Enrollment
469
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Benton Harbor, MI
Benton Harbor High School
Federal NCES profile for Benton Harbor High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260483004162
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton Harbor High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #5 of 10
- public schools in Benton Harbor · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 33.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 95.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton Harbor High School has class sizes larger than 97% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Harbor High School ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Benton Harbor, MI.
School address
District: Benton Harbor Area Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 260483004162 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
33.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+91% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton Harbor High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton Harbor High School
Benton Harbor High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, enrolling 469 students.
Class loads run heavy: 33.5:1 is larger than about 97% of Michigan schools and 91% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 95.6% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 469 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 252 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #140.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 82.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Benton Harbor Area Schools spends $16,532 per pupil, 22% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 29.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 183 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 469 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Benton Harbor's high schools, it stands alongside Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan (112 students): Benton Harbor High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (33.5:1 vs 14:1).
Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Fair Plain Middle School (240 students) and Martin Luther King Jr Elementary (229 students) alongside Benton Harbor 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 Benton Harbor High School compares
Benton Harbor High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 33.5:1 | ▲ 91% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.6% | ▲ 76% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 469 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
33.5:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
469
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
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
33.5:1
students per teacher
- 91% above state mean
Top 97% in Michigan - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
82.3%
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
$16,532
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 183 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.0 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
African American 94.9%
Two or More 2.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
White 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 94.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.9, Benton Harbor High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton Harbor Area Schools, which includes Benton Harbor High School.
$16,532
Per student
+22%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 35.5%
Federal 29.7%
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 Benton Harbor High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Plain Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fair Plain East Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Discovery Enrichment Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton Harbor High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 240
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 229
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 150
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 59
- Students per teacher
- 59:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar high schools in Benton Harbor
1 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 Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~469 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton Harbor High School's federal record.
- Compare Benton Harbor High School against another school. Compare schools
- Benton Harbor Area 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 Benton Harbor High School
How many students attend Benton Harbor High School?
Benton Harbor High School has 469 students enrolled. It is a high school in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton Harbor High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton Harbor High School is 33.5:1, which is 91% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 113% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benton Harbor High School?
95.6% of students at Benton Harbor High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton Harbor High School?
The largest demographic group at Benton Harbor High School is African American at 94.9% of enrollment, in Benton Harbor, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton Harbor High School?
Benton Harbor High School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Benton Harbor High School rank among public schools in Benton Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Harbor High School ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Benton Harbor, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Benton Harbor on the city page.
Is Benton Harbor High School a good school?
Benton Harbor High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools. 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 Benton Harbor Area Schools?
Besides Benton Harbor High School, Benton Harbor Area Schools also operates Fair Plain Middle School (240 students), Martin Luther King Jr Elementary (229 students), and Fair Plain East Elementary (150 students). See the Benton Harbor Area 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.