17 public K-12 schools in Meridian from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
17 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Meridian's 17 public schools is Meridian High School, scoring 36/100, against a city average of 40.6/100. Computed live across every Meridian campus reporting to NCES.
How the Meridian Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Meridian, MS enrolls 9,003 students across 17 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 13.9:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 40.6/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Meridian on this index is Meridian High School, at 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,253 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Meridian spans 2 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Meridian school enrollment varies 3.8× across entities
Meridian school enrollment ranges from 328 students (lowest) to 1,253 students (highest), a spread of 925 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Meridian has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 76.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Meridian student-teacher ratio is 13.9:1 — low (typically associated with smaller schools or per-school staffing investment that often correlates with stronger per-student supports)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Meridian
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.
The highest-ranked school in Meridian is Meridian High School with a quality score of 36/100. There are 17 public schools in Meridian with 9,003 total students.
How many schools are in Meridian, MS? ▼
Meridian has 17 public schools with a total enrollment of 9,003 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 13.9:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
