insight School of Michigan 24
21. Elmwood Elementary School 24
22. Delta Center Elementary School 23
23. Waverly Senior High School 22
24. Windemere Park Charter Academy 22
25. East Intermediate School 22
26. Cumberland School 21
27. Forest View School 21
28. Forrest G Averill School 21
29. Lansing Charter Academy 20
30. Wexford Montessori Magnet School 20
31. Gier Park School 19
32. Willow School 19
33. Waverly Middle School 18
34. North School 16
35. Pattengill School 15
36. Lyons School 14
37. Cole Academy 14
38. Sheridan Road 12
39. Attwood School 10
40. Mt Hope School 10
41. Blended Learning Academies Credit Recovery High School 10
42. The Early College Lansing Community College -

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Lansing

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Lyons School 78.3/100
  2. 2 Meryl S Colt Early Childhood Education Center 77.5/100
  3. 3 Cumberland School 76.3/100
  4. 4 Pattengill School 75.5/100
  5. 5 Cavanaugh School 75.3/100

What do families ask about schools in Lansing?

Which Lansing school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Lansing Learning Hub has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Lansing schools in this federal-data comparison at 62/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Lansing, MI?

Lansing has 42 public schools with a total enrollment of 16,216 students. 6 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 18:1.

Other Cities in Michigan

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Michigan →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.