Enrollment
1,298
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Benton, AR
Benton High School
Federal NCES profile for Benton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 050296000063
👥 S:T ratio 55
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas.
- #5 of 13
- public schools in Benton · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 21.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton High School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton High School ranks #5 of 13 public schools in Benton, AR.
School address
District: Benton School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050296000063 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
116.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.3%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton High School
Benton High School is a large high school in Benton, Arkansas, enrolling 1,298 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.3% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Arkansas average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,298 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #16.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 649 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Benton School District spends $8,851 per pupil, 28% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Benton School District also operates Benton Middle School (1,363 students) and Benton Junior High School (971 students) alongside Benton 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 High School compares
Benton High School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 18% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.3% | ▼ 64% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,298 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,298
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
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
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 28% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$8,851
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 649 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
117
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.3 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 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
African American 10.2%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.6, Benton High School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton School District, which includes Benton High School.
$8,851
Per student
-28%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 53.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benton Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ringgold Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Perrin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caldwell Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,363
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 511
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,298 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton High School's federal record.
- Compare Benton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Benton School District'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 High School
How many students attend Benton High School?
Benton High School has 1,298 students enrolled. It is a high school in Benton, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton High School is 11.2:1, which is 18% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 29% 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 Benton High School?
21.3% of students at Benton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton High School?
The largest demographic group at Benton High School is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Benton, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton High School?
Benton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Benton High School rank among public schools in Benton?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton High School ranks #5 of 13 public schools in Benton, AR. 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 on the city page.
Is Benton High School a good school?
Benton High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas. 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 School District?
Besides Benton High School, Benton School District also operates Benton Middle School (1,363 students), Benton Junior High School (971 students), and Ringgold Elementary School (511 students). See the Benton School District 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.