Enrollment
176
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Aiken, SC
Aiken Scholars Academy
Federal NCES profile for Aiken Scholars Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450072001708
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aiken Scholars Academy earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Aiken · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 29.3:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 14.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Aiken Scholars Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aiken Scholars Academy ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Aiken, SC.
School address
District: Aiken 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450072001708 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+105% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aiken Scholars Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aiken Scholars Academy
Aiken Scholars Academy is a lower-poverty, small high school in Aiken, South Carolina, enrolling 176 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.3:1 is larger than about 99% of South Carolina schools and 105% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.3% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the South Carolina average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of South Carolina schools, with 176 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 176 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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.
Among Aiken's high schools, it stands alongside South Aiken High (1,349 students): Aiken Scholars Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.3:1 vs 17.8:1).
Aiken 01 also operates North Augusta High (1,645 students) and Midland Valley High (1,558 students) alongside Aiken Scholars Academy.
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 Scholars Academy compares
Aiken Scholars Academy 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 | 29.3:1 | ▲ 105% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.3% | ▼ 81% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 176 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.3:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
176
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
29.3:1
students per teacher
- 105% above state mean
Top 99% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
4.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 176 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 64.8%
African American 13.1%
Two or More 10.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Asian 5.1%
Largest group: White at 64.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.5, Aiken Scholars Academy is about as mixed as 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 Scholars Academy.
$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 Scholars Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Augusta High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Midland Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Aiken High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aiken High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Silver Bluff High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aiken Scholars Academy'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
- 1,097
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~176 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aiken Scholars Academy's federal record.
- Compare Aiken Scholars Academy 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 Scholars Academy
How many students attend Aiken Scholars Academy?
Aiken Scholars Academy has 176 students enrolled. It is a high school in Aiken, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aiken Scholars Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Aiken Scholars Academy is 29.3:1, which is 105% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 87% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aiken Scholars Academy?
14.3% of students at Aiken Scholars Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aiken Scholars Academy?
The largest demographic group at Aiken Scholars Academy is White at 64.8% of enrollment, in Aiken, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aiken Scholars Academy?
Aiken Scholars Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Scholars Academy rank among high schools in Aiken?
By Resource Investment Index, Aiken Scholars Academy ranks #1 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 Scholars Academy a good school?
Aiken Scholars Academy earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. 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 Scholars Academy, 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.