Enrollment
1,097
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Aiken, SC
Aiken High
Federal NCES profile for Aiken High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450072000046
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aiken High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Aiken · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Aiken High has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aiken High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Aiken, SC.
School address
District: Aiken 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450072000046 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aiken High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aiken High
Aiken High is a high-poverty, large high school in Aiken, South Carolina, enrolling 1,097 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,097 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 108 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by African American (46%) and White (39%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 219 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Aiken 01 spends $11,604 per pupil, 20% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 564 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,097 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 21 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Aiken's high schools, it stands alongside South Aiken High (1,349 students): Aiken High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 17.8:1).
Aiken 01 also operates North Augusta High (1,645 students) and Midland Valley High (1,558 students) alongside Aiken High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Aiken High compares
Aiken High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,097 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,097
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
58.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,604
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 219 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
260
in-school suspensions + 304 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 51.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 21 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 45.7%
White 39.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 45.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.6, Aiken High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aiken 01, which includes Aiken High.
$11,604
Per student
-20%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 45.4%
Federal 15.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Aiken High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Augusta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midland Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Aiken High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Silver Bluff High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Byrd Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aiken High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,645
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,558
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,349
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Aiken
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,097 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aiken High's federal record.
- Compare Aiken High against another school. Compare schools
- Aiken 01's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Aiken High
How many students attend Aiken High?
Aiken High has 1,097 students enrolled. It is a high school in Aiken, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aiken High?
The student-teacher ratio at Aiken High is 14.2:1, which is 1% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aiken High?
100.0% of students at Aiken High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aiken High?
The largest demographic group at Aiken High is African American at 45.7% of enrollment, in Aiken, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aiken High?
Aiken High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Aiken High rank among high schools in Aiken?
By Resource Investment Index, Aiken High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Aiken, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Aiken on the city page.
Is Aiken High a good school?
Aiken High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Aiken 01?
Besides Aiken High, Aiken 01 also operates North Augusta High (1,645 students), Midland Valley High (1,558 students), and South Aiken High (1,349 students). See the Aiken 01 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.