Enrollment
921
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bluffton, SC
Bluffton Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bluffton Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450111001552
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bluffton Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #4 of 10
- public schools in Bluffton · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 37.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bluffton Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bluffton Middle ranks #4 of 10 public schools in Bluffton, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111001552 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.2%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bluffton Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bluffton Middle
Bluffton Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Bluffton, South Carolina, enrolling 921 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 921 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 124 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (40%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 189 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 921 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Bluffton's middle schools, it stands alongside H. E. Mccracken Middle (846 students): Bluffton Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 13.6:1).
Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students) and Bluffton High (1,375 students) alongside Bluffton Middle.
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 Middle compares
Bluffton Middle 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.2% | ▼ 50% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 921 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
921
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
136
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.8%
White 40.2%
African American 10.4%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.6, Bluffton Middle is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaufort 01, which includes Bluffton Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| May River High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bluffton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hilton Head Island High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beaufort High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bluffton Middle'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
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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
Similar middle schools in Bluffton
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~921 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bluffton Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bluffton Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Bluffton Middle?
Bluffton Middle has 921 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bluffton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bluffton Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bluffton Middle is 15.3:1, which is 7% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bluffton Middle?
37.2% of students at Bluffton Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bluffton Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bluffton Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 44.8% of enrollment, in Bluffton, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bluffton Middle?
Bluffton Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bluffton Middle rank among public schools in Bluffton?
By Resource Investment Index, Bluffton Middle ranks #4 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 Middle a good school?
Bluffton Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina 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 Beaufort 01?
Besides Bluffton Middle, Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students), Bluffton High (1,375 students), and Hilton Head Island High (1,265 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.