Enrollment
1,341
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bel Air, MD
Bel Air High
Federal NCES profile for Bel Air 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 240039000683
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bel Air High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Bel Air · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 19.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Bel Air High has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bel Air High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Bel Air, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039000683 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.4%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bel Air High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bel Air High
Bel Air High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Bel Air, Maryland, enrolling 1,341 students.
At 14.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,341 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 101 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #86, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bel Air's high schools, it stands alongside C. Milton Wright High (1,291 students): Bel Air High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 15.4:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Bel Air 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 Bel Air High compares
Bel Air High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.4% | ▼ 60% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,341 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,341
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 53% in Maryland - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.7%
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
$15,192
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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
White 67.0%
African American 11.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
Asian 7.7%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Bel Air High is about as mixed as the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harford County Public Schools, which includes Bel Air High.
$15,192
Per student
-26%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 12.0%
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 Bel Air High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southampton Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bel Air High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,192
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Bel Air
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,341 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bel Air High's federal record.
- Compare Bel Air High against another school. Compare schools
- Harford 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 Bel Air High
How many students attend Bel Air High?
Bel Air High has 1,341 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bel Air, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bel Air High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bel Air High is 14.7:1, which is 1% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bel Air High?
19.4% of students at Bel Air High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bel Air High?
The largest demographic group at Bel Air High is White at 67.0% of enrollment, in Bel Air, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bel Air High?
Bel Air 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 Bel Air High rank among high schools in Bel Air?
By Resource Investment Index, Bel Air High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Bel Air, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bel Air on the city page.
Is Bel Air High a good school?
Bel Air High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland 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 Harford County Public Schools?
Besides Bel Air High, Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students), Aberdeen High (1,396 students), and C. Milton Wright High (1,291 students). See the Harford 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.