Enrollment
402
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Benson, AZ
Benson High School
Federal NCES profile for Benson High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040021200061
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benson High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Benson · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 30.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Benson High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benson High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Benson, AZ.
School address
District: Benson Unified School District (79226) · Arizona
NCES ID 040021200061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benson High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benson High School
Benson High School is a mid-sized high school in Benson, Arizona, enrolling 402 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 402 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 239 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 49/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 402 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Benson Unified School District (79226) spends $10,529 per pupil, 20% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Benson Unified School District (79226) also operates Benson Primary School (507 students) and Benson Middle School (286 students) alongside Benson 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 Benson High School compares
Benson High School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.9% | ▼ 36% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 402 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
402
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 35% in Arizona - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.4%
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
$10,529
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 402 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 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
White 66.7%
Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Benson High School is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benson Unified School District (79226), which includes Benson High School.
$10,529
Per student
-20%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 18.7%
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 Benson High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson Primary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benson Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benson Digital Learning Center Online | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Benson Digital Learning Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benson High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 51
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 41
- Students per teacher
- 41:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~402 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benson High School's federal record.
- Compare Benson High School against another school. Compare schools
- Benson Unified School District (79226)'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 Benson High School
How many students attend Benson High School?
Benson High School has 402 students enrolled. It is a high school in Benson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benson High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benson High School is 14.9:1, which is 12% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 5% 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 Benson High School?
30.9% of students at Benson High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benson High School?
The largest demographic group at Benson High School is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Benson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benson High School?
Benson High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Benson High School rank among public schools in Benson?
By Resource Investment Index, Benson High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Benson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Benson on the city page.
Is Benson High School a good school?
Benson High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona 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 Benson Unified School District (79226)?
Besides Benson High School, Benson Unified School District (79226) also operates Benson Primary School (507 students), Benson Middle School (286 students), and Benson Digital Learning Center Online (51 students). See the Benson Unified School District (79226) 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.