Enrollment
590
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bessemer City, NC
Bessemer City High
Federal NCES profile for Bessemer City High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370162000668
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bessemer City High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Bessemer City · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 74.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bessemer City High has class sizes larger than 86% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer City High ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Bessemer City, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000668 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bessemer City High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bessemer City High
Bessemer City High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Bessemer City, North Carolina, enrolling 590 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19:1 is larger than about 86% of North Carolina schools and 20% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 74.7% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 590 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #171.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 255 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 590 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Bessemer City High.
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 Bessemer City High compares
Bessemer City High 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.7% | ▲ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 590 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
590
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 86% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
53.6%
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
$11,409
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
96
in-school suspensions + 159 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.2 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 43.9%
African American 25.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 43.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Bessemer City High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gaston County Schools, which includes Bessemer City High.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Bessemer City High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bessemer City High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~590 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bessemer City High's federal record.
- Compare Bessemer City High against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston 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 Bessemer City High
How many students attend Bessemer City High?
Bessemer City High has 590 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bessemer City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessemer City High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bessemer City High is 19:1, which is 20% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bessemer City High?
74.7% of students at Bessemer City High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bessemer City High?
The largest demographic group at Bessemer City High is White at 43.9% of enrollment, in Bessemer City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bessemer City High?
Bessemer City High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Bessemer City High rank among public schools in Bessemer City?
By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer City High ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Bessemer City, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bessemer City on the city page.
Is Bessemer City High a good school?
Bessemer City High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of North Carolina 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Bessemer City High, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston 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.