Enrollment
2,156
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Raleigh, NC
Athens Drive High
Federal NCES profile for Athens Drive High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370472001830
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Athens Drive High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #7 of 14
- high schools in Raleigh · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Athens Drive High has class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Athens Drive High ranks #7 of 14 high schools in Raleigh, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472001830 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
127.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Athens Drive High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Athens Drive High
Athens Drive High is a large high school in Raleigh, North Carolina, enrolling 2,156 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,156 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 65 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 70/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 455 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,156 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Raleigh's high schools, it stands alongside Enloe High (2,643 students): Athens Drive High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17:1 vs 18.5:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Athens Drive 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 Athens Drive High compares
Athens Drive High 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 37% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,156 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,156
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.6%
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
$11,859
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
232
in-school suspensions + 223 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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 42.3%
African American 25.2%
Hispanic or Latino 22.0%
Asian 7.1%
Two or More 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.3, Athens Drive High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Athens Drive High.
$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 Athens Drive High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Athens Drive High'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 high schools in Raleigh
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Enloe High
Standard public school
2,643 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Millbrook High
Standard public school
2,498 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Leesville Road High
Standard public school
2,411 students 19:1 students per teacher
Needham Broughton High
Standard public school
2,153 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Wakefield High
Standard public school
2,065 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Sanderson High
Standard public school
1,648 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~2,156 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Athens Drive High's federal record.
- Compare Athens Drive High 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 Athens Drive High
How many students attend Athens Drive High?
Athens Drive High has 2,156 students enrolled. It is a high school in Raleigh, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Athens Drive High?
The student-teacher ratio at Athens Drive High is 17:1, which is 8% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Athens Drive High?
41.7% of students at Athens Drive High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Athens Drive High?
The largest demographic group at Athens Drive High is White at 42.3% of enrollment, in Raleigh, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Athens Drive High?
Athens Drive High has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Athens Drive High rank among high schools in Raleigh?
By Resource Investment Index, Athens Drive High ranks #7 of 14 high schools in Raleigh, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Raleigh on the city page.
Is Athens Drive High a good school?
Athens Drive High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Athens Drive High, 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.