Enrollment
375
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 181281002410
Ben Davis University High School — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Ben Davis University High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 20/100.
👥 Class size 16
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 23
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Msd Wayne Township · Indiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Davis University High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ben Davis University High School reports 375 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 17.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 31% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 33% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 66.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% above the Indiana average and 28% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Msd Wayne Township spends $18,276 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.0% from local sources (property taxes), 55.2% from the state, and 15.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ben Davis University High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.1:1 | ▲ 31% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.2% | ▲ 34% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 375 | top 36% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
66.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
— 31% above state mean
Top 96% in Indiana — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,276
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 375 Top 36% in Indiana — larger than 64% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 17.0
Students per teacher 21.1:1 +31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 66.2% +34% vs state
NCES ID 181281002410
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 43.7%
African American 33.3%
White 20.5%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Msd Wayne Township, which includes Ben Davis University High School.
$18,276
Per student
+26%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 55.2%
Federal 15.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,315
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,243
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,143
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,135
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
Similar high schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Central High School
Standard public school
3,682 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Central High School
Standard public school
3,438 students 21:1 students per teacher
Warren Central High School
Standard public school
3,391 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Ben Davis High School
Standard public school
3,315 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Pike High School
Standard public school
3,188 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Lawrence North High School
Standard public school
2,799 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ben Davis University High School
How many students attend Ben Davis University High School?
Ben Davis University High School has 375 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Davis University High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Davis University High School is 21.1:1, which is 31% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben Davis University High School?
66.2% of students at Ben Davis University High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Davis University High School?
The largest demographic group at Ben Davis University High School is Hispanic or Latino at 43.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Davis University High School?
Ben Davis University High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.