Enrollment
1,240
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Amherst, VA
Amherst County High
Federal NCES profile for Amherst County High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510021000065
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Amherst County High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Amherst · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 74.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Amherst County High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst County High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Amherst, VA.
School address
District: Amherst County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510021000065 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.8%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Amherst County High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Amherst County High
Amherst County High is a higher-need, large high school in Amherst, Virginia, enrolling 1,240 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,240 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 131 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #98, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 325 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,240 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Amherst County Public Schools also operates Monelison Middle (469 students) and Madison Heights Elementary (449 students) alongside Amherst County 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 Amherst County High compares
Amherst County High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.8% | ▲ 30% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,240 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,240
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 55% in Virginia - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.5%
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
$13,028
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
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 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
245
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.2 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 66.5%
African American 18.5%
Two or More 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.3, Amherst County High is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amherst County Public Schools, which includes Amherst County High.
$13,028
Per student
-11%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 58.7%
Federal 16.3%
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 Amherst County High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monelison Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Heights Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amelon Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Amherst Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Amherst Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Amherst County High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,240 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Amherst County High's federal record.
- Compare Amherst County High against another school. Compare schools
- Amherst County Public 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 Amherst County High
How many students attend Amherst County High?
Amherst County High has 1,240 students enrolled. It is a high school in Amherst, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Amherst County High?
The student-teacher ratio at Amherst County High is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Amherst County High?
74.8% of students at Amherst County High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Amherst County High?
The largest demographic group at Amherst County High is White at 66.5% of enrollment, in Amherst, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Amherst County High?
Amherst County High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Amherst County High rank among public schools in Amherst?
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst County High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Amherst, VA. 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 County High a good school?
Amherst County High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia 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 County Public Schools?
Besides Amherst County High, Amherst County Public Schools also operates Monelison Middle (469 students), Madison Heights Elementary (449 students), and Amelon Elementary (415 students). See the Amherst County Public 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.