Enrollment
1,494
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cary, NC
Alston Ridge Middle
Federal NCES profile for Alston Ridge Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370472003491
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alston Ridge Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #7 of 7
- middle schools in Cary · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 17.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Alston Ridge Middle has class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alston Ridge Middle ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Cary, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472003491 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alston Ridge Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alston Ridge Middle
Alston Ridge Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Cary, North Carolina, enrolling 1,494 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 87% of North Carolina schools and 22% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.7% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,494 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 86 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #41.
Its student body is led by Asian (49%) and White (22%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 498 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Cary's middle schools, it stands alongside Mills Park Middle (1,632 students): Alston Ridge Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 19.2:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Alston Ridge Middle.
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 Alston Ridge Middle compares
Alston Ridge Middle on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.2:1 | ▲ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.7% | ▼ 73% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,494 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,494
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,859
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 498 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
Asian 49.3%
White 22.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
African American 11.4%
Two or More 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 49.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Alston Ridge Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Alston Ridge Middle.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Alston Ridge Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alston Ridge Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Cary
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Mills Park Middle
Standard public school
1,632 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Davis Drive Middle
Standard public school
992 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
West Cary Middle
Standard public school
824 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Reedy Creek Middle
Standard public school
805 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
East Cary Middle
Standard public school
597 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Connections Academy
Alternative education program
8 students
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,494 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alston Ridge Middle's federal record.
- Compare Alston Ridge Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wake County Schools'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 Alston Ridge Middle
How many students attend Alston Ridge Middle?
Alston Ridge Middle has 1,494 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cary, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alston Ridge Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Alston Ridge Middle is 19.2:1, which is 22% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alston Ridge Middle?
17.7% of students at Alston Ridge Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alston Ridge Middle?
The largest demographic group at Alston Ridge Middle is Asian at 49.3% of enrollment, in Cary, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alston Ridge Middle?
Alston Ridge Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alston Ridge Middle rank among middle schools in Cary?
By Resource Investment Index, Alston Ridge Middle ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Cary, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Cary on the city page.
Is Alston Ridge Middle a good school?
Alston Ridge Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Alston Ridge Middle, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake County Schools 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.