Enrollment
1,148
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bristol, CT
Bristol Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Bristol Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 090051000092
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bristol Central High School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median. It is also one of the largest schools in Connecticut.
- #6 of 14
- public schools in Bristol · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 44.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Bristol Central High School has class sizes near the Connecticut median. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bristol Central High School ranks #6 of 14 public schools in Bristol, CT.
School address
District: Bristol School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090051000092 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.1%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bristol Central High School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bristol Central High School
Bristol Central High School is a large high school in Bristol, Connecticut, enrolling 1,148 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Connecticut, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,148 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Among 48 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Connecticut schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 191 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bristol's high schools, it stands alongside Bristol Eastern High School (998 students): Bristol Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.3:1 vs 10:1).
Bristol School District also operates Bristol Eastern High School (998 students) and Greene-Hills School (918 students) alongside Bristol Central 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 Bristol Central High School compares
Bristol Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Connecticut and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▲ 2% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.1% | ▲ 21% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,148 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,148
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 64% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$21,012
per pupil, district-wide
- below Connecticut avg of $23,870
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 191 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
84
in-school suspensions + 99 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 43.6%
Hispanic or Latino 38.9%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 3.0%
Largest group: White at 43.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.7, Bristol Central High School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bristol School District, which includes Bristol Central High School.
$21,012
Per student
-12%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 38.6%
Federal 8.8%
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 Bristol Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Eastern High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Greene-Hills School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Bristol School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chippens Hill Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Side School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bristol Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 918
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 833
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 545
- Students per teacher
- 8.7:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar high schools in Bristol
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 Connecticut, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,148 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bristol Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Bristol Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bristol 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 Bristol Central High School
How many students attend Bristol Central High School?
Bristol Central High School has 1,148 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bristol, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bristol Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bristol Central High School is 12.3:1, which is 2% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bristol Central High School?
44.1% of students at Bristol Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bristol Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Bristol Central High School is White at 43.6% of enrollment, in Bristol, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bristol Central High School?
Bristol Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Bristol Central High School rank among public schools in Bristol?
By Resource Investment Index, Bristol Central High School ranks #6 of 14 public schools in Bristol, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bristol on the city page.
Is Bristol Central High School a good school?
Bristol Central High School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Connecticut median. It is also one of the largest schools in Connecticut. 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 Bristol School District?
Besides Bristol Central High School, Bristol School District also operates Bristol Eastern High School (998 students), Greene-Hills School (918 students), and West Bristol School (833 students). See the Bristol 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.