Enrollment
1,375
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bluffton, SC
Bluffton High
Federal NCES profile for Bluffton High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450111001165
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bluffton High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #9 of 10
- public schools in Bluffton · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 29.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Bluffton High has class sizes larger than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bluffton High ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Bluffton, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111001165 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bluffton High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bluffton High
Bluffton High is a large high school in Bluffton, South Carolina, enrolling 1,375 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.9% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the South Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,375 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 61 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #51, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (35%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 275 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 406 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,375 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bluffton's high schools, it stands alongside May River High (1,731 students): Bluffton High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 16.3:1).
Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students) and Hilton Head Island High (1,265 students) alongside Bluffton 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 Bluffton High compares
Bluffton High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.9% | ▼ 60% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,375 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,375
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.0%
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
$16,066
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 275 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
278
in-school suspensions + 128 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Hispanic or Latino 48.1%
White 34.5%
African American 12.2%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.3, Bluffton High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaufort 01, which includes Bluffton High.
$16,066
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 30.2%
Federal 13.4%
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 Bluffton High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| May River High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hilton Head Island High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beaufort High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bluffton Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bluffton High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,731
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Bluffton
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 South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,375 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bluffton High's federal record.
- Compare Bluffton High against another school. Compare schools
- Beaufort 01'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 Bluffton High
How many students attend Bluffton High?
Bluffton High has 1,375 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bluffton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bluffton High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bluffton High is 15.6:1, which is 9% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bluffton High?
29.9% of students at Bluffton High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bluffton High?
The largest demographic group at Bluffton High is Hispanic or Latino at 48.1% of enrollment, in Bluffton, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bluffton High?
Bluffton High 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 Bluffton High rank among public schools in Bluffton?
By Resource Investment Index, Bluffton High ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Bluffton, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bluffton on the city page.
Is Bluffton High a good school?
Bluffton High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of South 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 Beaufort 01?
Besides Bluffton High, Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students), Hilton Head Island High (1,265 students), and River Ridge Academy (1,134 students). See the Beaufort 01 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.