Enrollment
1,278
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Athens, AL
Athens High School
Federal NCES profile for Athens High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010012001472
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Athens High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #5 of 14
- public schools in Athens · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Athens High School has class sizes larger than 74% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Athens High School ranks #5 of 14 public schools in Athens, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Athens High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Athens High School
Athens High School is a large high school in Athens, Alabama, enrolling 1,278 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,278 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 102 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 426 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Athens City also operates Athens Middle School (935 students) and Athens Intermediate School (641 students) alongside Athens 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 Athens High School compares
Athens High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 22% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,278 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,278
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 74% in Alabama - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,655
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 426 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
103
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 50.5%
Hispanic or Latino 24.2%
African American 16.5%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.5, Athens High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Athens City, which includes Athens High School.
$10,655
Per student
-15%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.1%
State 38.8%
Federal 9.1%
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 Athens High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Athens Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Athens Renaissance School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Athens Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Julian Newman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Athens High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,278 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Athens High School's federal record.
- Compare Athens High School against another school. Compare schools
- Athens City'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 High School
How many students attend Athens High School?
Athens High School has 1,278 students enrolled. It is a high school in Athens, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Athens High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Athens High School is 19.1:1, which is 8% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Athens High School?
45.7% of students at Athens High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Athens High School?
The largest demographic group at Athens High School is White at 50.5% of enrollment, in Athens, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Athens High School?
Athens High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Athens High School rank among public schools in Athens?
By Resource Investment Index, Athens High School ranks #5 of 14 public schools in Athens, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Athens on the city page.
Is Athens High School a good school?
Athens High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Athens City?
Besides Athens High School, Athens City also operates Athens Middle School (935 students), Athens Intermediate School (641 students), and Athens Renaissance School (606 students). See the Athens City 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.