Enrollment
865
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Amherst, NY
Amherst Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Amherst Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 360292000061
👥 S:T ratio 57
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Amherst Central High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #2 of 9
- public schools in Amherst · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- students per teacher
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Amherst Central High School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst Central High School ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Amherst, NY.
School address
District: Amherst Central School District · New York
NCES ID 360292000061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
81.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Amherst Central High School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Amherst Central High School
Amherst Central High School is a large high school in Amherst, New York, enrolling 865 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 865 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 457 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #140.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Amherst Central School District spends $20,441 per pupil, 23% below the New York average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.1% 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 81 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Amherst Central School District also operates Windermere Blvd School (738 students) and Smallwood Drive School (708 students) alongside Amherst Central High School.
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 Amherst Central High School compares
Amherst Central High School on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 40% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 865 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
865
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 40% in New York - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.3%
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
$20,441
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 81 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
White 63.1%
African American 13.8%
Asian 12.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Amherst Central High School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amherst Central School District, which includes Amherst Central High School.
$20,441
Per student
-23%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.0%
State 26.9%
Federal 24.1%
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 Amherst Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windermere Blvd School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smallwood Drive School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Amherst Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Amherst Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~865 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Amherst Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Amherst Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Amherst Central School District'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 Amherst Central High School
How many students attend Amherst Central High School?
Amherst Central High School has 865 students enrolled. It is a high school in Amherst, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Amherst Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Amherst Central High School is 10.7:1, which is 9% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 32% 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 Amherst Central High School?
34.0% of students at Amherst Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Amherst Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Amherst Central High School is White at 63.1% of enrollment, in Amherst, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Amherst Central High School?
Amherst Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Amherst Central High School rank among public schools in Amherst?
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst Central High School ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Amherst, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Amherst on the city page.
Is Amherst Central High School a good school?
Amherst Central High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York 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 Amherst Central School District?
Besides Amherst Central High School, Amherst Central School District also operates Windermere Blvd School (738 students), Smallwood Drive School (708 students), and Amherst Middle School (646 students). See the Amherst Central School District 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.