Enrollment
1,348
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Greensboro, NC
Ben L. Smith High School
Federal NCES profile for Ben L. Smith High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370192000798
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben L. Smith High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #10 of 17
- high schools in Greensboro · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 99.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ben L. Smith High School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben L. Smith High School ranks #10 of 17 high schools in Greensboro, NC.
School address
District: Guilford County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370192000798 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben L. Smith High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben L. Smith High School
Ben L. Smith High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Greensboro, North Carolina, enrolling 1,348 students.
At 15.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 99.8% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,348 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 64 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 62/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 225 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Greensboro's high schools, it stands alongside Northwest Guilford High (2,055 students): Ben L. Smith High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 21.2:1).
Guilford County Schools also operates Northwest Guilford High (2,055 students) and Grimsley High (1,967 students) alongside Ben L. Smith 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 Ben L. Smith High School compares
Ben L. Smith High School 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 | 15.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.8% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,348 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,348
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.5%
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
$13,036
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 225 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
115
in-school suspensions + 130 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.2 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
African American 48.7%
Hispanic or Latino 36.9%
Asian 6.5%
White 4.2%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.0, Ben L. Smith High School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Guilford County Schools, which includes Ben L. Smith High School.
$13,036
Per student
+8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 48.8%
Federal 26.8%
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.
How Ben L. Smith High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Guilford High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grimsley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Page High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwest Guilford High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James B Dudley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben L. Smith High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,055
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,967
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,547
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,403
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Greensboro
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Northwest Guilford High
Standard public school
2,055 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Grimsley High
Standard public school
1,967 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Page High
Standard public school
1,648 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
James B Dudley High
Standard public school
1,403 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Northern Guilford High
Standard public school
1,251 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Western Guilford High
Standard public school
1,243 students 16.4:1 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 (~1,348 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben L. Smith High School's federal record.
- Compare Ben L. Smith High School against another school. Compare schools
- Guilford 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 Ben L. Smith High School
How many students attend Ben L. Smith High School?
Ben L. Smith High School has 1,348 students enrolled. It is a high school in Greensboro, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben L. Smith High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben L. Smith High School is 15.5:1, which is 2% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben L. Smith High School?
99.8% of students at Ben L. Smith High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben L. Smith High School?
The largest demographic group at Ben L. Smith High School is African American at 48.7% of enrollment, in Greensboro, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben L. Smith High School?
Ben L. Smith High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Ben L. Smith High School rank among high schools in Greensboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben L. Smith High School ranks #10 of 17 high schools in Greensboro, 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 Greensboro on the city page.
Is Ben L. Smith High School a good school?
Ben L. Smith High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Guilford County Schools?
Besides Ben L. Smith High School, Guilford County Schools also operates Northwest Guilford High (2,055 students), Grimsley High (1,967 students), and Page High (1,648 students). See the Guilford 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.